Do you actually use the safety in a bolt rifle? I don't.

[Raghornklr]

It cocks when I close the bolt. I dont walk around with it open.

 

[Loo.wii]

No such thing as a accidental discharge, imo.

Negligent Discharge.

 

[jjjjeremy]

Yes. Always. And I carry with an empty chamber.

Does your safety lock the bolt closed? I could see the utility in doing this if you have the option to have the safety on, but still operate the bolt.

 

[TaperPin]

Maybe I'm an idiot, but I hardly use the safety on my bolt gun, and when I do it's only because I have the background nagging thought in my head that "I might as well", or out of habit.

I'm not walking around with a round in the chamber, or the bolt cocked on an empty chamber, so I can't even engage the safety if I wanted to. If I'm at the range I'm not putting a round in the chamber until I'm settled on target. Maybe I use it hunting if I put one in the chamber in the last few moments before I shoot, so it's on safe if I'm adjusting my position, or if I need to stand up and move over. Maybe I've talked myself into its utility.

But hunting with an AR is a different story. I always have one in the chamber because it's too loud to load, and I only hunt with an AR when I need fast follow ups, which are often preceded by a fast first shot.

What you said could have been word for word out of my mouth until about 1995. I always hunted with an empty chamber and the firing pin uncooked and liked how it eliminated a complete step in making the rifle go bang.

I was hunting up around tree line and stopped for lunch on a rock covered ridge 100 yards or so from the tree line - after lunch it turned out a big and very old buck was 50 yards away during lunch, jumped up just a few yards from me and headed for the trees at 100 miles an hour. This surprised the hell out of me and I chambered a round and waited for him to stop and look back, but he was headed over hump and would be out of sight. Safety on and run like hell to get on the hump before he disappears into the trees. Out of breath I reach the hump - the buck is in the trees but I still see him. He stops and looks back. . . my finger on the trigger with a little more pressure. . . a little more pressure. . . Why the f@$# isn’t the gun going off!?!?!?!?>! #=@*$&@. I had that deer - even breathing hard he was close enough for an easy offhand shot and the crosshairs were on him a long time. I never practiced, plinked, or ever had a reason to use the safety, so when things got crazy and my brain started doing what I practiced, flipping the safety off wasn’t on the bingo card. Literally that deer would be one of my favorites and would still be hanging on the wall.

I still don’t hunt with a round in the chamber, and let the firing pin down on an empty chamber, but now I make it a habit to push the safety off every shot.

Just explaining what happened puts a pit in my stomach. I had him. I put the work in and I had him.

 

[HighDesertHunter]

Safety is always on when not sending one downrange. On a slightly different but parallel subject, I am not a fan of the manufacturing/regulation change to require the bolt to not lock closed with the safety. Nowadays, I usually run empty chamber with the firing pin lowered to make it harder to accidentally open the bolt while carrying. I have had a few times when it is strapped to my pack that the bolt has opened (nothing in the chamber) but it exposes the chamber to the elements that I do not like to deal with.

 

[jjjjeremy]

If there is not a round in the chamber you are safer than someone walking around the woods with a round chambered and the safety on. You must have been in the mood for a flogging when you posted this, or you are new to the Rokslide crowd. You might as well have gone over the top and said you don’t use your safety and you glass with the scope on your rifle. Good luck with this thread.

I definitely knew what I was getting myself into.... but the point is, I don't put a round into the chamber until the very last second.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

HELL YES.

 

[BBob]

I don't put a round into the chamber until the very last second.

People worry too much about missing that shot. If they'd try it and practice functionally there's no time lost and if it's habit insures there's no time lost.

Is using the safety the only way to carry a rifle safely or the safest? I think not

 

[svivian]

Youre creating a bad habit that will eventually lead to a problem when you chamber one and forget in the heat of the moment situation.

 

[shader112]

What's the point of hunting with an empty gun?
Loaded gun with the saftey on.

See animal, aim, safety off, boom.

I'm not sure what situation there would be a benefit to first spot an animal, then open and close the bolt, ensure bolt gets closed (assuming trying to do it slow and quite), then hope the animal hasn't noticed you to begin aiming.

 

[go_deep]

Your bat chit crazy!

 

[jjjjeremy]

What you said could have been word for word out of my mouth until about 1995. I always hunted with an empty chamber and liked how it eliminated a complete step in making the rifle go bang.

