Tikka Safety

[WiscoHoundsman]

How is everyone carrying their tikka on a pack frame?

I got a new tikka last year and had some bad experiences this fall while carrying it around this year. I use a stone glacier xcurve frame with their gun holder. A few times I had the bolt pop open while just hiking. Is this common?

Are you carrying it with an empty chamber to avoid any accidental discharges? Just seems like the safety flips pretty easily and was wondering if this is normal.

After a couple days I just decided to carry it with an empty chamber or no magazine in depending on what I was doing.

 

[wind gypsy]

Never had safety flip off while in a SG gun carrier or any other time I can recall.

 

[gtriple]

If I'm in an area where I could jump and shoot something successfully, I carried it loaded with a sling this season. If I was just covering country, it was unloaded strapped to the back of the pack.

I've got a Kifaru Gun Bearer coming in to replace the sling though. I don't have the shoulder flexibility to run any of the behind-the-shoulder styles and the butt holder portions from Exo are both too tight for my liking. I'll be running it loaded similar to above.

 

[HandgunHTR]

If my rifle is in my pack it has a gun sock over the action/scope. I just take an old silicone impregnated gun sock and cut it down to about 12" and stitch both ends. Pull it over so it covers the action and scope and strap it on the pack. It keeps needles, dirt, dust, and other crap from getting into places it shouldn't, keeps the bolt and magazine contained where they should be and my scope caps from inadvertently getting popped open. When I get where I am going, it is super easy to just slide it off and stuff it in a pocket in the pack.

If, for whatever reason, I have to deploy the rifle quickly from the pack, it adds a grand total of 10 seconds to pull it off. In fact, I don't really even have to pull it off all the way. Just yank it forward over the barrel and let it rip.

 

[Ringbill27]

I’ve never carried a rifle on a pack, because I’ve never hiked far enough to need to.

So If the rifle is on your pack how quickly can you deploy the rifle? Would racking the bolt really slow you down enough?

 

[LeftyWilbury]

never had this problem with my kifaru universal gun bearer on a mystery ranch pack. if i did i guess i'd carry it unloaded, or find a new way to carry it. i seldom need to be quick getting it off my pack, but i need to be quiet and even slowly chambering a round isn't all that quiet. heck, my buck heard my safety click at 70 yards.

 

[flyfisher117]

This was my first year with the Tikka. I also had issues with the safety getting bumped and bolt opening. My issue i believe stems from the gun carrier I was using it was not carrying the rifle tight and secure and allowing it to move around.

I carry it with an empty chamber regardless.

 

[WiscoHoundsman]

With the sg setup I can go from rifle on my pack to shoulder fairly quickly. I would say in less than 10 seconds. I have shot an elk like this but it was with a different rifle and only one out of the 4 shots I have taken at western game.

Seems like some options may be just keep carrying it on an empty chamber or get/make some sort of cover to help keep the safety and bolt from getting bumped.

Most of the hunting I have done the quickly release from the pack and racking the bolt isn’t a problem. If I’m walking from meadow to meadow in the quickly I will likely have the gun in my hands.

 

[bojangles808]

I just carry mine empty in the SG sling. Never seemed worth it to me, I load it as I taking it off my pack and its quick enough for me still hunting

 

[IBen]

You keep the chamber empty. Why would you have one in the chamber when its strapped to your pack?

 

[Yellowknife]

Chamber always empty when on a pack. And empty in general unless I'm still hunting the black timber of Afognak.

To keep the bolt closed on a Tikka, lower the hammer on an empty chamber. You can do this by holding the trigger back while slowly closing the bolt. The increased spring pressure required to cock the gun will keep the bolt from opening. Works on most bolt rifles.

It's a simple trick. Works well. Zero down sides. And surprising few people know it.

Yk