Been bindging on some turkey videos for the past few days and have noticed something that I find troubling. Guys taking of their safety as soon as it sounds like a turkey is coming. I even watched a guy take his safety off as soon as he sat down to work a bird.
Now I was raised to leave the safety on until you are ready to pull the trigger.
Serious question here: Who takes their safety off before seeing one?
Not I.
I do.
Not i. Few years ago I tried to shoot one with the safety still on. Didn't work.
I slide the safety off when I see the shot opening. I may not be shooting right away but it is about to come together.
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Quote from: davisd9 on January 21, 2019, 04:04:11 PM
I slide the safety off when I see the shot opening. I may not be shooting right away but it is about to come together.
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That's more of the version of how I do it, but never before I see the bird.
As soon as I know he's on his way, off it comes.
The safety is taken off when the bird is within range and I am preparing to fire. This procure has never been a problem.
I only take it off when I'm about to shoot. If he's in a field, I may take it off when I see he's committed and in range.
Trouble with taking it off when you hear one or when you first see one is that in the excitement of him coming in, it's easy to forget you did it and, if he doesn't come all the way to the gun, well, easy to overlook that small but potentially deadly action...
I ALWAYS double check that my gun is on safe and empty when I put it in the case, even if I checked it when I took it out or checked it one minute before. It's a seemingly redundant action but it could save a lot of heartache and a drastic change in your life or someone elses...
Quote from: davisd9 on January 21, 2019, 04:04:11 PM
I slide the safety off when I see the shot opening. I may not be shooting right away but it is about to come together.
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This.
In fact, it has evolved into a description to my buddies of how close of an encounter it was:
1. Worked a bird
2. Worked a bird, gun up
3. Worked a bird, gun up, safety off...
Quote from: Gobble! on January 21, 2019, 03:59:20 PM
I do.
Not trying to start a huge debate, but what is your reasoning for taking your safety off prior to seeing a bird?
Quote from: Spurs on January 21, 2019, 04:46:25 PM
Quote from: Gobble! on January 21, 2019, 03:59:20 PM
I do.
Not trying to start a huge debate, but what is your reasoning for taking your safety off prior to seeing a bird?
Don't worry I won't debate it. Most times I setup so that by the time I can see the bird I am shooting. I don't get many opportunities to sit and watch the bird come into range. When I sit down and feel the bird is getting close the safety comes off.
I normally wait til he is almost within range and flip off the safety. But I'm big stickler on always checking my safety when I get up from a setup. I also ALWAYS unload my gun every time it goes in my truck.
No. :fud:
Quote from: dejake on January 21, 2019, 04:13:10 PM
As soon as I know he's on his way, off it comes.
This right here
Quote from: SteelerFan on January 21, 2019, 04:39:57 PM
Quote from: davisd9 on January 21, 2019, 04:04:11 PM
I slide the safety off when I see the shot opening. I may not be shooting right away but it is about to come together.
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This.
In fact, it has evolved into a description to my buddies of how close of an encounter it was:
1. Worked a bird
2. Worked a bird, gun up
3. Worked a bird, gun up, safety off...
These with my finger outside or behind the trigger guard until I know I have an ethical shot on any animal. If the gun is to small to get my finger behind the trigger guard then the classic finger straight out above the trigger guard. That said when it comes to the working the bird comments I would change it to working the animal as I am yet to get a turkey but this is still the practice I make no matter what I am hunting for safety's sake.
My friends say I am to much of a safety freak in anything I do but what can I say, my father married 3 nurses.
My heart rate generally tells me when its time. Its like a sixth sense.lol I go into auto pilot like shooting a bow. Based on the vibration through the ground and my seat cushion from his thunderous gobble and spitting and drumming, it just kinda happens. Always when he's right on top of me of course and well within range. If he just sneaks in or doesn't gobble much then I have to try the old 'click boom' as quietly as I can. I don't like having the safety off for an extended period of time myself.
