Trigger pull

[Blammer]

I have a rifle that the trigger pull is too light for my taste when hunting.

Target work will be fine but it's a hunting rig.

I may have to put some weight back into the trigger.

What weight of pull do you prefer for your hunting rifles?

[dale2242]

I prefer not to have less than a 3# pull for hunting.
For inexperienced hunters I would prefer even heavier pulls.
BTW, I have been hunting for 60 years.
To each his own..dale

[oneokie]

Agree with Dale. Any compentent gunsmith will not go less than 3#.

[TheCelt]

2 1/2 to 3 works for me.

[white eagle]

bout the same as the others 2.5-3#

[dubber123]

I have most of mine set for 2.5#

[largom]

3 Lbs. and if you hunt in the cold with gloves on you might want a little more.

[Wolfer]

3+ for me. I want to be able to use a heavy glove if need be. I do like a clean break with no creep just not too light.
All of my mausers wear timney triggers. Adjustable from 2 to 4 lb. As they come from the factory I always set them harder.

[TXGunNut]

Prefer to keep it between 2.5 and 4.5, must confess I'm often surprised when I check them. My favorite rifles are a little over 3 but seem lighter. Creep and overtravel cause me more problems than a heavy trigger. I don't shoot as well with a lighter trigger; just as well. All my rifles are primarily hunting rifles.

[Blammer]

This one is set to the ounces.. so yea a bit too light for me. :)

[300savage]

i like 2 pounds, but i grew up shooting an old mauser 270 that had a pull of 19 ounces.
i didnt know how to change it so i just learned to respect it. havent had any trouble with 2 pounds ever since.

[Rainier]

Pounds of trigger pull? Kinda like asking what your favorite boots are - I suspect you'll get a lot of different answers. I have mine set at 2.5 pounds which might be too light for some and too heavy for others. The real question is what are you comfortable with and what do you shoot the best? I will admit "ounces" would be too light for me in a hunting rig.

[barrabruce]

For my k hornet I used for rabbit/ foxes with the set trigger its more of align and think than a pull.

For other stuff about what I feel comfortable with.
Safe from a decent whack from the stock.
2 -3 pounds maybe ..never measured but I like a solid fell to it that snaps off .
Not hard enough that I'm crushing my fingers on the grip and pulling a shot or too light to feel soggy and unpredictable.

A heavy trigger return spring will toughen things up a bit.

[milkman]

I usually like 3- pounds but I have one which is gauged at 2 lbs which seems to let go by just thinking about it. I would swear it wasn't over 1 lb but the gauge says different.

[Larry Gibson]

2 1/2 to 3 works for me.

+ another for that trigger pull on a big game rifle (deer +) with single stage triggers. With two stage triggers (yes I do hunt with some rifles that have 2 stage triggers; M1A, AR, Mausers and M1903s) I prefer 4 - 4 1/2 lb triggers with the second stage breaking at 2 lbs.

Larry Gibson

[Three44s]

I find that the pull as registered on a simple trigger scale is only half the story.

My best example is a Rem 700 LA of mine. I have run it according to the best instructions I could find and it came out at 2.75 # and is scary light for general hunting ......... fine for casual bench shooting. The reason is that it breaks so cleanly and crisp that that transcends just the measured pull.

It matters about as much what is "behind the numbers" as it does the actual measured pull. A "draggy" 2.75 # could feel worlds heavier than the above "700".

How you are going to use the rifle is also a big factor. Certainly the wearing of gloves would weigh in but how you hunt also matters.

One of my tractor guns comes to mind. A swapped around Savage SA, I changed it to a .204 Ruger varmint barrel but it still wears the tuppeware stock. It's really weight forward. The trigger is now the target accutrigger.

If you are leaning over a front tractor tire to drop something ......... the coyote will win if you do like I did ........... (find the trigger as you are balancing the gun) ........ and yet it can ride in my pick up and be set on my Bull X type bag for a long shot and it's the BOMB!

Best regards

Three 44s

[dtknowles]

I have a rifle that the trigger pull is too light for my taste when hunting.

Target work will be fine but it's a hunting rig.

I may have to put some weight back into the trigger.

What weight of pull do you prefer for your hunting rifles?

What kind of hunting and what kind of rifle?

Big game, deer, small game, varmints, p-dogs? Stand, blind, stalking, open country, brush? Single Shot, semiauto, lever, bolt, pump? What cartridge?

If I am in a stand or blind and can rest the gun and the cartridge does not kick a lot and is not a semiauto, I like a light crisp single stage trigger, say 2 pounds. .308 or stronger I like a heavier pull because it seems to balance my muscles better as I cheek/shoulder the gun harder, say closer to 4 pounds but never more.

I love a double set trigger with the set at just under a pound and the standard set just over 3. I have such on my Hawken and my Hepburn.

If I am stalking, especially in brush, I like a two stage trigger just over 3 pounds with a lot of travel on the first stage or something like the AccuTrigger as I like to keep my finger on the trigger but not take up the slack. If you have to wear gloves, I don't think you can go with the light trigger and two stage might be a good choice.

Tim

[dtknowles]

+ another for that trigger pull on a big game rifle (deer +) with single stage triggers. With two stage triggers (yes I do hunt with some rifles that have 2 stage triggers; M1A, AR, Mausers and M1903s) I prefer 4 - 4 1/2 lb triggers with the second stage breaking at 2 lbs.

