What do you do with the sidelock click?

[stronics]

When hunting with a sidelock how do you (can you) cock the gun without the loud click?
David

[Tatume]

Hold the trigger back, then fully retract the hammer. Ease the trigger forward, then ease the hammer down until it rests on the trigger. The procedure is silent and safe, with practice.

[Mk42gunner]

Honestly,

I think way to much importance is given to the sound of a hammer cocking. I used quite a variety of singleshot rifles and shotguns in my youth, (and still do) and never had a problem with game hearing the sound of me cocking the gun. A manually cocked bolt action .22 is a lot more noticeable than cocking a sidehammer.

If you have the rifle aimed in the general direction of a deer, unless it is something like six feet from you, it won't matter.

Robert

David, I am not trying to single you out on this. I apopligize for the rant if it seems that way to you.

R

[Hanshi]

Yep, holding the trigger back when you cock works like a charm; good advice. I remember cocking the hammer on a ML once and getting a startled response from a bobcat. He looked right at me and never took his gaze away. He bellied down and ran a few feet to cover. Completely hidden except for a small patch of fur. I fired at the fur and collected the cat.

[giz189]

If the deer hears the click,and looks up to see what it is, then I just tell him good bye just before I pull the trigger.

[stronics]

Robert,
No offense taken at all. I was just curious as to what a person could do with the sound. I don't hunt much anymore, getting too old but always was aware of the little noises.
David

[Boerrancher]

I have noticed over the years that deer allot of times will not associate noise such as clicks from cocking, to even the report of a rifle with human activity. They seem to be more interested in movement and odors. I have also noticed that clothes washed in detergents with uv brighteners disturb them more noise.

Best wishes,

Joe

[750k2]

Click cost me one once.
On stand I keep it cocked and un-set with a frizzen cover.
Just pull the cover and the set is a tiny little click,
Not the big clunk of a Siler

[quilbilly]

I have never had a problem with the click on my sidelocks. I don't come to full cock until a second or two before I am ready to fire. Being in full camo, either the deer or the coyote take longer to figure out what the sound was than it takes for me to fire. If the animal is still wondering, I missed.

[DODGEM250]

My hammer is always back before the Deer gets to where I want it. I never wait for the shot, then draw. I'm all ready to just pull the trigger. I don't hear a click from my ML's either.

I'm also guessing it wasn't the click that cost the shot, I think maybe it was the movement of trying to pull the hammer back ? This is the reason why I have it already back, so, my motions don't create attention.

[troy_mclure]

ive startled a doe with the click. if you can only hunt the heavy close brush, and the deer are really hard hunted, it doesnt take but a fraction of a second for them to be gone at any sound, whether a click from a hammer, a snap of a twig, a creak from a swivel sling.

for those that hunt heavily pressured deer you learn to be quiet in everything.

[750k2]

Mine was the click - I was in a tent blind and my Chambers Siler makes a hell of a
clunk when she locks up - but does she spark.
In the cold dead silence it was not a natural sound at all.
They don't notice the little click of the set trigger though

[Huntsman]

The only time the click was a problem for me was when it went "click" & not "boom". The doe looked right at me and by the time I was able to reach for my caps she was in the next county :(

[majg1234]

They hear the click alright. I think it depends on how alert or how pressured they feel,this year for the heck of it I cocked a TC Hawken without holding the trigger down several times with deer as far away as 50yrds and as close as 10yrd to see their reactions.With out exception they heard it...none bolted but all speeded up their proccess of moving along considerably.Same with my deluxe siler equipped Flinters.I was well hidden and each time the deer had been feeding for @ least 10min before the experiments began;-)

[northmn]

One reason I like the simple single trigger on a hunting rifle. I can hold the trigger back to deaden the click and have it ready to fire. Some DST's do not permit that as they have to be set to cock the rifle qnd will only fire the rifle if set. The DST's on most production guns like the TC's can be held back to deaden the click of the lock, but then if you want a set trigger:bigsmyl2:

DP