I don't until I'm ready to squeeze one off. With that being said, I have an easy to reach safety with my thumb on my 835. How many of you that take off their safety early have a hard to reach safety that requires a lot of movement or ????
I take the saftey off when I think he's on his way,I don't put my finger on the trigger until he's in sight.
A saftey is a mechanical part subject to failure like all mechanical parts. A saftey should never be depended upon to stop a discharge. Muzzle control was ingrained in us during basic training, always know were and what you have your muzzle pointed at. Next time you watch one of the new YouTube sensations notice how often they are pointing there guns at the camera or each other with nothing but a saftey to rely on. When clearing buildings etc. we had several guys in close quarters all loaded with no saftey on and no one got shot that wasn't suppose to be, muzzle control. Some of these YouTube heros would get a talking to ONCE then there would be corrective measures taken not all of which would be sanctioned by the military lol.
I have killed lots of game over the years and I would guess the average time from flipping off the safety and squeezing the trigger would be around 5-6 seconds.
I was taught that you do not flip off the safety until the moment of the shot.
I ONCE hunted with a guy that wounded it a deer, he handed me his rifle for some reason, can't remember why, and I saw the safety was off, I put it back on. Gave him back the gun and a few minutes later, we jumped the deer, he pulled up and tried to shoot, but it was on safety. He cussed and fussed about me putting the safety ON, because he liked it off so he was always "ready"
I left and never hunted with him again
I take it off when I think the bird will be in sight soon. Usually a bird is in range once I see it and I will be ready.
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A hunt I had afew years ago I drove past a gas line and saw some birds in it, I just drove on past them got out looped around them to a good calling spot and on my second set of yelps I saw a red head and beard swinging running in, when he went behind a large pine I clicked the safety off and when he stepped out I pulled the trigger, click, he turns goes back behind the pine and I pump another round in and click again, as he starts putting walking off I reach in my pocket and there are my 3 shells, to much gun control that day!
There is only one answer, the safety only is moved to fire when I am ready to shoot. I'm a hunter safety instructor and the only excuse to take the safety off before being ready to shoot is that you are waiting and wanting an accident. If I hunt with anyone who habitually takes the safety off early, I won't hunt with that person again. Between the military and 25 years of carrying a gun professionally you learn the safety is always on until you are ready to fire. I have never missed a turkey because of my safety. No turkey is worth an accidental discharge. One of the cardinal rules of firearms safety is to only take the safety off until you are ready to fire. I'm appalled at the careless disregard for a simple rule of handling firearms. I was a game warden and in the field I took any mishandling of firearms very seriously. You should too.
This thread surprised me. The only time the safety should be off is when you're gonna shoot.
Just read greencops post so I'm adding to mine. I agree wholeheartedly w everything he said. I am also a hunter ed instructor.
I don't take the safety off until I am ready to shoot. However, I will admit there have been times when I was ready to shoot but the gobbler wasn't quite ready to be shot, resulting in the safety being off a bit longer than anticipated.
More importantly to me, though, is that I treat my firearm like it is loaded with the safety off all of the time. That is, if I am around others, I NEVER point my gun in their direction. You can't accidently shoot someone if you never point your gun at them.
In addition, I NEVER carry a round in the chamber of my gun if others are around until we are in "closing" position on a bird,...and I expect the same from those I hunt with. Again, you can't accidently shoot someone if there is no round in the chamber when there is no need for one to be there.
Safety is on until i am ready to take the shot. Once it is off, my finger is straight and off the trigger until its the moment that I am ready to fire (grandfather was a former Marine and taught me this and when i joined the Corps, that was the way it was still being taught).
Moment before i shoot know matter if im shooting targets or game. If i miss a opportunity because of this so be it.
I might rethink this if I was hunting something or someone that could hunt me..Lol..
Quote from: sixbird on January 21, 2019, 04:34:14 PM
I only take it off when I'm about to shoot. If he's in a field, I may take it off when I see he's committed and in range.
