Thread: Half cock or safety

This is a very political topic.

Really it comes down to the following:

1- How you hunt? Open country versus bush.
2- Make/model of your rifle.

If I'm in the open country when time allows, nothing in the chamber. Safety on. If in the bush in stalking mode, one up the chamber, safety on (rifles always pointing down - this is your second safety). I use to do half cock, but slipping or falling can close bolt and potentially discharge the rifle. I think its more rare for anyone to accidently disengage a safety then to bump a half coked bolt into the firing action.

As others have mentioned, half cocks for some models will engage the firing pin while others not. Know your rifle and its specs!