Straight pull rifles Re they noisy?

[Red Leg]

Hello CBH,

I want to compare three rifles in my safe: A Remington 700 (bolt), a Merkel Helix (straight pull), and a Merkel K1 (break action).

The Remington 700 is the rifle by which most others get compared against. Let's just call it the median. It's fairly quiet to run the action, with the loudest part being when the cartridge comes out of the magazine and rattles loosely in the action/chamber. It's not loud and fairly controllable. But there is some noise.

The Helix is significantly noisier. Not horrible, but the ratcheting rail the bolt slides on has some greater noise level. Moving slowly and deliberately you can minimize the sound...but the action itself operates on a 2 to 1 gearing...which makes it move faster and by default marginally louder.

The quietest action I own, by FAR, is my Merkel K1 break action. It's effortless and less than a whisper. I daresay, it's as close to completely silent as can be made. Extractors allow the completely silent and manual removal of a cartridge...and the cocking mechanism is the barest (and you better be in a silent garage to hear it) click.

I've worked the action on a Blaser R8 several times and I'd put the sound volume somewhere between a the Remington and the Helix. Louder than the Rem but not by much. The noise is when the Blaser bolt gets unlocked.

If I was hunting in a place that required absolute deadness of sound, my K1 is my first and only choice. It's that quiet and that controllable.

Hope that helps.

Good point. The quietest reload of all is a break open single or double without ejector(s).

 

[Philip Glass]

In another thread I learned a bit about straight pull rifles and the Krieghoff Sempri pump action. I went off and googled stuff and dreamed my next big purchase before I tried to rationalise why I might need it. I get the take down aspect and multi calibre option. I like the Strasser R14 Evolution too.
Are they noisy to cycle? Reason I ask that is my Brother was keen on a Browning Maral. It is the only straight pull I noticed that is spring loaded to return the bolt. Now we would mostly carry on an empty chamber and try cycle a Round quietly if we get in position to take a shot. In that case it could be noisy. Can a Blaser be cycled quietly or more quietly than it would be done hurriedly?
I get these things being great for a driven hunt etc just wondering about the noise when cycling in a stalking situation.
Our hunting situation would likely hunting pigs Nd we might take a shot at 100-200 m if we see the opportunity or we might startle something close and the straight pull would be an advantage, particularly if thee are a few.
A Remington 7600 pump action will do and will be heaps cheaper but it’s the same thoughts on noise cycling the action, and who doesnt want a . Pretty rifle if we can justify it?

The R8 is not loud but it’s a non issue because it can be carried loaded safely as the safety completely disables the firing mechanism.

 

[CBH Australia]

Yeah its just a conversation point. I have a Rem 700 a few Tikkas and i agree the click comes when the cartridge clicks out of the mag.
I would have started a weekend debate but ive been fighting bushfires.
Heres a point Europtic got a mention regarding those things Red Leg 6 likes but in Australia the Europtic i found online (Adelaide) sell Strasser. I will check them out sometime.
I have a suspicion the Australian company Lightforce who own Nightforce optics may own the Europtic store.
Funny that, Strasser seem to promote Nightforce.

 

[Forrest Halley]

This I find an interesting thread. How many folks actually stalk with an empty chamber? I think we are definitely driving the difficulty level up quite a bit. There's a lot being asked of the rifle to accomplish with sensitive ears scanning. I often use a finger on both sides of the safety on a loaded chamber to remove it as quietly as possible. Difficult for me to imagine an unloaded firearm on a hunt. How common is this and how required?

 

[Red Leg]

This I find an interesting thread. How many folks actually stalk with an empty chamber? I think we are definitely driving the difficulty level up quite a bit. There's a lot being asked of the rifle to accomplish with sensitive ears scanning. I often use a finger on both sides of the safety on a loaded chamber to remove it as quietly as possible. Difficult for me to imagine an unloaded firearm on a hunt. How common is this and how required?

On many African hunts the real dangerous game animal is a biped walking behind the PH's shoulder blades. As you might imagine, not all their clients are the most experienced on the planet at handling firearms. Many PH's will require their client to keep the chamber unloaded until they are in proximity of the game animal. Hard to blame them when every year seemingly someone gets shot by their client. I agree, I don't like it either, and I would not do it on a dangerous game hunt. But on PG it frankly doesn't matter 99.9% of the time. Of course with a Blaser or Krieghoff it is not an issue for either party.

