Thread: Sako 75 halfcock

I was taught from a young age to always carry the rifle on half bolt , its been interesting over the years collecting different rifles and how they function for example some in the half bolt position if you pull the trigger the bolt slams down presumably if there was a round in the chamber it would or could fire , a couple of my latter rifles the m12 mausers have no half bolt function at all the bolt would slide open with ease , instead they have a decocker mechanism , for a start I found it a bit uncomfortable walking around with a round up the spout but I know the rifle cannot fire as the spring is not cocked I guess its the same principle as the smle but without the firing pin resting on the primer ! , im quite a fan of this system iv been told Blazer have a similar system.

Originally Posted by mikee

I would argue the hunter in front with the loaded rifle when actively hunting would expect to be ready to shoot as they would be hunting. 1/2 bolt means the gun is still loaded.

This thread has caused me to do a bit of reading up on different actions. Some rifle actions are safe to carry with a round chambered and de-cock safety applied - such as Blaser. Others are not. Some actions are safe carried with the bolt in the half open position - such as M98 while others are not.
I cannot remember ever having an animal suddenly present itself where the 'hunter in front' was too slow to chamber a round and shoot but would have secured the animal had there been a round in the chamber and the safety applied. I guess that this has happened to me at some stage but I think that it is so seldom that we should not take the risks of accidental discharge or of not identifying the target properly because of an up and bang mindset. Having to quietly load the chamber once game is near adds just a little more time for a lot more safety IMO

Originally Posted by Boaraxa

I was taught from a young age to always carry the rifle on half bolt , its been interesting over the years collecting different rifles and how they function for example some in the half bolt position if you pull the trigger the bolt slams down presumably if there was a round in the chamber it would or could fire , a couple of my latter rifles the m12 mausers have no half bolt function at all the bolt would slide open with ease , instead they have a decocker mechanism , for a start I found it a bit uncomfortable walking around with a round up the spout but I know the rifle cannot fire as the spring is not cocked I guess its the same principle as the smle but without the firing pin resting on the primer ! , im quite a fan of this system iv been told Blazer have a similar system.

There is a clip posted on this forum, where Robbie Tiffen does a demo with a T3 action on the half open bolt position. The bolt closes when the trigger is pulled BUT, there is insufficient power in the firing pin spring to cause the action to fire - most of the power / energy going to turn the bolt

The half bolt is definitely not anywhere near 100% safe. I remember reading about a half bolt chap who fell down a bank and ended up with the muzzle of his .308 under his chin, the bolt closed and a finger inside the trigger guard. Now you'd be kind of thinking along the lines of, "WTF do I do now?" if you had the misfortune to experience that.

I usually have the bolt half open and the safety on.

its only taken me ten years of use to notice but my sako 75 has a really easy to use safety
no wonder you guys like it so much

Saw this post. Try walking in front of your mate with a round up the spout and safety on. Scariest thing in the world.A mate had a blind mag Remington 270 which he ignited between my legs. He forgot he had a round in the chamber. Never went hunting with him again. Get some wet n dry onto your bolt and races. What is difficult about chambering a round.

Originally Posted by TeRei

Saw this post. Try walking in front of your mate with a round up the spout and safety on. Scariest thing in the world.A mate had a blind mag Remington 270 which he ignited between my legs. He forgot he had a round in the chamber. Never went hunting with him again. Get some wet n dry onto your bolt and races. What is difficult about chambering a round.

What's difficult about having the person in front with a loaded rifle and the person behind as a look out?

Originally Posted by TeRei

Saw this post. Try walking in front of your mate with a round up the spout and safety on. Scariest thing in the world.A mate had a blind mag Remington 270 which he ignited between my legs. He forgot he had a round in the chamber. Never went hunting with him again. Get some wet n dry onto your bolt and races. What is difficult about chambering a round.

