IS the Jewell THE end all?

[pcweidman]

Building a AICS 300wm to be used for LR Hunting and in the near future practical competitions. Barrel arrived today from the Hart family and I am pumped. I got everything else now I need a trigger.

I keep people telling me Jewell Jewell Jewell is the end all. However, I hear that Timney is better 'field trigger' and that Shilen should be considered as well. I am trying to understand the designs of all of these triggers and understand why the Jewell may be superior. I have lots of respect for Carolina Custom rifles because they use Hart barrels and are great hunting rifles and they use Timney.

I dont mind spending the money because I want the best but is there really a hill of beans difference in the top 2 or 3 trigger companies and why?

 

[Sandbogg]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

I have had several Jewells and I think it is a really good trigger. They are easy to install and easy to adjust. Its achiles heel is that it can be fragile. My next trigger will likely be a Timney.

It is a good trigger, but definately not the "end all" of triggers.

BTW; you will have to your AICS stock relieved to fit the Jewell (and I believe the Timney as well).

 

[SnkBit]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

I haven't tried the Shilen but I have tried the Timney and Jewell. All of my rifles have Jewell's in them and so will all of my future builds. I use my rifles in the field exclusively, including hunting. I have never had a single trigger related problem.

 

[Big Dog Steel]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

I have personally seen quite a few Jewell triggers go down at competitions.. Guys carry around lighter fluid to squirt in them to keep them going. I have run several Timney's and never had a single one of them even look like it was going to be a problem. I would highly recommend a Timney.

 

[DropZone]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

I've had and used Jewel, Timney, Shilen, Kepplinger, and Rifle Basix. I like them all for different reasons. Right now I have only the Jewel on a F-Class rifle, Kepplinger single set trigger on a .308 M70 Coyote for hunting and a Rifle Basix on a LTR...they all are excellent triggers. Personally, I like the RB because of the width of the trigger shoe and will probably go back to another one of those on my new AAC-SD .308.

 

[Explorer]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

Not the end but close and is the one everyong is shooting to knock off the top.
Jewel dominates the benchrest world but the Kelby trigger is of a different design and more versatile IMHO. I love my Kelby, but also enjoy the Jewel products.
Huber makes an "anti-friction ball trigger" which is respected but I have not tried one. My wallet whimpers when I think of trying one of these.
I am not a fan of Shilen triggers, the one I tried as "gritty.". Timney builds a decent product IMHO. I like the Rifle Basix for my varmint guns.
Am sure I have missed several other decent products but I have not tried them all either.
I'd suggest you attempt to try as many as you can.

 

[Here2Learn]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

Is jewel the end all?.... Yes! Just kidding. Maybe I have one of the good ones but I have one on my comp rifle with over 3k rounds I put on it and countless that the previous owner put on it and I have had zero problems

 

[pcweidman]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

Hey Jim I know your store! Im from Hoover! I have been in there several times!

Thanks for the trigger advice....

 

[khdudley13]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

i always liked the old factory remington triggers when stoned and set down a little bit... I got one of the jewells in the buy group on here & it is great!!!!...haven't tried the rest.

 

[Andy Warhog]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

I'm a fan of Huber, I think they're worth the cost. I don't own a Jewel or a Timney but have shot both. I personally liked the Timney of those two. Sanbogg mentioned having to relieve your stock for those triggers, I know on the Huber the safety comes farther to the rear. I had to make a small relief notch in my chassis to get it to operate

 

[CaliShooter]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

Jewel is good and Timney is good. A jewel HVR can be adjusted lighter/safely and still be consistent under 2 lb.s But my TImney 510 can go down to 2lb.s Any lighter and it gets iffy on safety or consistency. Is the jewel worth the extra $100? Thats up to you. The Jewel requires some moderate milling for an AICS. The Timney requires minor milling. My personal opinion is that if a trigger breaks cleanly and at a decent pull weight(I prefer 2-1.5 lb.s) then I like it.

 

[Engine 22]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

If you're concerned about durability, get an old style Remington and have it tuned by a competent smith. I have a couple Jewels, a Shilen, several tuned Remingtons, as well as tuned Winchesters. They all have their strong points, but for what you describe, you can't go wrong with a well tuned Remington. You'll also have a little more in your pocket for ammo or whatever.
If you are talking benchrest shooting or prairie dog shoots, the Jewel should definitely be considered. They are very nice triggers, can be adjusted LIGHT, and are deffinately consistent.

 

[pcweidman]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

What about the CG Xtreme Mod? This thing seems to be sweet? Never heard of them just came across it researching.

http://www.x-tremeshooting.com/index.php?page=mod-22-order-page

 

[holy cow]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

I have used the Timney, Shilen and jewell triggers. I do not shoot comps but have been using the Jewell trigger for many, many years without ever a problem. I have also been using the Shilen trigger and like them also very well. The latest trigger i have used on some builds is the trigger from Kelblys. It is an outstanding trigger and is every bit the Jewell trigger is and think it is constructed better than the Jewell. The jewell is more user friendly in adjusting but once you have Kelblys adjusted to your desire it leaves nothing on the table.

