The infamous dreaded “Click of the safety”

hunt0168

hunt0168

Well-known member
I’ve heard this so many times over the years, about coyotes and deer hearing the click of the safety, and spooking. I’ve never really understood this and have shown a few people that any safety, trigger, tang, winged 3 position, doesn’t matter, can be operated very quietly if you do it right. A little finesse and using two fingers on most types and they’re all virtually silent. Am I alone on this? Lol.

I had to point out once to a good buddy at the range once. Trigger housing cross bolt safety. Every time he shot it was a loud click. I asked if that’s how he hunts, and his reply was yes, and that he had spooked game before because of it. I told him to simply place his index finger on the off side and push with his thumb. His mind was blown! This seems scary to me! Lol…

Oh… I’m not familiar with AR safeties. Never been even a little interested in them, but my guess is that they can be operated quietly as well?
 
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Many years ago I had a coyote running up to my Foxpro that was about 15 yards to my right. I had the Foxpro on full blast volume and I pushed the safety off on my Remington 1187. The coyote stopped and looked right at me. It blew me away that the coyote heard my safety going off when my Foxpro was was on full blast volume right in front of that coyote.
 
I know some guys take it off safe when on stand the entire time. Put it back on safe when stand is done. I just don’t like that personally but is a solution for some. I have always just kept a bit of pressure on the saftey lever, whether it’s 2 or 3 positions, and ride it forward with my thumb, makes it very quiet. I can’t really see where you would just flick it forward in a close up situation….thats just loud sometimes .. unless your going to shoot fast or whatever. Same on something like a Mossberg shotgun with tang safety. Button safety’s on other shotguns are more difficult but I don’t usually do it till I know I can get away with it, or I’ll will push it over with thumb and forefinger, riding it with pressure to minimize the click….if I have to. Hope that all makes sense. It does seem like a lot of guys overlook small stuff like that and can’t figure it out… just seems kinda natural. I don’t know.
 
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I've done it. First coyote I ever called in I flipped the safety in the dark and it ran. The coyote was 82 yards away. I had never flipped the safety before in the dark. I guess the adrenaline dump and excitement of actually seeing a coyote just shorted out my brain...lol. I've since changed tactics a bit and flip the safety very quietly at the beginning of my stands. I am normally on my scanner most of my time so by the time I look down the rifle I know it's go time. I'll reapply the safety as I move between stands.
 
Night Coyote hunting is the ONLY time I do it, but I usually take my gun off safe as soon as I turn the call on. Like others have said, I usually don't touch my rifle unless I am shooting, I'm usually looking through my scanner. I do it because hitting the safety, the record button, the "sleep" button, and turning on my light is a lot to do.
 
I usually load rifle or shotgun when I get out of the truck. Turn safety off once seated and in position ready to call. That way nothing or no one is anywhere near or in front of my muzzle.
I put safety back on and then unload the chamber before anyone stands up or goes to retrieve the call.
Different stroke for different folks.
I'm sure if you asked anyone who has hunted with me, they never felt like they were in any danger.
 
crapshoot said:
I usually load rifle or shotgun when I get out of the truck. Turn safety off once seated and in position ready to call. That way nothing or no one is anywhere near or in front of my muzzle.
I put safety back on and then unload the chamber before anyone stands up or goes to retrieve the call.
Different stroke for different folks.
I'm sure if you asked anyone who has hunted with me, they never felt like they were in any danger.
Click to expand...
Pretty much my MO, though I do walk out to fetch the call with a loaded rifle, just in case that late comer busts onto the scene.
 
I’m a safety on until I know I’m going to shoot guy. Just what was pounded into my head growing up. I haven’t ever spooked an animal with the safety. A few other bonehead things, but not taking my guns off safe.

I’ve been out with people that take em off safe on stand. I’ve also pointed out that their guns were not on safe while walking. A lot comes down to the person. I keep an eye on everyone! Lol..
 
derbyacresbob said:
Many years ago I had a coyote running up to my Foxpro that was about 15 yards to my right. I had the Foxpro on full blast volume and I pushed the safety off on my Remington 1187. The coyote stopped and looked right at me. It blew me away that the coyote heard my safety going off when my Foxpro was was on full blast volume right in front of that coyote.
Click to expand...
It is amazing what they can hear, and from very long distances. I swear they have heard my heart beating rapidly when they are close.

Like Crapshoot, I load and unload my gun at the truck.

When I'm on stand, calling is the only sound I want out there.
 
No doubt that coyotes (and deer) can hear these sounds. That’s why I posted. It baffles me that I hear so frequently that the click of the safety spooks game. There’s ways to eliminate the click with just a bit of finesse and common sense. At least on every firearm l’ve ever handled.

And I also load/unload at the truck. There are certain circumstances where I won’t chamber a round until I get past some sketchy terrain or something, but walking around with an empty firearm seems counterproductive. Lol.
 
Probably jinxing myself, but y’all must have some seriously loud safety’s. Not only did I click the safety on a coyote and squeezed on an empty chamber, but I quietly bolted a live round in, clicked the safety back off and still shot a coyote.
About the only thing that’s ever raised its head when the safety went off was a hog at 50yds. It was a still night and I was constantly checking the wind on the approach. He went right back to feeding and then the rainbow bridge.
Of course I’m always conscious of noise, but don’t exactly finesse the safety. It may be loud, but it can’t be louder than my heartbeat when one is running in, lol. If they can’t hear that then the safety is the least of my concerns.
 
I hear that Spur! I’ve done all of that too and pulled it off with coyotes. But then there’s the ones that are so high strung that they come unglued at the blink of an eye?

I seriously try to go into super silent mode on everything when hunting coyotes. If it can be done quietly, that’s what I strive for. I step all around my tripod at night before calling searching for that one thing that’s going to snap, crackle or pop when I reposition. Finesse my safety. I make sure my tripods, seats, pack straps and buckles and even zipper pulls are silent. I remove my remote from being clipped to my chest pack and clip it to my tripod and place it in a basket because I’ve missed the pocket on my chest pack before, and the remote swung and hit the tripod. I guess you can say I’m a bit hyper critical about anything I can control. Lol.
 
i use an AR. i take it off safe only when a shooting opportunity is imminent. i use my thumb and index finger to careful manipulate the safety. doing it this way makes no noise.

i have had coyotes turn and run due to the sound if the firing pin falling on an empty chamber but thats a different story 🤣
 
I keep on safe until on a target.
You want noise? Forget to chamber a round in a semi auto shotgun-after the click on the empty chamber-then the
loading of a shell!!! Then pack up and leave.
Soup
 
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