 

[Jfet]

I am a luddite when it comes to my knowledge of rifles, actions, and ballistics. I learn a great deal every time I read such a thread.

This statement below jumps out at me:

Gun culture is low. So many people who buy them, do that just because they are "expensive rifles" - to show their social status, whilst having no idea what they actually own!

I am willing to bet that not only do they not know what they own but they may not be properly trained in firearm safety. The Blaser and Krieghoff have definitely improved on firearm safety. However, there are many people that read this thread and may not have a grasp on firearm safety. Yes the decocking system should make it impossible the fire the rifle. However, I know people that could figure out a way to get the rifle to fire. So the following always applies regardless of the firearm you are holding.

1. Point the barrel in a safe direction at all times.
2. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
3. All safeties whether decocking or traditional are mechanical devices that are doomed to fail.
4. Treat all firearms as if they are loaded.

Now back to the discussion.

My daughter-in-law has a R8. It is very nice. I have shot it one time and had to step away because I would have had to go buy one. I could not make the economics work with the CFO (aka Princess Bride) because I had just bought a VC .470 NE.

 

[Forrest Halley]

On many African hunts the real dangerous game animal is a biped walking behind the PH's shoulder blades. As you might imagine, not all their clients are the most experienced on the planet at handling firearms. Many PH's will require their client to keep the chamber unloaded until they are in proximity of the game animal. Hard to blame them when every year seemingly someone gets shot by their client. I agree, I don't like it either, and I would not do it on a dangerous game hunt. But on PG it frankly doesn't matter 99.9% of the time. Of course with a Blaser or Krieghoff it is not an issue for either party.

I see where you are coming from now and appreciate the explanation. I would have difficulty doing it. Maybe it's a trust thing. I'll just kindly not point my muzzle at folks that aren't pointing theirs at me.

 

[BeeMaa]

This I find an interesting thread. How many folks actually stalk with an empty chamber? I think we are definitely driving the difficulty level up quite a bit. There's a lot being asked of the rifle to accomplish with sensitive ears scanning. I often use a finger on both sides of the safety on a loaded chamber to remove it as quietly as possible. Difficult for me to imagine an unloaded firearm on a hunt. How common is this and how required?

Hunting with the chamber loaded or unloaded...it depends.
Your PH is in charge of EVERYTHING, including the safety of the client, staff and himself.

On my first stalk with TJ, the chamber was unloaded until we got close and I asked if I could chamber a round.
He said yes, I did and immediately put the safety back on until I was ready to take the shot.
After the animal was down, without being asked, I removed the round from the chamber and put it back in the magazine.
He looked at me as I did it and said that most clients need to be told to do so.
That evening at dinner I asked if I could load a round when we got off the truck and put the saftey on, he said that would be fine.
He was comfortable with both of us and our good safety habits/practices.
For the rest of the safari the chamber was loaded when we got off the truck.

The point is I asked if it would be OK with him, I didn't tell him anything.
If he had said no, I would have been fine with that as well.

Side note...
Muzzle discipline is also carefully watched.
Sweep your PH/tracker/who ever with your muzzle and there will be a talk happening shortly.

 

[Kawshik Rahman]

My straight pull ISSC Austrian bolt operation rifle calibrated for magnum .22 rim fire. It certainly does the work for Chital deer and Sambhar deer with shots to the neck region . It is not very noisy to operate either ( for my purposes , at any rate ). It is the SPA model.

 

[CoElkHunter]

This I find an interesting thread. How many folks actually stalk with an empty chamber? I think we are definitely driving the difficulty level up quite a bit. There's a lot being asked of the rifle to accomplish with sensitive ears scanning. I often use a finger on both sides of the safety on a loaded chamber to remove it as quietly as possible. Difficult for me to imagine an unloaded firearm on a hunt. How common is this and how required?

Great question! For the last thirty years hunting deer and elk in the mountains of Colorado and Wyoming in all sorts of terrain, the only time I didn’t have a cartridge chambered was in the rifle scabbard on a horse and/or in the truck or back at camp? I’ve not been to Africa yet, but of course would abide by the rules of the PH on a hunt. I DO NOT like the idea of carrying a rifle over one’s shoulder with the barrel pointed at someone’s back! I don’t care if they think the rifle chamber is unloaded or not! I’ll be at the rear of the hunting party in that case with my rifle carried over my shoulder with a leather, military style sling, if allowed to do so?