-
Having trouble using the site?
Contact support
Trigger
- Thread starter Fester20
- Start date
Depends on application and trigger.
Match rifle, I use triggertech diamond single stage set around 10oz
Hunting I would turn that up to 1.5-2lb.
My AI factory trigger is tuned to 1.5lbs
Match rifle, I use triggertech diamond single stage set around 10oz
Hunting I would turn that up to 1.5-2lb.
My AI factory trigger is tuned to 1.5lbs
Most people have not put thousands of rounds down range nor have they spent countless hours dry firing in order to know how their trigger feels.
I would suggest that you start heavy and work your way down. You will know when you need/want a lighter trigger. It'll probably save you a few "aww shit where did that bullet go" moments.
I would suggest that you start heavy and work your way down. You will know when you need/want a lighter trigger. It'll probably save you a few "aww shit where did that bullet go" moments.
Absolutely correct. This can't be stressed enough to the novice shooter.
He who knows all has spoken. All hail the Chief.
Last edited:
I think in some cases shooters use a "light trigger" as a crutch to compensate for improper trigger control or other missing fundamental marksmanship skills. However, for the skilled shooter that "knows" their trigger through extensive dry-fire practice and proper fundamentals, the light trigger is appropriate.
That being said, I prefer my quality 2 to 2-1/2lb triggers ( PRS, Palma, and F-class) over some other shooter's mediocre trigger turned down to 1-1/2lbs (or less). Perhaps it's just my years of shooting NRA High Power with a 4-1/2lb minimum trigger.
I'll assume I'm in the minority opinion on this subject.
That being said, I prefer my quality 2 to 2-1/2lb triggers ( PRS, Palma, and F-class) over some other shooter's mediocre trigger turned down to 1-1/2lbs (or less). Perhaps it's just my years of shooting NRA High Power with a 4-1/2lb minimum trigger.
I'll assume I'm in the minority opinion on this subject.
Last edited:
I prefer a 2.5 lb trigger that is the lightest i will go.
I am not a fan of AD's
I am not a fan of AD's
I just added a pound of trigger weight on my rifle. I quite prefer the slightly heavier weight. It’s pretty personal I think, and I doubt you’d have a room of people with the same answer.
If you don't know where it went, your finger was in the trigger guard too soon.....
When I first started, the trigger was the trigger, nothing about it then was adjustable. Then I got my hands on an adjustable Timney Calvin Elite years ago and became obsessed with getting all my triggers as light as possible. As the triggers on my rifles got lighter, I realized my fundamentals deteriorated - a really light trigger made it easier to forget proper shoulder to rifle bridge pressure, made it easier to shoot with a weak grip and trigger finger.
I have since cranked back up the trigger weights on my rifles, not to the extreme, but heavy enough to apply pressure and reminders on my shooting fundamentals, while not being too heavy.
This works for me, but may not work for everyone - I have found that the trigger weights for my various rifles are almost proportional to the caliber I am shooting. For a PCP air rifle, I could have it as light a 10oz, my 6.5 PRC is set at 1.5 lbs, my 300Wm at around 2lbs and my Cadex Tremor 50bmg is set around 2.5-3lbs. The larger the expected recoil, the more pressure I apply to pull the rifle into my shoulder, the stronger the grip, the heavier the trigger pull.
I have since cranked back up the trigger weights on my rifles, not to the extreme, but heavy enough to apply pressure and reminders on my shooting fundamentals, while not being too heavy.
This works for me, but may not work for everyone - I have found that the trigger weights for my various rifles are almost proportional to the caliber I am shooting. For a PCP air rifle, I could have it as light a 10oz, my 6.5 PRC is set at 1.5 lbs, my 300Wm at around 2lbs and my Cadex Tremor 50bmg is set around 2.5-3lbs. The larger the expected recoil, the more pressure I apply to pull the rifle into my shoulder, the stronger the grip, the heavier the trigger pull.
I have no idea. I run TT diamonds in my rifles. I adjust them to where I want them to be, regardless of what a scale says. As long as I'm comfortable with the pull weight, the number is irrelevant.
They aren't nearly as light as some that I've felt, but I'm on the lighter side of the scale.
They aren't nearly as light as some that I've felt, but I'm on the lighter side of the scale.
A couple of the Online Training videos on fundamentals or trigger control shows real world mistakes by class participants. One thing that I noticed was were several students appeared hesitant to properly "marry up" the finger to their trigger while setting up their trigger finger placement. Perhaps the had really light triggers and/or didn't have a lot of dry-fire time to build the confidence in knowing their trigger.
Not, I bet many if not all here have shot plenty of rounds that missed the target, didn't see any impact in the grass or whatever around the target.
My first guess is that he was dazzling with brilliance.
Maybe you are right though.
In the beginning I also thought the lighter the better, and I do believe it's a bit of a crutch/was always told a "hair trigger" is what "long range guys" use, and you see people pick up a rifle and talk about "oh it's got such a light trigger".
After shooting for a while, I've learned that I want to marry up to the trigger, feel the shelf/edge before it breaks, then feel my finger squeeze and a predictable/repeatable break. When they're super light I'm not good enough to marry up, feel the trigger, and feel myself squeeze to a predictable break, it's just touch the trigger, and a random squeeze because it requires so little pressure and a break.
I'm a firm believer that you can shoot a heavy, clean, repeatable trigger much better than you can shoot a light, unpredictable trigger.
