How do you cock a 336 without spooking the deer?

[cavalrymedic]

Really really stupid question, I apologize. I have a 1953 336CS without any modern safety. This will be my first season hunting with it. Previously, with my M1 Carbine, I would have a round chambered and the safety on. Deer comes and I just flipped the safety and shoot. Nice and quiet. This isn't possible with the Marlin. If I don't have a round chambered, well, that's not an option, WAY too noisy. But I'm not leaving the hammer fully cocked. My trigger is super light. Pulling the hammer back from not cocked or even half cock makes what I consider way too much noise. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[gewehrfreund]

You need to practice this:

with your thumb holding the hammer, pull the trigger back and while holding the trigger back, cock the hammer. With the hammer all the way back, let up on the trigger and slowly let the hammer engage the full cock notch.
It sounds more difficult than it is, but it's the only way to silently cock any hammer gun, and it's the method I used on my muzzleloaders for years.

[cavalrymedic]

What are the chances that the hammer will drop and fire the round? This could be annoying as I likely wouldn't have the rifle aimed at my intended target. You did say it takes practice, so I'll get busy on it. Do you do this from half cock or hammer down?

[Arisaka99]

Its the same way you let a hammer down, just in reverse. Its not hard, itll just take getting used to.

[btroj]

I just cock the hammer. Never seems to be a problem. I tend to cock the hammer as soon as I see a deer coming into range. I have had deer within 25 yards or so and it never bothered them any.
I sometimes wonder if this isn't a bigger problem on paper than in the field.

[Roundnoser]

I USED to spook deer with that "clicking" sound, especially when deer came in close with no time to prepare. I do the "Trigger - Hammer" trick and it works well...no clicking sounds. As long as you do it deliberately, and pay attention while doing it. Also, (as always) make sure the muzzle is pointed in a safe direction, just to be on the safe side.

[mack1]

Use the hammer trigger trick myself, works well for me. Use extra caution if wearing gloves as you cannot feel the trigger as well.

[stubshaft]

Use the hammer trigger trick myself, works well for me. Use extra caution if wearing gloves as you cannot feel the trigger as well.

+1 - I use it on my revolvers too.

[Gtek]

Practice, Practice, Practice. Do not look at it, muscle memory. You can do it watching TV with an UNLOADED weapon! Gtek

[Bass Ackward]

Start walking. Then you spook the deer and then you only have to worry about yanking and cranking. (lever music)

Or shoot farther out. They won't bounce off. :grin:

[btroj]

Come on Bass, it is neat to see powder burns on the side of the deer!

[Bret4207]

If your trigger is set so light that you worry about an accidental discharge then you have issues beyond silent cocking of the hammer.

[shotman]

with hammer pulled all the way backyou still have about 1/4in forward travel till it hits sear
the new guns have the lever safety too

[Char-Gar]

If you have the sights aligned and cock the hammer at the last moment, you will have plenty of time to squeeze the trigger before the deer bolts. Don't be slow about it, or the deer is long gone.

[59sharps]

w/ 42 years of hunting w/ a win 94 and a blr no hammer blocks never had a deer spook from a hammer and I have shot several w/in 20 feet of me. In in most if not all cases I never pull the hammer back until the rifle is at my shoulder and I'm ready to shoot. To me the hammer back before the rifle is up is not a good thing!

[northmn]

One mistake many make in the Marlin is that the crossbolt is not a true safety but a decocking/unloading safety mechanism. Mine will fall to halfcock with the "safety" on when the trigger is pulled and is useless as a safety. A few accidents have occured when people had their thumbs slip off of a hammer while decocking or have had discharges while unloading. It is best ot forget about the safety in the woods and use the old fashioned system and pull the trigger back while cocking as others have described.

DP

[Four Fingers of Death]

Gotta practice with this one. I let a shot go once as a young guy hunting with my 44Mag, but I hadn't practiced much with it.

If unsure, (or if wearing gloves and hands are cold) place weak hand thumb across back of action, preventing the hammer to fall, deliberately point trigger finger away from trigger until hammer is firmly engaged in cocked position.

If you hunt with gloves, practice with same gloves. If you hunt in mega cold times, dress in the gear you would normally be wearing, put gloves in freezer and see how you go with it.

I was hunting with a friend for Sambar, we spotted one about 400 yards away, too far to shoot. I signalled him to be quiet and see which way the big guy was grazing. He held his fancy Nikon camera up and I nodded ok. He zeroed the lens and took aim. When he released the shutter, a noise I could barely hear, the stag turned, looked at us right in the eye for a nano second and took off like an F111 with the afterburners on!

If it is on a close deer and is going to be a bit of a snap shot, I'd just rack the action as soon as it is on my shoulder and eject a live one, rather than taking a chance on spooking it. You need to practice this scenario as well.

