Rem. 7400. Rattle? Clatter?

[mannyrock]

Dear Guys,

    From all of the great things I have heard on this board, I am considering getting a Rem. 7400, primarily as a deep woods deer rifle.  Unfortunately, I live very far away from any store that may have one to look at, at least an hour drive each way, and so before I spend the gas money, I wonder if I could ask for some honest, critical, assessments on a certain issue.

     Deer are ultra sensitive to metallic sounds, because theses sounds are totally unnatural in the woods

    When hunting in deep woods from a tree stand, in the cold part of winter, any metallic clatter will instantly spook a deer, either into full alert or to flee.  I have had two instances over the past 35 years of hunting where just the sound of clicking off the safety on a Rem. 700, spooked deer at 35 yards, just before I shot, and resulted in me getting no shot.

    And, you can imagine that if you walk into the woods to go to your stand on a cold day, carrying any gun that "rattles", you are literally running off deer,, for probably 200 yards around you, during your entire trip in.

   I have used a Remington 870 pump for bird hunting, and I know that the forend really rattles, even with the breach locked and the safety on .  Same is true of the Remington Gamemaster pump. 22 rifles.  (Most of theses sounds are due to the forearm clicking sideways against the action rails, instead of foreward or backward.)

   So, my question is, with the breach locked, and safety on, how much rattle, clatter, clicking does the forearm of a 7400 make?  I know it is an  excellent rifle, but I really wonder about this.  (Is a 760 better or worse?)

     I heard on another post that a huge number of 760s, and 7400s, are sold in Pennsylvania.  I think that this is probalby due to the fact that semi-autos are not permitted for hunting in that state.  Since Pennsylvania is a deep woods state, I imagine folks up there have lots of experience with the rattle issue as well.

    Thanks for all info.

    Mannyrock




   

   .

[nrb]

Hello Manny:

I've used a Rem 742 and 7400 for several decades in deep woods hunting, mostly from tree stands. I never had a deer spooked by the sound of the safety. Also the forend of the auto rifles is fixed and tight if properly assembled unlike the pump actions (762, 7600). If you wish to quiet the safety, just use the left hand (with glove) to cover the safety when you set it off with the right hand before fireing. Reverse this if left handed.  Also, safeties on bolt and other rifles may also be noisey so the semiauto rifles are not any problem.

[targshooter]

I did have a problem with the 7600 rattle and clatter of the fore stock. I have not had such with the 7400, as the stock is securely affixed to the action by virtue of its design in a manner ensuring immobility and prohibiting its being a source of sound. The safety on my 7400 is very quiet, and with a little practice in using the thumb and index finger finger in its movement, utterly silent. I have found that the magazine can rattle if the firearm is shaken or if the magazine is in the carry hand and the rifle position shifted. Again, a little training does away with this problem. I am a still hunter, it does get cold here in MN, and I have used this rifle successfully to kill two deer at close range while still hunting. I would summarize all this by stating that you can train yourself fairly easily so the 7400 will not emit metallic sounds capable of spooking deer, even for close in still hunting.

[kyelkhunter3006]

My 7400 doesn't rattle at all.  Keep everything tight and you're good to go.  Safety is as quiet as it can be too.  Probably quieter than any other safety that's on a bolt action gun. 

I will say that unless you want to either don't care to make a bit of noise or you're willing to take the chance that the bolt doesn't go into full battery by easing it forward (hasn't happened to me, but I've heard stories of it), you should chamber a round before you head to your hunting area.

[fknipfer]

When hunting with my 7600 35 Whelen I take a strip of plain black electrical tape and put one tight wrap around the front forend stock and barrel.  Then I have no rattle or clatter.  After you shoot the first round you can eject the old round and put a new one in the chamber doesn't take anything to overcome the tape.  That way you can stalk and still hunt all day.  Works for me.  Don't forget to take off the tape after you shoot.

fknipfer

[Old English]

The 7400 is silent. Like it was said, use your left hand to help with the safety let off. Otherwise, it is a very quiet rifle.

[charles p]

I don't wear my wedding ring for this reason.  Wife quit rattling about it after a few years.