I was hunting up around tree line and stopped for lunch on a rock covered ridge 100 yards or so from the tree line - turned out a big and very old buck was 50 yards away and headed for the trees at 100 miles an hour. This surprised the hell out of me and I chambered a round and waited for him to stop and look back, but he was headed over hump and would be out of sight. Safety on and run like hell to get on the hump before he disappears into the trees. Out of breath I reach the hump - the buck in the trees but I still see him. He stops and looks back. . . my finger on the trigger with a little more pressure. . . a little more pressure. . . Why the f@$# isn’t the gun going off!?!?!?!?>! #=@*$&@. I had that deer - even breathing hard he was close enough for an easy offhand shot and the crosshairs were on him a long time. I never practiced, plinked, or ever had a reason to use the safety, so when things got crazy and my brain started doing what I practiced, flipping the safety off wasn’t on the bingo card. Literally that deer would be one of my favorites and would still be hanging on the wall.

I still don’t hunt with a round in the chamber, but now I make it a habit to push the safety off every shot.

Just explaining what happened puts a pit in my stomach. I had him. I put the work in and I had him.

Same thing happened to me when I was borrowing a buddy's shotgun and we were jump shooting ducks on private ponds. Loaded the shotgun at the bottom of the levy, safety on, forgot to take it off when we popped over the levy and I let two ducks fly before I figured out what was going on. He had a slide safety and I was used to my cross-bolt safety. I felt a a smooth trigger housing, so I thought I was ready to go.

 

[jjjjeremy]

What's the point of hunting with an empty gun?
Loaded gun with the saftey on.

See animal, aim, safety off, boom.

I'm not sure what situation there would be a benefit to first spot an animal, then open and close the bolt, ensure bolt gets closed (assuming trying to do it slow and quite), then hope the animal hasn't noticed you to begin aiming.

Western hunting where you're hiking for hours, maybe with a trekking pole in either hand, taking long shots that require setup time, and there's no benefit to having a round in the chamber.

 

[COelk89]

There are a number of rules I follow but if I am out of the truck and it is shooting light, 99% of the time I have one in the chamber safety on. Safety on in combination with minding the muzzle and keeping finger off the trigger until ready to shoot provide enough comfort for me. I also am hunting alone 75% of the time. Steep climbs I un chamber that is about it.

 

[Sadler]

Takes a half second. Put your rifle on safe. One day you’ll forget that you chambered a round in the heat of the moment and you’ll walk around like that thinking your weapons clear while it’s actually not. That could potentially hurt or kill you or someone else

 

[Jmoore]

Youre creating a bad habit that will eventually lead to a problem when you chamber one and forget in the heat of the moment situation.

This is my thoughts exactly, as well as how I've raised my sons and their numerous friends we've introduced to firearms. Whether we are hunting or the gun is in the safe it's on safety.
To each their own, but that 1/2 second to flip the safety is a good practice in my opinion.

 

[StuckoYota99]

I keep my safety on whether or not there is a round in the chamber.
However a safety does not replace safe weapon handling.
Accidental and negligent discharges can happen to anyone.

 

[TaperPin]

Same thing happened to me when I was borrowing a buddy's shotgun and we were jump shooting ducks on private ponds. Loaded the shotgun at the bottom of the levy, safety on, forgot to take it off when we popped over the levy and I let two ducks fly before I figured out what was going on. He had a slide safety and I was used to my cross-bolt safety. I felt a a smooth trigger housing, so I thought I was ready to go.

Safety in different position would get me as well. I used to have the original Ruger M77 with tang safety, Remingtons, and a few Winchesters - my brain has to have consistency so I had to settle on just one action. Maybe I have some sort of antler induced brain damage, but I just have to keep things consistent. Lol

 

[jjjjeremy]

This is my thoughts exactly, as well as how I've raised my sons and their numerous friends we've introduced to firearms. Whether we are hunting or the gun is in the safe it's on safety.
To each their own, but that 1/2 second to flip the safety is a good practice in my opinion.

I get that, but I can't put the safety on my bolt gun unless I have the rifle cocked. I don't put one in the chamber until the very last second, so I'd be cocking the rifle on an empty chamber for the sole purpose of engaging the safety on an empty chamber?

 

[svivian]

I get that,

No you dont or you wouldnt do what you do

but I can't put the safety on my bolt gun unless I have the rifle cocked

Thats a lame excuse for poor rifle safety