Trouble with taking it off when you hear one or when you first see one is that in the excitement of him coming in, it's easy to forget you did it and, if he doesn't come all the way to the gun, well, easy to overlook that small but potentially deadly action...
I ALWAYS double check that my gun is on safe and empty when I put it in the case, even if I checked it when I took it out or checked it one minute before. It's a seemingly redundant action but it could save a lot of heartache and a drastic change in your life or someone elses...
This mirrors exactly what I do.
If I know a gobbler is committed, the safety is off
Quote from: Happy on January 21, 2019, 04:03:39 PM
Not i. Few years ago I tried to shoot one with the safety still on. Didn't work.
Happen to me a few times going from my Remengton by trigger, to my Mossburg on top.
I agree with saftey being important but leaving the saftey on while the Gobbler works closer is a little much for me. While moving thru the woods yes...but sitting motionless with the gun on your knee pointed in the direction you expect the gobbler to come from ...No no need. If your gun routinely goes off without touching the trigger you got gun problems, if your having accidental firings because you had your finger on the trigger you got mental problems. Neither is the guns fault it will not fire unless you pull the trigger or there is a mechanical problem. That's why muzzle control is the Number One priority. What gets me is people thinking as long as the saftey is on it's ok to point the gun at themselves or others. I've seen YouTube heros with a loaded gun barrel down on there foot, saftey or not that's stupid same show the guy in front has his gun slung on his back walking down hill the camera guy is filming down his barell the whole time if this hero would have stumbled and fell stock first in the ground and the barell pointed at his friend y'all would have one less hero to imitate.
This is why I started this post. While I 100% agree that the safety switch has the capability to fail and human interaction is where all fault lies, to ME (and likely every firearm safety instructor) will say that for a Safety mechanism to work, it must first be utilized properly to lower the potential for accidental discharge.
Agree Spurs. Safety first and foremost. Question for you guys that kick the safety off as soon as you set down or as soon as you hear a gobble will admit that they forget to put the safety back on when they get up to move to another location. Always keep the safety on until you are going to pull the trigger.
Safety on . Safety off and hopefully Boom. I've also learned to softly take the safety off on my Browning. If I hit it firmly with my finger it goes "click" and turkey sometimes is gone. Unfortunately learned this the hard way
Quote from: bbcoach on January 22, 2019, 05:31:27 PM
Question for you guys that kick the safety off as soon as you set down or as soon as you hear a gobble will admit that they forget to put the safety back on when they get up to move to another location.
Answer:
No more or less than those that wait until the last second and then don't shoot for whatever reason.
I don't think when you take off the saftey has anything to do with forgetting to put the saftey back on, that's just careless gun handling.
Growing up deer hunting with dogs and always with a shotgun (people that dog hunt with rifles are fools in my opinion and some of the most dangerous hunters out there) it was daily and often to be around men with guns out walking around. That being said all of them handled it in a way that you could tell they had done it a thousand times by the way they handled the end of the barrel specifically. Always taught to click off the safety the moment you're about to shoot and always will do that with deer but I'll admit with turkeys this isn't always the case though no longer than a few seconds... we've all had at least one hear it. However, never has the safety been clicked off when I couldn't see him yet, that's not for me. And to the muzzle point, people that have been around more shotgunners than rifles can tell a real gun handler quickly based on what he does with the business end. Some of those videos make me cringe too
Soon as I have that bird on the end of my barrel, safety off. I may not pull the trigger for another 20 minutes, buts its ready. Safety is the first thing back on after harvesting the bird or I need to move the weapon.
Safety on till ready to shoot.
I take the safety off when the bird gets in range and I am just about to press the trigger.
I am not particularly fond of all the running with a shotgun that I see from turkey hunters. I suppose they see that on TV shows and think it is OK for turkeys when they would not do it in other settings like on a dove field.
