Locking scope turrets are a thing, but locking bolt handles aren't?

[mcb]

You guys are still hunting with bolt guns? In my 30+ years of deer hunting I have shot one deer with a bolt gun. The last few years it's been an AR of one type or another. I have always carried my guns with a loaded chamber and was always perplexed by this notion of carrying a gun with an empty chamber while hunting. I would have lost several deer and other critters over the years if I had hunted like that.

I do like caps on my scope turrets for hunting guns. If I was going to hunt with a scope with expose turrets than I would really want locking turrets. Both my current exposed turret scopes are non-locking but they are also on guns primarily used for gun games.

 

[rbernie]

The last few years it's been an AR of one type or another.

And it was an AR (chambered in 7.62x39) that had me missing the safety on that 'yote before I pulled the trigger and got nada. For all of my stick time with the AR, it was a humbling mistake.

 

[Aim1]

Good grief, if there was ever a useless feature on a scope it's a locking turret. I have that feature on a couple of Vortex Razor HD Gen 2 scopes but it's fluff and nothing else. They're great scopes but I could care less about a "feature" that has no real-world benefit. I've dragged scoped rifles all over hell's creation hunting and hiking and never turned a turret accidentally. It seems ludicrous to me that people are still buying bolt action rifles without locking bolt handles but seem to want locking turrets. I must be getting old.

I think locking turrets are extremely important or at least turrets with turrets covers.

Bought a cheaper Leupold and it would get bumped and the turret would move. Talked to a friend and he said the SWAT team had issues with pulling their rifles out of cases and the turrets changing.

So yeah, it can be a big deal.

 

[H&Hhunter]

The Steyr SBS (Safety Bolt System) has a unique safety and bolt locking system. The safety is a wheel with three position. Fire, safe, and safe latched on. In the latched position you can lock your bolt down by pushing down on the bolt handle. Pushing down on the bolt handle locks the bolt down and it also mechanically blocks and disengages your firing pin.

I carry chambered when hunting and that is one of the reasons that I do not use rifles with trigger blocking only safeties. I want a safety that mechanically blocks and mechanically holds back the firing pin, Model 70, M-98, Dakota 76, Weatherby Mk V, Steyr SBS, etc. One of the issues I have with most double rifles is the safeties on many of them can theoretically allow the gun to fire if it’s dropped hard enough. And a double is either fully chambered or fully empty.

This year while ridding around I got a text requesting a coyote skull for a biology project. Within 5 minutes of the text a coyote offers itself as a target at about 150 yards. After two shots I realized that my scope dial was left at 3.5 mils after my last range session. So I was about 3 feet over his back both times. I don’t need to pay for locking turrets, I need to pay attention!

 

[MCMXI]

I don’t need to pay for locking turrets, I need to pay attention!

In post #6 I stated "The biggest turret error I see regularly is shooters not returning the turret to zero after a shot." I will readily admit that I've done this, not hunting, but shooting paper or steel and not typically during the same session. I've finished up shooting a steel target hundreds of yards out and then put the rifle away without returning to zero only to miss the first shot at 100 the next time out. Yep, I need to pay attention too!

 

[taliv]

when i was shooting PRS matches every month a couple years ago, i had a mental checklist i went through every time i picked up the rifle. before the stage started i'd make sure the turret was where i wanted. coming off the stage, i'd make sure it was set back to zero. check it before most shots (when transitioning targets). it's not something that caught me often because i was paying attention.

but when i got burnt out and took a break for a year I lost all those habits. i think two of the targets i've posted here in the past year i've mentioned missing a shot because i forgot to dial dope or still had my turret where it was from the prior range session. mental errors. not paying attention. very lackadaisical for a while, but i'm trying to get back into it so as not to be completely embarrassing.

i imagine without good habits, which take a lot of practice, and trying to rush a hit on a big game animal, it would be more likely than not for someone to make those sorts of mental errors.