Muscle memory is the way to go and the best way to start imprinting muscle memory is to do it reallllllllllllllllllllll slow at first. That way, obvious faults will be obvious (pardon the pun). Get the cook or someone to watch you to ensure you are not doing anything unsafe (or do it in front of a mirror). Wear your hunting gear, practice outside in the cold at times. No sense practicing in an Hawaian shirt and catching the sticky recoil pad on the much bigger jacket once afield. You should be practicing the whole movement, not just cocking it.

I have A Zoom snap caps for just about everything I hunt with. These will reveal potential problems as well. I got home yesterday and couldn't wait to try the snap caps in my 375H&H Remington 700. Suddenly I realised that the sharp corners on the levers of the Leupold QD mounts ripped the tripe out of my weak hand thumb and would probably result in a nasty cut in the field. Not good, I will have to get the Dremel out and fix that! I also discovered that my left shoulder and bicep haven't recovered 100% from the fall (yep, 63 and still riding, go figure), so I will have to get to the physio and hit the weights.

[KirkD]

You need to practice this:

with your thumb holding the hammer, pull the trigger back and while holding the trigger back, cock the hammer. With the hammer all the way back, let up on the trigger and slowly let the hammer engage the full cock notch.
It sounds more difficult than it is, but it's the only way to silently cock any hammer gun, and it's the method I used on my muzzleloaders for years.

+1 I always do that when hunting.

[7of7]

Doesn't this model have the trigger lock that requires the lever to be squeezed against it to release the lock? I have winchesters, and I can't pull the trigger without the lever squeezed against the stock releasing the trigger lock.
The primary safety on any firearm is on top of your shoulders, and under the hat you are wearing(assuming you wear hats.)

[lonewelder]

What charger said.I've never had a problem.Deer freeze,stomp or blow if they can't identify a threat because they don't know witch way to run.In the mean time you are pulling the triger.Take it for what its worth.

[cavalrymedic]

This 336 has no crossbolt thingy. I don't think I want it anyway. It does have a safety that moves the firing pin out of the way of the hammer until the lever is fully raised against the stock. Elegant and effective way of keeping the rifle from firing out of battery.

Bret, this trigger is super light. It scared me the first time I fooled with it at the gun store. It's smooth and steady and seems like it's professionally done. I'm used to it now, and it;s not really a safety isse for me anyway as my finger goes nowhere near the trigger until I'm ready to fire. That's was beat into me by the Army and the police and I don't think I could train it out of me.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Manipulating the trigger may be a bit iffy if, as you said the rifle has a light trigger. Maybe walk about with the lever open and slam it home as you line up you meal ticket for the next few months.

[CATS]

The way you describe your trigger would cause me to have a smith look at it. This is a tote around hunting rifle and not a bench rest rifle.

[Bass Ackward]

The lever is the finest platform for use on moving objects next to the semi. And maybe with the balance and natural firing motion required, I could argue that it is better.

And people choose calibers so as to use it as a single shot.

Do you guys shoot your game birds on the ground too? :grin:

[Blammer]

I too have that really super loud "click" when I cock the hammer on my levergun, my revolver and my muzzle loader for that matter. I did the pull trigger, hammer back and hold, then release trigger bit and it worked just fine. I did practice it too.

I also just aimed the rifle, thumbed hammer back, the "click" caused the deer to freeze, long enough for me to aim a nice shot and take home the venison. :)

[btroj]

The lever is the finest platform for use on moving objects next to the semi. And maybe with the balance and natural firing motion required, I could argue that it is better.

And people choose calibers so as to use it as a single shot.

Do you guys shoot your game birds on the ground too? :grin:

You can shot them as they fly? Damn, nobody ever told me that.

I use a lever for much of my hunting these days. I like the speed of a follow up shot but am usually lucky enough to not need one. Running a lever fast takes some practice to learn. This is where light loads of Trailboss are nice. Little recoil allows you to focus on cycling the action and aligning the sights quickly.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

the same way as the muzzle loader , i cock it either as i am raising it to shoulder or at the first sight of a deer

on non exposed hammer guns i also remove the safety at the same times

if in a stand ground or tree i usually see them before they are close enough to shoot and pull back the hammer while they walk and make their own noise

i know some who whistle at a deer to get it to stop when walking , they only stop for a second but they generally pause before they bolt , if they did hear a click unless they were very jumpy they would likely spend a second trying to identify were from before they ran

try on the most quiet of mornings standing 50 feet away and having some one pull back the hammer while you have your back turned to them then have them tell you closer
take 2 big steps closer and so on till you think you hear it ten till your sure you hear it.

it is almost never that quite deer hunting wind in the trees , birds , ect..