I have been primarily a waterfowler for my whole life until picking up turkey hunting a few years ago. Even hunting ducks and geese the safety never come off until you are raising up to take a shot. However, I feel when turkey hunting it is easier to take the safety off before the bird is in range but still no more than 80 yards out max. I like to use my thumb and pointer finger to slowly slide the safety over to be as quiet as possibly. Also helps reduce movement as the bird moves closer. :fud:
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For any Black Hawk Down fans out there!
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Quote from: SD_smith on January 24, 2019, 11:25:43 AM
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Yep. There are times when a saftey will get you killed. But since turkeys don't shoot back we can use the saftey without worry lol.
First of all, I'm very safety conscious, and never point my gun at anyone. I'm extremely aware of where my barrel is pointed at all times. I also never put my finger on the trigger until I'm ready to take the shot. Those things were drilled into my head by my father when I was a kid.
With that said, if I'm hunting with someone, I keep the safety on until I'm ready to shoot. But if I'm hunting by myself, I'll take the safety off when I see a gobbler, or have one gobbling close. I don't put my finger on the trigger till I'm ready to shoot anyway. Been doing it that way for years, never even came close to having an accident, so I don't see a need to change my routine now. I'd hate to screw up and try to pull the trigger with the safety on, only to realize that, and have to try to turn the safety off and then try to line up for a shot without spooking the gobbler. Sometimes you just don't have that much time anyway.
Quote from: Swather on January 23, 2019, 07:00:27 PM
I am not particularly fond of all the running with a shotgun that I see from turkey hunters. I suppose they see that on TV shows and think it is OK for turkeys when they would not do it in other settings like on a dove field.
I never understood that either. ??? I jack another shell immediately after shooting, just in case. Then I sit there for a few seconds, gun at the ready, to make sure I made a good shot. Then I get up and
walk to my bird, after leaving my gun beside my gobbler lounger.
nope
Quote from: Phillipshunt on January 22, 2019, 10:23:16 AM
I agree with saftey being important but leaving the saftey on while the Gobbler works closer is a little much for me. While moving thru the woods yes...but sitting motionless with the gun on your knee pointed in the direction you expect the gobbler to come from ...No no need. If your gun routinely goes off without touching the trigger you got gun problems, if your having accidental firings because you had your finger on the trigger you got mental problems. Neither is the guns fault it will not fire unless you pull the trigger or there is a mechanical problem. That's why muzzle control is the Number One priority. What gets me is people thinking as long as the saftey is on it's ok to point the gun at themselves or others. I've seen YouTube heros with a loaded gun barrel down on there foot, saftey or not that's stupid same show the guy in front has his gun slung on his back walking down hill the camera guy is filming down his barell the whole time if this hero would have stumbled and fell stock first in the ground and the barell pointed at his friend y'all would have one less hero to imitate.
All true.
Muzzle control is the "best" safety. You know, the old "treat every gun as if it is loaded", along with never putting your finger inside the trigger guard until the shot is imminent. That said, I, personally, don't have a set criteria for safety release, it is dependent upon the circumstances. Generally speaking, if it gets to the point where I have the gun up and shouldered, the safety will be off whether or not the bird is actually in sight. Actually, to me, the act of going off safety any time prior to the actual shot is less troublesome than forgetting to put the safety back on immediately afterwards. I, admittedly, have been guilty of doing so. I suspect I am not the only one. Sometimes it is because of the anticipation of possibly needing to shoot again, sometimes it was probably just being caught up in the moment. One problem with hunting solo so much. I don't do it often, just know I have been guilty of doing so. That is an example of why the other safety rules, muzzle control and finger away from the trigger are so important.
I am sure many of you have seen the video of the FBI agent dropping his pistol when dancing, and the subsequent discharge of the weapon. If you will notice, the gun didn't discharge because of being dropped, it discharged because his finger hit the trigger when he grabbed the weapon.