Larry Gibson

Larry

Maybe I am confused about what make a two stage trigger. What I have that I call a two stage trigger has a lot of initial travel with very light resistance that then firms up to break with greater force required. I do not have any of the firearms that you mentioned that have what you called a two stage trigger but I have fired AR-15s but don't recall the trigger pull.

I can't understand how you would control a trigger where the initial pull requires more force than the break. When you squeeze the trigger do you pull thru both stages or can you pause at the end of stage one before you break stage 2? I am assumeing stage 1 comes first and stage 2 is the shot breaking.

Tim

[300savage]

what you have is a classic two stage. long light pull then a wall that breaks with a heavier pull

[dtknowles]

what you have is a classic two stage. long light pull then a wall that breaks with a heavier pull

Thanks, wanted to make sure I was not confused or using the wrong terminology.

Tim

[JDL]

Mine have differing weights, from 8 oz. when set to 4# on my 2 stage triggers. Never had a problem with ADs from any but, I don't usually wear gloves when using set triggers especially DST.

[Teddy (punchie)]

Wt in pounds ?? I like a good feel and easy fall not too much travel. Best trigger is on the 300 . Ones I dis-like are long and hard never know when they are going to fall off.

Shoot an ounce set or hair trigger, is not like pulling a trigger, more of a push and relax.

[taco650]

Maybe this should be moved to the gunsmithing section?

For what its worth, the trigger pull on my Dan Wesson 44mag is too light as well. I've learned to rest my finger in the trigger guard and when the sights are lined up the gun goes off. Don't know the pull weight but it should be heavier than it is.

[44man]

I like the lightest I can get unless gloves are needed. Since my revolvers are shot with a bare finger, I like 1-1/2#. Varmint guns in ounces.
Even with a hunting rifle either single or two stage, I want no creep but 3# would be fine.

[Victor N TN]

My match rifles are set up in the ounces. But everything I hunt with is between 2.5 and 4 pounds. Longer range rifle for 200+ yards is at 2.5 pounds. Lever action "brush" gun ( for thick brushy ground where you can't see more than 50 yards because of vegetation.) is right at 4 pounds.

[country gent]

After years as a NRA service rifle competitor and having to mailtain 4 1/2+ lbs I use that on all my hunting rifles also. I have found a clean crisp trigger with no creep feels much lighter than it actually is. Weight dosnt bother me as much as creep grit and inconsistent break. My 2 stage triggers come up tight Im holding 2 1/2 lbs and when everything is right the last 2 lbs. The second stage has very little travel to the "glass rod" break.

[tward]

Best trigger I have is an old jc higgins model 42, breaks at 2 lbs like a glass rod. Tim

[Blammer]

this is a remington model seven in 308 winchester, my deer hunting rig. :)

[NVScouter]

I like 3.5-5lbs on a hunting rifle. Even my target rifles dont go under 2lbs.

[randy_68]

all my centerfire, rimfire etc are 2.5--3.5#. I also shoot a lot of airguns with two stage and I like to keep my second stage at 1.5-2 max, just so I can feel the wall. My buddy sets his at ounces but I don't like them, just too light for me.

[GaryN]

I like 2.5 for a big game rifle. I had a varmint rifle with a 1 lb. trigger which was just right for that. The trigger was a canjar set trigger and if I set it it was 1 ounce. That was a little too light.

[MBTcustom]

I set mine to 3.5lb.
I won't set one lower for any client without it being a trigger specifically designed to do so, and only then after we do a little paperwork, and that client scribbles his John Hancock on some papers my attorney has drawn up for me (there's a lot of fine print). When it comes to things like this, I like to keep both hands in my rear pockets and get a firm grip, know what I mean?
For general purpose hunting, I would say that 5 pounds is perfectly acceptable, if it's crisp.

[ravelode]

I like 3-4lb range for most of my guns

[fatnhappy]

2 lbs to 3 lbs

[Goatwhiskers]

Three pounds for the average joe is really nice and light. Whenever someone brings one to my shop and wants the trigger set real light, I'll give 'em 3lbs or a little over, they can't tell the difference. Had a young man brought in a Ruger 77 with a pull over 9lbs, worked it over and got 2lbs. Thought about it and changed a spring to get it back to 3.5. Figured he was so used to the heavy pull he'd be shooting every tree in the woods with that light pull. Had a Mauser once with a DST which was 6 ounces when set, another one I got stupid and traded off. GW

[Changeling]

I won't give you actual figures!

My varment rifles are set under 1 lb, High powered 6 and 7 mm under 2 lb.

Revolver 44 Mag is under 1.5 lb.

45 Colt haven't checked, think about 3.5 to 4 lb.

.22's haven't checked, but probably about 2.5 lb t 3 lb.

These are very low figures and I STRONGLY sugest you do not use them as a guide
unless you have been actively shooting for a long time!!

If you use GLOVES you would have to be a complete IDIOT to use this information! This is without gloves and a HELL of a lot of experience.

One thing I would like all to remember: That ring around your trigger is where your finger Should ALWAYS be rested untill one is on target and ready to "Fire". Only a fool treats it otherwise!!

[flounderman]

The weight of the trigger isn't as important as the lock time.

[davidheart]

I prefer a 3lb trigger on a rifle but I have a Savage 22 Hornet I swear is 10lb at least. -_-