Thanks for the overwhelming response that I was kinda expecting . My safety is a cross bolt behind the trigger and I' ve tried the two finger slide as well with equal success. It is simply on the one finger push that the snapping sound is heard. Funny though, I feel more nervous with the two finger slide than I do with the safety off. Too much finagelling too close to the trigger in my opinion.

Consider my habits changed.[8D]

Model 722 my deepest condolences to you and your family. No matter how long ago, what a tragic story. Thanks for your input.

Thanks again!

I' d hate to think somebody got shot because the safety was off!Keep it on til you' re ready to shoot.

Thanks Taxman003, it did happen a long time ago he was a heck of a nice guy. He had been in the service, so he did know about guns. It was just one of those dumb mistakes that can' t be reversed. One mistake with a gun and peoples lifes can change in a flash of a secound.

Nice to read a unanimous opinion where safety is the issue.

It really depends, but last year, the only time I put my safety on was the two days I got my does, one at 40yrds and one at 17yrds and closing....of course, the other times I was hunting was with guns that DON' T HAVE SAFETIES[&:]. My Ruger Super Blackhawk, my old marlin 1894, and my .45-70 W&H BC don' t have them, so I CAN' T put them on, but the hammer never goes back until I' m ready to let it drop.

If you can' t ease your safety off slowly enough to make it not click loudly try some of these: wear gloves that leave your thumb and pointer fingertips exposed, so you can grip the safety better and maybe put a couple pieces of electrical tape over the ' handle' so there is no metal to metal click for 3position bolt safeties, take that retainer ball out of the x-block safety (trigger guard), or file down the edges of the ball' s retaining notch so that it doesn' t have to drop so heavily. If none of the above works, and you can' t think of anything else, then, if you find it to be quieter, which it often can be in a bolt gun, just rotate the bolt, I don' t know of any bolt gun that will fire with the safety off even and the trigger depressed when the bolt isn' t locked down, I' ve done this during benchrest shooting a bit, and even the RO' s that saw me doing it never said anything, as they know as well as I do that it' s safe. Just sit with your pointer finger running along the stock, ready to drop into the guard, and your thumb hooked over the top of the bolt handle, time comes, drop the thumb, and drop the deer.

Not even a consideration. Safety on till ready to shoot!!!

My 7600 pump, I used the thumb and finger trick to quiet it down, one finger and loud click. I also know guys who rather leave the action open and then close it upon raising the firearm (like nomercy mentioned). This is how I do it when decoy hunting waterfowl with the shotgun, but I have the saftey on as well. Never can be to sure especially when your laying down on the ground blowing on the calls and your buddies are not to far in either direction...safety is always number one with me!

I now only use bolts with top mounted safety, easier & more natural to slip the safety off in the shooting position, less likely to bump it off(IMO more safe) and three sound can be control very easily.

Simple resolve to this problem & you now have an excuse to buy a new gun/toy. If married or have a sign. other that hassles you about spending cash on hunting, etc. " But honey don' t you want me to be safe!!!!!" works everytime. I have used it on more than one occasion (of course their must be merit), but after pulling the old safety issue line...she always agrees[8D].

To me hunting without the safty on is like playing Russian Roulet. May not be this time or next time but sometime it will discharge. All the praying in the world isn' t going to bring that bullet back.