 

[mkollman74]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

I have had a Jewell on my former comp rifle, and it worked OK. The break was always consistent, even at lighter pull weights. I put a CG extreme on my new rifle, and I really like it. I have become a fan of good two stage triggers. I never thought I'd say that, but I see alot to like in a qualty two stage.

 

[Pusher591]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

Far from an end all be all. Good trigger but I prefer Timney.

 

[pcweidman]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

Tell me more about the CG please. Should I choose this over the more readily available Timney and Jewell?

 

[45.308]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

I have a Jewel and not my most loved trigger. I prefer my Rifle Basix, just feels like a trigger for out in the field, not a safe queen trigger.

 

[Tommy Two Dogs]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

PC:
I have used Jewell, Shilen,and Timney triggers. Mostly in comp rifles,and can say from my experience that if you run a trigger at a lb or under in dirty conditions it is trouble in the making. It seems to me that for your application a tuned trigger from any of the companies mentioned in this thread will work. There is a certain feel that a Jewell has that makes a really good trigger. Hope this helps.

 

[spamassassian]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

I can't add much other than to say that I have a Jewell on my LTR and I've shot several hundred rounds through it with zero problems. Love the way it feels - very clean break. I have mine set at 2 lbs.

 

[texasleftychef]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

I don't have much experience with the Jewell or Timney but I have a CG Jackson and it's about the best I have used other than the TRG trigger.

 

[jbailey]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

Two Jewells here, love them a lot. Never had problems with them and have never had to use "lighter fluid" to clean. Thousands of rounds fired. They have been out in some very tough and dirty conditions too. Would recommend them highly.

I did have a Rifle Basix go down on me however, right in the middle of a match. Plus I hated the way that wide trigger felt - always felt very unnatural to me.

 

[RobertB]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

I have had 2 jewell triggers fail. I like em and still use em but now all my field guns will have timney or tuned rem triggers. My fav 2 I have right now are a timney and an old remmy tuned up. Even my gap tuned x-mark isn't bad. I would trust all these before the jewell. good luck

 

[JByrd]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: osuarchitect</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have personally seen quite a few Jewell triggers go down at competitions.. Guys carry around lighter fluid to squirt in them to keep them going. I have run several Timney's and never had a single one of them even look like it was going to be a problem. I would highly recommend a Timney. </div></div>

This is your answer

 

[rundm]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

I have the jewel on my gap and like it a lot. I put a cg jackson on my surgeon because the builder advised me to instead of the jewel. He was having problems with the jewels in comps. Both are very nice but I do like the feel of the jackson a bit better.

 

[jbell]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

I have owned: Jewells, Timney, Shillen, Rifle Basics, Remington 700's tuned and stock, and the Huber. I have yet to try the Jackson so I cant comment on that one. For me on any rifle I would build except a LV or HV benchrest rifle (which would get an Anschutz 5018 or maybe a Jewell) will ONLY have a Huber trigger. They are that much better. For anything but a all out benchrest rifle I would recommend not getting a Jewell. I say this having owned a few over the years and never having a problem with one, but I kept them very clean. Just my .02

 

[R.Walters]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

I have slam fires happening when you run the bolt super hard on my surgeon. Maybe the sear engagement is too low. Looking to try one if those timney flat triggers I hear good stuff about them.

 

[turbo54]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

I don't like my Jewell.

It is not crisp. It is light, it is smooth, but it is NOT crisp. I have adjusted the shit out of it trying to crispin it up - no dice. I've read this is common in several other places.

I dismissed the "Jewell's will crap out in field conditions". I guess I have to learn the hard way.

At a recent match (ASC, actually), it rained on us Sunday morning. The trigger was working in the rain, but when things started drying out, my trigger stopped working. It wouldn't release properly. I messed with it and got it almost functioning again, but there were still a couple shots where I'd pull on the trigger and the gun wouldn't go off. Rapping on the bolt would make it go off - once the trigger shoe had been pulled on.

Maybe for a bench or f-class gun, but not for a field gun.

My $0.02

 

[Deisel]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

I have a Surgeon Scalpel with a Jewell trigger. It is very nice, but I had a GAP Badger with a Huber that was very good also. Just depends on what you like, but I can't say either one is better than the other.

