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Trigger Pull

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JEBar
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Trigger Pull

Post by JEBar » Thu Dec 21, 2017 11:07 am

bandit1250 wrote:I can get below a pound but I set it at 2 1/4 lb. because of hunting with it.
quote above is from another thread .... this winter I plan to have a gunsmith lessen the trigger pull on our Henry BBS 44 Mag and CCH 45-70 .... question : is 2 1/4 lb an optimal trigger pull for a rifle that is used on a range and for big game hunting .. :?:
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North Country Gal
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Re: Trigger Pull

Post by North Country Gal » Thu Dec 21, 2017 11:28 am

That will depend on the shooter and the shooter's experience with light triggers.

Speaking for myself, I typically set most of my range gun triggers under 2 pounds and even at times under one pound, but these are RANGE ONLY guns for me. I would NOT choose to use these kinds of trigger pulls out in the field or hunting unless they have a two stage trigger (have to take up slack, first) or a set trigger. You have to be very gentle with a standard single stage trigger as found on a typical lever gun, pump gun or bolt gun with such a light pull when you touch the trigger. Even a little too much force when will set them off before you're ready. I make a religion of having the gun pointed downrange at the target before I even think about the trigger. It's the last thing I touch in my shooting procedure.

For a field or hunting gun, I prefer over two pounds and even three pounds is just fine, especially for a gun that will be used in cold weather. For these triggers, I am much fussier about not having to deal with creep, mush, or gritty triggers. Harder for me to get my trigger timing right when a trigger is less than crisp.
Last edited by North Country Gal on Thu Dec 21, 2017 11:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Sir Henry
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Re: Trigger Pull

Post by Sir Henry » Thu Dec 21, 2017 11:37 am

A light trigger on a semi-auto is also an accident waiting to happen if you aren't familiar with the rifle. People often use bump-fire stocks to simulate a full auto but in reality just taking the trigger down to about a pound does the same thing if you learn how to hold it.
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clovishound
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Re: Trigger Pull

Post by clovishound » Thu Dec 21, 2017 12:58 pm

There is a whole lot more to a trigger than pull weight. I have a Smith Model 10 that I had a trigger job done on a few years ago. I always thought it was a little too light even for a range only gun. I put a heavier spring in it and brought the single action trigger pull up a tad that put it just about at the bottom of what I wanted it at. Gunsmith measured the pull and we were both surprised. It is 3 and a half pounds. Everyone who tries it thinks it is around 2 pounds. It is so smooth and has no stacking or creep and it feels far lighter than it actually is. Personally, I wouldn't go less than 2 1/2 lbs for a hunting rifle, but it all depends on the other characteristics of the pull of that trigger. I can live with a heavier pull on a trigger that is smooth, repeatable and has no creep or overtravel.
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Sir Henry
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Re: Trigger Pull

Post by Sir Henry » Thu Dec 21, 2017 2:19 pm

Three and a half is still light in my book. I learned to shoot with an M14 and the trigger was close to eight pounds.
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North Country Gal
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Re: Trigger Pull

Post by North Country Gal » Thu Dec 21, 2017 6:28 pm

clovishound wrote:There is a whole lot more to a trigger than pull weight. ... I can live with a heavier pull on a trigger that is smooth, repeatable and has no creep or overtravel.
Amen to that, especially that repeatable part.
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Re: Trigger Pull

Post by bandit1250 » Thu Dec 21, 2017 7:24 pm

JEBar wrote:
bandit1250 wrote:I can get below a pound but I set it at 2 1/4 lb. because of hunting with it.
quote above is from another thread .... this winter I plan to have a gunsmith lessen the trigger pull on our Henry BBS 44 Mag and CCH 45-70 .... question : is 2 1/4 lb an optimal trigger pull for a rifle that is used on a range and for big game hunting .. :?:

The weight a lot of hunters prefer on big game hunting rifles feel hard to me because I have light triggers on my varmint rifles and my target shooting rifles. I hunt with lighter triggers than most shooters prefer on my squirrel rifles. My CZ 452 hunting rifles are all under 1 lb. I have had light triggers all my years of shooting. My triggers are done by me on my bolt action rifles and are tested over and over again to be sure they are safe for use. Also I hunt alone and usually don't chamber a round from the magazine until ready to shoot a squirrel. My Remington 700 250 Savage Classic I have it at 2 lb. for deer hunting. My lever guns for hunting are pretty much factory pull and the 444 Marlin and 336 35 Remington are good weight of pull for lever action rifles. My 39A's have had some spring changes on the ones I shoot the most. The weight for you is what is proven to be safe and what you are comfortable with that has passed the bump test time after time. Triggers for winter time hunting with gloves should always pull harder than a warmer weather rifle in my opinion. That is why I set the Ruger Predator at 2 1/4 lb. Safety always has to be first whether you end up with a little harder trigger pull than hoped for.
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Re: Trigger Pull

Post by JEBar » Thu Dec 21, 2017 7:27 pm

interesting reading, well thought out
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Re: Trigger Pull

Post by JEBar » Wed Feb 14, 2018 8:14 pm

UPDATE :

as noted earlier in this thread, a couple of weeks ago we did take our Henry BBS 44 Mag and CCH 45-70 to a gunsmith for trigger work .... his scale is much higher quality than ours .... the OEM trigger pull on our 44 measured 6.5 lbs and our 45-70 measured 9.8 lbs .... based largely on his recommendation, we decided to go with 3 lbs .... through this process I've learned that adjusting the trigger pull on a Henry requires more than just changing springs (as was the case with our Ruger Redhawk and GP100's) .... some steps that require honing, polishing and fitting parts are as much art as they are mechanics .... when it comes to approaching perfection there can be a very fine line that can easily be crossed .... we just got off the phone and he said he's pleased with the trigger pull on both .... I'm really looking forward to next week when we hope to give them both some exercise .. 8-)
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Re: Trigger Pull

Post by BigAl52 » Thu Feb 15, 2018 9:10 am

Nice to find a good gunsmith. They are few and far between around where I am at.
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