 

[H&Hhunter]

I’ve made it part of my post shoot check to turn the turret back to zero. However, when I took my wife’s rifle out to clean it after our hunt I noticed that the turrets was still set for 620 yards. The distance of her last shot on the elk she killed. So we need to get better at remembering the darn turret reset.

 

[MCMXI]

You guys are still hunting with bolt guns? In my 30+ years of deer hunting I have shot one deer with a bolt gun. The last few years it's been an AR of one type or another.

The only time I've ever had a potential rifle-related problem hunting was two years ago when I used an AR in the form of a POF P308. I didn't have a round chambered and tried to ease the bolt forward (to chamber a round quietly) and the bolt didn't go into battery. The forward assist didn't do anything to help or resolve the issue so I was left messing around trying to pull the bolt back and hoping that the mule deer didn't hear or see me. It worked out but I'm sticking with bolt guns for hunting.

 

[d2wing]

I find bolt locks annoying. I have never in 50 plus years of hunting often in thick brush, and 2 overseas tours ever lost a bolt, magazine, or had scopes change on there own. But then I am careful how I handle guns. Failure to do so is operator error. I am old enough to remember when nanny devices were for sissy's.

 

[rbernie]

I am old enough to remember when nanny devices were for sissy's.

You predate the Mauser rifle? Wow!

 

[d2wing]

Germany is a different country.

 

[H&Hhunter]

I find bolt locks annoying. I have never in 50 plus years of hunting often in thick brush, and 2 overseas tours ever lost a bolt, magazine, or had scopes change on there own. But then I am careful how I handle guns. Failure to do so is operator error. I am old enough to remember when nanny devices were for sissy's.

I absolutely will not hunt with a rifle that doesn’t have a locking bolt. What is annoying to me is having a bolt slide open while a rifle is slung and getting your action filled up with pine needles and dust.

Even pre war model 70 had a locked position on the safety. You must be pretty old.

 

[mcb]

I absolutely will not hunt with a rifle that doesn’t have a locking bolt. What is annoying to me is having a bolt slide open while a rifle is slung and getting your action filled up with pine needles and dust.

Even pre war model 70 had a locked position on the safety. You must be pretty old.

That is why you hunt with an AR; it has a port cover that keeps those pesky pine needles out of the action.

 

[H&Hhunter]

That is why you hunt with an AR; it has a port cover that keeps those pesky pine needles out of the action.

My dust cover is a locked down bolt.

 

[LoonWulf]

The last time we were home i took a sliding tumble into ravine because the damn pine needles slide on the loose...i dunno clay shale? Which slid on its self, which i rode most of the way to the bottom on my butt (then after trying to stand up and "surf" it turned into a tumble) ....it wasnt my gun i was concerned with getting all the pine needles out of.....
Bolt stayed closed tho.....

 

[d2wing]

I absolutely will not hunt with a rifle that doesn’t have a locking bolt. What is annoying to me is having a bolt slide open while a rifle is slung and getting your action filled up with pine needles and dust.

Even pre war model 70 had a locked position on the safety. You must be pretty old.

Not a fan of model 70's for hunting. Not a fan of Winchester salesmen either.
Sorry. I have had rare falls with rifles including slides on snow in my younger days, but I have never had a bolt open by itself. I rarely hunt where there are a lot of pine needles. They are pretty slick to walk on and not as good as hardwoods for game. And I rarely fall down with a rifle as I am careful. I guess for you it is a problem so I can see why it is important to you. That's why they make them.

 

[d2wing]

The last time we were home i took a sliding tumble into ravine because the damn pine needles slide on the loose...i dunno clay shale? Which slid on its self, which i road most of the way to the bottom on my butt (then after trying to stand up and "surf" it turned into a tumble) ....it wasnt my gun i was concerned with getting all the pine needles out of.....
Bolt stayed closed tho.....

