Have any of you ever....

[Boerrancher]

Yesterday morning I made a new short starter for my 50 cals, I don't need one on the 32, but since I like accuracy at a distance with the 50's I shoot a tighter load that needs a short starter. Any how I was shooting from my front porch and had just finished priming the pan on my flinter. As I was standing there I got to watching a couple of squirrels up on the hill. I pulled the hammer back and stood there watching the squirrels and went to set the trigger and shoot at the soda can I had tossed out in the woods. Have any of you ever not been paying attention and squeezed the front trigger discharging the gun instead of squeezing the rear trigger? I had the gun in the cradle carry when I done it, and now I have a bald patch where all the hair was burnt off of my arm from the pan flash and vent blast. I am glad my front porch doesn't have a roof or I would be patching it about now.

Best wishes,

Joe

[405]

Yes, but not with a muzzleloader. Kind of an embarrassing educational moment when it happens isn't it. Did it 2 or 3 years ago while shooting BPCR with a Sharps. Shooting at a 300 yard target. Had loaded, raised the lever, situated the rests, pressed to the shoulder, cocked the hammer, re-focused to check the spirit level, started to final the sight picture while pressing the set trigger... Boom! Wrong set trigger! I'm certain the bullet hit somewhere on the 300 yard backstop.

[waksupi]

I have been working away from set triggers on muzzle loaders. I have went the full gamut, from crappy factory double sets, to single sets, and now stick with a properly hung single trigger.
The double set triggers are at their best for pure target shooting. I think they are a real detriment in a hunting rifle. Just the extra complication of needing to set the extra trigger is distracting from the target. No matter how good of a set trigger I had, It did not really help my shooting. I used to shoot a lot of long range, and it is amazing that sometimes a man does not have the strength to pull a three ounce trigger. Ask anyone who has been there, done that.
On single set triggers, I could always detect some creep in the trigger before it would trip the sear.
After I learned to hang a single properly, I would never go back to either of the other systems. Aside from the simplicity, they have the best feel for proper let off in off hand shooting, particularly in a muzzle loader. Ask Andy and Maven what they think of the triggers in their rifles that I put together. I think they are both happy with how well they work, at a very light pull, and a crisp let off.

[SquirrelHollow]

Have any of you ever not been paying attention and squeezed the front trigger discharging the gun instead of squeezing the rear trigger?

Nope.

My booger hooker stays off the bang switch(es), unless the smoke pole is shouldered.

[BE Wild Willy]

Shooting your ramrod will be next.

[Boerrancher]

Shooting your ramrod will be next.

Don't say that!!!

Best wishes,

Joe

[gnoahhh]

I have double set triggers on two ML's , two Mausers, and a Mannlicher-Schoenauer, and like them so much I would have have them on all of my guns if I could afford it. Of course, I've been using DST's for over 30 years now and their use is second nature for me, and I certainly wouldn't hand a gun fitted with them to a newbie on his first hunting trip. I'm currently fitting a set of DST's to another Mauser- a real PIA.

When hunting/target shooting I never set the trigger until the gun is trained on the target. If a hurry-up shot is taken, its done with the trigger un-set.

The only single-set trigger I ever messed with was a factory one on an old HiWall varmint rifle. It had a lot of backlash in it that was disconcerting.

[mooman76]

I'm sure I have but I don't shoot flint and most of my Mls don't have double triggers and that ones that do don't have very good ones.

[Boerrancher]

It was a wake up call let me tell you. A puff of smoke a large bang and more smoke followed by searing pain. I will say that I did not drop the gun. I have had a lot of bad things happen to me over the years while carrying a firearm and have yet to date allowed one to hit the ground, except when I was wounded, and then I landed on my rifle. I guess with Dad and Granddad pounding in to me at a young age that a rifle never touches the ground no matter what has paid off in undamaged optics, sights, stocks, and other parts.

Best wishes,

Joe

[izzyjoe]

when i'm hunting with my hawken i ignore the set trigger. if i'm at the range i'll load my rifle, and set the trigger, and then go to full cock. and when i go to full cock i have the rifle in the rest. that way if it goes off it's down range. that seem's to work well for me. i'll agree that the double trigger are silly for a hunting rifle. i was building a CVA hawken for a friend, but i changed my mind after talking to him. and i'll keep it for myself, cause he bitterly hates set triggers , and said he would not have such aggervation!

[Maven]

"On single set triggers, I could always detect some creep in the trigger before it would trip the sear. After I learned to hang a single properly, I would never go back to either of the other systems. Aside from the simplicity, they have the best feel for proper let off in off hand shooting, particularly in a muzzle loader. Ask Andy and Maven what they think of the triggers in their rifles that I put together. I think they are both happy with how well they work, at a very light pull, and a crisp let off." ...Waksupi

Coincidentally, I fired a friend's Isaac Haines rifle with a single set trigger earlier this afternoon. Although the trigger was crisp and ignition instantaneous, it was neither lighter nor better than the single stage trigger Ric installed on my Isaac Haines rifle. With luck and good weather, I'll get to bench test my new toy this week.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

luckily i had already taken aim on the range, it sure was a surprise, it wasn't that i pulled the trigger i pulled the set , but he other was so light that when i when to put my finger on it it went off.
i wasn't used to target triggers , having shot mostly sporting and military rifles

i took to just using the one trigger to fire it without setting it first, the few times i used that friends gun

[KCSO]

I once used set triggers so much that when I shot a pheasant on the fly with my 40 I set the triggers as the bird came up. BUT years ago Greg Roberts from GRRW set me down and showed me exactly how to hang a trigger and set it up for proper pull and nom most of my M/L are set up with a single trigger set for a 2 pound pull crisp.

What really convinced me was pulling up on winter meat and having a gloove catch the set trigger as I brought up the rifle. I had to trail a wounded deer for 4 miles before I could finally drop it.

The worst set triggers I ever worked were a set of German 5 lever sets i put in a 40 caliber target rifle. They were made to adjust from 5-15 OZ and the owner wanted them set for 5 OZ later upped to the full 15 and still later replaced with a standard set trigger set for 2 pounds.

[Hanshi]

Got my hand real good a few years back. You don't forget something like that.

[firefly1957]

When I was a range officer for a muzzle loading club I saw more people shoot in the air than you would believe only saw a couple rods go down range though!

[Beagle333]

I've only had a rifle with set triggers for about a week. But I have already wondered how long it would be before I did that.

[idahoron]

Shooting your ramrod will be next.

Guilty

Ron

[Boerrancher]

I've only had a rifle with set triggers for about a week. But I have already wondered how long it would be before I did that.

If you don't get distracted it will never happen, but as soon as you let your mind wonder just a bit from the task at hand, you will get a wake up call that is for sure.

Best wishes,

Joe