The infamous dreaded “Click of the safety”

soup said:
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
Click to expand...
Yeah, unless you’re hunting something flying, I can’t think of anything you can get away with in that scenario, lol.
 
I had more than I one fail to load "Click" and most of the time it is taking out someone out and worrying about getting the stand set. .. Sometimes you get lucky in fact most of my clicks have been covered by the person I'm taking out.

Last year was one where I loaded 222.Rem ammo in my 223 and had two clicks, a stovepipe, clear two unfired shells and dig in my butt bag for a.223 round and shoot him standing 28 paces looking at me. Never give up.
 
I keep my gun on safe and use two fingers to take it off safe and I do it when the coyote is on its way if I can. I've had a coyote hear the safety go off 1 time. That was the last time it happened because I've done it differently ever since. Except on an AR-15 maybe but I try and guide it with my thumb and slowly as to not make as much noise. Unless the coyote surprises me and is standing not far from me then I just click it off safe and shoot no matter what I've got. If it's 50 yards or closer it's getting shot whether it hears it and starts moving or just stands there and looks around. At that point unless something really catastrophic happens that coyote most likely ain't getting away unscathed.
 
hunt0168 said:
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?
Click to expand...
I’ve never had a problem with safety click, whether I was trying to mitigate it or not.
 
Ive watched guys alert game by having their wedding ring tap the plastic stock when they grabbed the gun. My safety is off the second i see it, hundreds of yards out (with barrel safe direction of course). Otherwise if im busted it goes off the split second i am ready to shoot.
 
You don't flick the safety, you move it slow with yer fingers tight on it, & another finger on the other side if button to let it out slow..
AR safety move the lever down slow, so the ball slowly goes into the detent.
Bolt action rifle same deal, don't flick it slide it slow into the detent.
 
dennyd said:
You don't flick the safety, you move it slow with yer fingers tight on it, & another finger on the other side if button to let it out slow..
AR safety move the lever down slow, so the ball slowly goes into the detent.
Bolt action rifle same deal, don't flick it slide it slow into the detent.
Click to expand...
Exactly. It’s just something I’ve always done when hunting game that it really matters. Deer, predators and turkeys for example.

When after waterfowl, rabbits or birds it’s just different. I flip a safety with no regard for sound because it just doesn’t matter and it’s generally a split second decision when game is flushed or dropping in.

Just second nature to me. I don’t remember being taught this stuff. I think I just did it from the get go? I don’t ever remember spooking a critter with my safety as the reason. Kinda why I started this thread. I wanted to see if I was just born with this special gift! 🤣
 
I had the other dreaded click last week. I had a big fat doe at 50-60 yards and CLICK when I squeezed the trigger. She looked right at me and started to stomp. I slowly chambered another round and took her home with me.

The rifle was my Ruger American Predator 6.5cm. The ammo was the Normal Whitetail. Whenever I looked at the round it had a very light strike. I am thinking that I may not have had the bolt locked all the way down. I was playing with it about twenty minutes earlier.
 
I think each stand and areas are difficult. In my situation, I usually see the coyotes from many hundreds of yards out and simply take the safety off when I first notice them. Finger stays off the trigger until I get them at a comfortable range and ready to apply pressure. On more than one occasion, I have began to apply pressure to the trigger, but let off when they moved.

As for "flicking" the safety.. I do that EVERY TIME to ensure it is completely off. Sort of like a mini-press check.

I had a funny situation where I did a cough instead of a bark to stop the coyote. That sucker jumped into the air, flipped around and looked the other direction. Took my shot and it went down. So it stopped, but was a funny way of doing it. I stopped using coughs from there on out.
 
NevadaZielmeister said:
As for "flicking" the safety.. I do that EVERY TIME to ensure it is completely off. Sort of like a mini-press check.
Click to expand...
To each their own. Have you ever had a safety NOT disengage otherwise? That would again, be something that I have never had happen. Across many different safety types. I admit though, I am not familiar with AR style rifles/safeties .
 
Because I hunt alone all the time, I put the gun in the tripod, take the safety off, then start the caller.
 
I've never had an animal spook because of the safety click, but.... The smack of an empty chamber is a differnt story. I hiked in quietly and found the perfect spot. It was basically a clump of sagebrush that formed a small cup. I set my gear down and got out the call. I set it out about 40 yards upwind and to my left. Sat down adjusted my shooting sticks than glassed the area. After a short time I started the call playing Tony Tebbe Wee Wee Wabbit. After about 6 or 7 minutes I spotted a coyote coming in about 2 or so hundred yards out. Yes! I waited and watched it move in.
Everything was perfect. The wind was in my face, the sun was at my back, the truck was hidden and the stand couldn't have been better.
The coyote kept coming in and turned broad side to me about 40 yards in front headed right for the call. I put the rifle scope on it dead in the chest and then squeezed the trigger and, CLICK! I forgot to rack a round at the truck. That yote didn't even bother to look at the sound, he just whirled around and beelined it out of there.
 
My buddy learned about the safety click while archery hunting, he had two coyotes come out in front of him @ about 15 yds, safety off "CLICK" and you would have thought an M- 80 went off, they were in high gear instantly!
 


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