Yeah pine needles are slick as is clay. Probably better to wear stiff boots and be real careful. Having brush to grab helps. Were you in flip flops lol? Hope you didn't get hurt. I suppose if one carried a rifle muzzle down somehow a bolt could come open. Hard to picture for me but it must happen.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Not a fan of model 70's for hunting. Not a fan of Winchester salesmen either.
Sorry. I have had rare falls with rifles including slides on snow in my younger days, but I have never had a bolt open by itself. I rarely hunt where there are a lot of pine needles. They are pretty slick to walk on and not as good as hardwoods for game. And I rarely fall down with a rifle as I am careful. I guess for you it is a problem so I can see why it is important to you. That's why they make them.

Sounds like you hunt some pretty tame country.

 

[LoonWulf]

Yeah pine needles are slick as is clay. Probably better to wear stiff boots and be real careful. Having brush to grab helps. Were you in flip flops lol? Hope you didn't get hurt. I suppose if one carried a rifle muzzle down somehow a bolt could come open. Hard to picture for me but it must happen.

I was actually wearing decent boots for once Irish Setter vapor treks....i think.
there's a few places where we hunt where the pine needles can be three or four inches thick on the ground.
The same places also usually have fairly steep gullies/ravines, so if you do slide down in one you're going all the way to the bottom.
The upside is that there's no major rocks, so unless you kiss a tree or go off a shear cliff you're probably not going to get hurt.

 

[chicharrones]

Interesting thread. I'm not sure why a locking bolt safety would be disliked by some. Of course, my locking bolt safety experience is limited to old Mausers and newer Rugers.

IMO, the current Ruger 3-position safety is more like a 2-position safety with a midpoint that is super easy to swing through and unobtrusive to use.

Full safe = striker blocked, trigger blocked, bolt handle locked.
1/2 safe = trigger blocked
Fire = nothing blocked or locked.

 

[rbernie]

I'm not sure why a locking bolt safety would be disliked by some.

In my experience, a bolt-locking safety has ZERO practical negative impact (other than clearly damaging some folk's calm) and yet can help mitigate some corner cases that some folk (but not all) may experience. Why would anyone NOT want something that doesn't get in the way but that may prove helpful in some way, somewhere down the road?

 

[MCMXI]

I am old enough to remember when nanny devices were for sissy's.

Really? A locking bolt handle was/is a feature designed for sissys? What a ridiculous comment! Virtually every serious rifle ever made that was carried by "sissys" into some of the worst conditions imaginable had a locking bolt handle. Just list combat rifles from the last 120 years and name the ones that don't have a locking bolt handle. But heck, they were only used in both World Wars so what do they know.

 

[d2wing]

deleted don't want to hurt feelings

 

[d2wing]

I was actually wearing decent boots for once Irish Setter vapor treks....i think.
there's a few places where we hunt where the pine needles can be three or four inches thick on the ground.
The same places also usually have fairly steep gullies/ravines, so if you do slide down in one you're going all the way to the bottom.
The upside is that there's no major rocks, so unless you kiss a tree or go off a shear cliff you're probably not going to get hurt.

I have a pair of those, good boots. Yeah I agree that is a very tough situation. Your boots can't dig in, just slid over the top once you lose traction. Short needles are better than long. That's worse than snow I think. Be careful.

 

[H&Hhunter]

The only thing I dislike is that you can't load or unload with the safety on. I have had a shotgun off while loading it when the safety failed. As far as falling. I have the advantage of hunting, hiking and working in snow and ice nearly every year. I have worn out many boots hunting upland birds until the season closes on rugged terrain. You learn to walk carefully and balance well and always protect your weapon. I forget that some folks don't have that kind of experience. I guess it's like wearing masks. I don't like dictators.

Of course you can load and unload with most safety systems that lock down the bolt. That’s what the intermediate (middle) or flag position is for.

As far as some people not having your experience up land hunting on icy rugged terrain, you are seriously underestimating your fellow posters here. You’re talking to hunters who’ve hunted some of the most rugged terrain on the planet in all kinds of conditions from arctic windswept cold above the tree line on ice and loose scree to deserts and jungles.

Nobody is “dictating” anything to you here. That is also a ridiculous comment.