 

[Tucsondave]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

I only have Timney's now. Had 2 Jewells go down after pierced primers. My .02

 

[mkollman74]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: pcweidman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Tell me more about the CG please. Should I choose this over the more readily available Timney and Jewell? </div></div>

Never had a Timney, so I can't comment on that one. For the stated purpose in the OP, I would probably avoid the Jewell. For reliability reasons alone I would go with another trigger. Other will tell you that they've never had an issue. My experience under field competition conditions was different.

The CG is a two stage trigger and a very good one. I like the two stage for its ablity to run an overall higher pull wieght, but with an extremely light let off on the second stage. During the very consistent and identifiable stop between the 1st and 2nd stage, I can quickly refine my POA and then break the shot.

I have grown to like the 2 stage triggers. Many do not. If possible, try to get behind a few for a bit of dry firing.

 

[slowkota]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

I had a CG Jackson Xtreme trigger in my VTR a few years ago... A very good trigger, and a beautiful work of art! lol

I've found, that I personally don't like 2 stage triggers AS MUCH as I do a nice single stage. That being said, I've only used/own/had CG 2 stage, Timney 510, and Giesslle SD3G (< Obviously that one wasn't on a bolt gun!)

I haven't put that many rounds downrange with the Timney yet... But I'm diggin it so far! Especially over the X-mark that came with the rifle.

 

[mjh30]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

OP, use two rifle basixs, and a tuned old Remington, cannot say anything bad about the RB's, they simply perform, reliable, no creep, crisp break, nice wide shoe like my old Remington triggers. Good customer service from the manufacturer if you have a question, great value for money.

 

[B3dlam]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

My newest rifle will have a huber concepts it was pricy but they seem to be reviewed as some of the best 2 stage drop in triggers out there and after reading that when I asked the gunsmith for a recommendation he said it was what he shot on his competition rifle. I will let you know what I think.

 

[427Cobra]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

My Jewel was in my 308 and now in my 260, it has many many thousands of dry fires and fires, I clean it every 4-500 rounds with lighter fluid, and maybe once or twice a year insp and tighten the screws, I also have a slight bit of over travel in it, I heard it helps with reliability, I'm only talking about maybe 1/4 turn on the over travel screw.

 

[Tactical]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

Here is the deal:

Hard use in field for days at a time. Get a Remington and have GAP work over

Target and day field use, get a Jewell. Clean it as already described

Huber triggers: I have one and it sits in a box because the light "Sniper Trigger" is heavy as all heck. No matter what rifle I put it on. Well made bt I an a good smith can not make it lighter

 

[long-shot]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

I'm a weekend warrior. I shoot in local matches and not in regional or national tac matches. I hate cleaning, but a squirt of lighter fluid isn't the worst thing in my opinion. I recently changed my worked over factory Remington trigger to Jewell.

First, I love the Jewell.

Second, when I cleaned out my factory Remmy after removing it from my rifle you wouldn't believe the rats nest of carbon, dust, sticks, twigs, and random crap that came out with some lighter fluid. Now to be fair the barrel had 10K rounds through it and the trigger had NEVER been cleaned. It worked without issue and did so very dirty. I can't expect the same from a Jewell, but a little cleaning should help...

 

[sandwarrior]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

I liked the Timney's, Shilen and RB's. I wasn't impressed with the Jewel enough to say I'd pay that much more for it. (at the time it was a $100 to $200 comparison). It was definitely a nicer trigger than a lot of them that I pull.

A lot of how a trigger works for someone is how it's adjusted. Some guys triggers I've tried are really hard to get a feel for. The same was said about my triggers. I like to take the overtravel all the way to the back. The trigger doesn't stop when it's pulled until the design stops it. The reason I did that was some advice that by hitting the stop you could push/pull the rifle off after a shot. Especially if you get aggressive on the trigger. That has worked for me. Most guys I know who've tried it, don't like it.
It works even better on a two stage, but those were AR's I did that to.

I never ran a Jewel in the field so I can't say how good or bad as far as reliability. I know I've had some reliability issues with light tuned triggers going through crap then drying out. Being able to squirt it down with lighter fluid and get it working again, is a really good option.

 

[Aeon1]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

Currently I own Jewell's and Shilen's. My BR rifles have Jewell's and my field rifles have Shilen's. Jewell's are the nicest I have owned but if you blank a primer it is possible to break one or more of the levers on a Jewell. Not common but not uncommon either. Break it and you're out of commission, on the bench ok but out in the field away from tools and spare parts for days it's not a risk I want.

 

[Ballistic Artist]

Re: IS the Jewell THE end all?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RobertB</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have had 2 jewell triggers fail. I like em and still use em but now all my field guns will have timney or tuned rem triggers. My fav 2 I have right now are a timney and an old remmy tuned up. Even my gap tuned x-mark isn't bad. I would trust all these before the jewell. good luck </div></div>

How do you tune/adjust the x mark pro remmy trigger? Seems the thing is riveted together and all the adjustment screws are locked.