I like either tang safeties or the M70 type without much preference one way or the other but slightly prefer the M70 type for the reason mentioned above. Most of my big game hunting involves wearing gloves. No gloves and I’d prefer a tang safety. Next to a cross bolt safety the 700 safety is my least favorite.
Prefer the tang, but next best to me is the cross bolt as on a 760. Both are intuitive, fast and as noiseless as anything else. I expect that many of those who share my preferences are, like me, more interested in shotguns than rifles.
Having said that, due to nerve damage which has reduced the sensitivity in my trigger finger and "safety thumb", tangs are a no-go for me in cold weather, so I'm using shotguns with cross bolt safeties. For the most part it really doesn't matter on a rifle since there's usually plenty of time to think about getting the safety off. And if there's not, well, that's just that deer's lucky day.