I was always taught that in a group, only the lead guy was to be loaded. Occasionally when hunting with trusted friends and using my lever action I would have it loaded on half cock but that was only after being told to do so.
I did always use the half cock method but I've gone to either loaded or not. Plus treat it as loaded at all times also

I dont allow anybody who uses half cock to walk near me anymore, most of those guys ive met dont even understand the mecanics of the rifle they are using.

Greetings All,
Many, many years ago, mid 1970's if memory serves I was a Mountain Safety Council Fire arms Safety Instructor. We taught the half open bolt method to be used when close to deer. At the time use of .303 rifles was declining and new sporting rifles were becoming more common. Hunters started using a part open bolt which some incorrectly called half cock. In this position the firing mechanism is fully cocked. It only takes pressure on the bolt handle to close it and its all go. Even at the time it seemed to me that the safety on most bolt actions was significantly safer than any part open position for most Mauser derivative rifles particularly where the safety locks the striker. I sincerely doubt if any rifle manufacturer deliberately designs a part open position into their rifles. Its presence is merely accidental due to tolerances. I suggested a number of times that use of part open should be reconsidered for modern rifles but couldn't get any traction on it. Perhaps some of the instructors being twice or even three times my age had something to do with it. We also taught that only the hunter in front of a group should be half or part ready. From my experience over the years it is often the second in line that spots the deer. Think about that for a minute. Long ago I started using the safety in preference to part open on my declining hunting trips, but not on my .303's. Further loaded rifles with safety applied should only be carried when stalking and only when alone.
Regards Grandpamac.

Greetings Again,
Thanks to Tentman and 10-Ring for your likes. This morning I read through the current Arms Code 2013 on line to check what is actually in it these days. The relevant parts are mostly unchanged since 1990. The code talks about using a half open action for bolt rifles when game has been sighted or it is expected to be sighted (flushed) at any moment. I don't know about you but for me this covers pretty much all active hunting. Later the code acknowledges that half open is not always practical. For these times the code recommends loading the chamber and controlling muzzle direction. No mention of using the safety catch. For semi auto rifles the a loaded chamber with a previously tested safety catch applied is recommended in lieu of half open bolt.

Half open bolt. This position is described in the Code as the cartridge partly in the chamber with the action half open. In a Lee Enfield there are two distinct movements to close the action from here, forward against the resistance to cock the firing mechanism and then down to lock the action. This works reasonably well with the .303 but not with the Mauser type actions.

Part open bolt. This is the position where the cartridge is fully in the chamber and the bolt partly closed. This seems to be the position used by many today. In this position only downward pressure on the bolt handle is needed to close the bolt. The firing mechanism is already cocked. This position has never been recommended in the arms code in spite of what some may think. It is definitely not as safe as the half open action above and in my opinion much less safe than a previously tested safety catch.

It does concern me that many are using part open bolt as a safe position for hunting, believing that it is recommended practice when this is not the case. The arms code is currently under review and we would hope that this lack of clarity in what is other wise excellent booklet may be addressed. I'm not holding my breath.

Regards Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

This thread has caused me to do a bit of reading up on different actions. Some rifle actions are safe to carry with a round chambered and de-cock safety applied - such as Blaser. Others are not. Some actions are safe carried with the bolt in the half open position - such as M98 while others are not.
I cannot remember ever having an animal suddenly present itself where the 'hunter in front' was too slow to chamber a round and shoot but would have secured the animal had there been a round in the chamber and the safety applied. I guess that this has happened to me at some stage but I think that it is so seldom that we should not take the risks of accidental discharge or of not identifying the target properly because of an up and bang mindset. Having to quietly load the chamber once game is near adds just a little more time for a lot more safety IMO

Heaps of the animals I've shot in tight bush would have gone walking if I'd had to spend the time chambering a round. Especially sika. Safety is a flick of the thumb as you shoulder the rifle.

My tikka has the half bolt mod, I dont use it though.

If hunting in a pair, second hunter has an empty chamber, if navigating a patch of difficult terrain I empty the chamber. It's all a balance.