I also didn't use to understand two stage triggers when I first started (not saying I understand every aspect now), but now I'm a fan on precision rifles.
After shooting for a while, I've learned that I want to marry up to the trigger, feel the shelf/edge before it breaks, then feel my finger squeeze and a predictable/repeatable break. When they're super light I'm not good enough to marry up, feel the trigger, and feel myself squeeze to a predictable break, it's just touch the trigger, and a random squeeze because it requires so little pressure and a break.
I'm a firm believer that you can shoot a heavy, clean, repeatable trigger much better than you can shoot a light, unpredictable trigger.
I also didn't use to understand two stage triggers when I first started (not saying I understand every aspect now), but now I'm a fan on precision rifles.
My 700s are factory and around 5-6 lbs (308 is heavier than 300 win). I have shot excellent groups with them. I have shot not excellent groups with it. On my list of things to swap out.
My Howa I adjusted down to "feel" where I like it. I have not measured--Would guess around 3 lbs or so.
My ARs are 2.5-- they have a good edge where I can press the trigger and feel resistance.
One of the best upgrades is to get a good clean trigger in the 2-3 lb range. Below that, I am just not comfortable with my meat hooks. A lot of guys like those light triggers--its more about the clean break. My 700 in 308 has a the heaviest pull, but it breaks clean. That is much better than a spongey-5 lb pull.
My Shadow2 (handgun) is around 2 lbs (maybe less) and has almost no resistance. Its a competition gun, but I can ND with it super easy. In fact only I know I ND because I can get hits in the A zone on ND, only I know that I didn't intend to squeeze off a shot just then. Its happened a few times on rapid strings.
My Howa I adjusted down to "feel" where I like it. I have not measured--Would guess around 3 lbs or so.
My ARs are 2.5-- they have a good edge where I can press the trigger and feel resistance.
One of the best upgrades is to get a good clean trigger in the 2-3 lb range. Below that, I am just not comfortable with my meat hooks. A lot of guys like those light triggers--its more about the clean break. My 700 in 308 has a the heaviest pull, but it breaks clean. That is much better than a spongey-5 lb pull.
My Shadow2 (handgun) is around 2 lbs (maybe less) and has almost no resistance. Its a competition gun, but I can ND with it super easy. In fact only I know I ND because I can get hits in the A zone on ND, only I know that I didn't intend to squeeze off a shot just then. Its happened a few times on rapid strings.
Precision guns, about 1 lb 10 oz to 12 oz (I just checked). Carbines, about 6 lbs. Pistols about 5 lbs (up from 3.5 lb following a round that went into the dirt half-way to the target after a fast draw).
I would not mind making my precision guns 2.5 lbs. I settled on 1 lb 12 oz years ago and haven't changed - they are all the same, for a reason.
It’s personal preference to need over 2lbs.
I have used rifles for work, hunting, and match shooting. If you can ND with 2lbs, you’ll ND with 3.5 lbs. There isn’t some magic line that you cross at 2lbs which makes the rifle safer.
There also isn’t some magic number such as “you need 2.5lbs for hunting or you need 3lbs for a work rifle.”
Quit posting what you think you know and shoot more. You’re preaching personal preference as necessity and claiming is safety related.
And 10-15k bolt gun rounds a year not including Rimfire.
You can make posts from the range in 2020. Who’d have thunk it.
Echo chambering 1995’s yOu NeEd a 3lb TrIgGeR to be safe is just that, echoing without experience.
It’s perfectly fine to have a preference for a >2lb trigger. But to insist a 1.5-2lb is in any way irresponsible is just nonsense.
Last edited:
Yep, but what works with practiced hands in the warm weather doesn't work as well after hours of sitting at 8-10K' 1/2 gassed, in the snow waiting for the sun to rise. Here senses are numb and it can actually be MORE accurate to have a stronger pull weight as you allow our gloves and cold fingers to mate with the trigger press. That's also the main concept behind 2 stage triggers, allow the flesh or whatever to settle into the trigger and have a less disruptive final press. BR, belly bench, and PRS sports with heavy guns and uber light triggers can get away with a lot that isn't always the most practical. Sometimes, guys that never knew they had issues then struggle with an ultra-light magnum (a uber light gun is moved more under the trigger press) and a trigger set for cold weather exacerbates the flaws.
Last edited:
I’m in total agreement. There’s all kinds of ways you can set up your trigger for different environments and situations.
But ole fuddy decided to claim it was required and people not doing it are borderline negligent.
Play victim after you get called out, that usually works. You started it, got offensive when you didn’t like a response and now continue to take it personally.
You don’t get to insult people (see your “stupid answer post), then play victim when you wade into waters over your head.
True, but when I get people that have never even held a rifle before to feel the trigger in a dry fire or two before actually shooting they all have no problem with it. Only takes seconds for them to go "woah, I need to pay attention to what Im doing"
A light trigger is only an issue when you adjust it lighter than the triggers safe capabilities allow or you are are careless and dont approach it with the abundance of caution that a firearm deserves.
It doesnt matter if you hit the trigger with an ounce or a ton, if you hit it accidentally on a loaded chamber you fucked up.
Since we are talking safety, I've seen first hand and personally heard first-hand way too many accounts of NDs/ Be it at a match or hunting. One thing I do when hunting other than chamber check and close on an empty chamber is decocking but NOT firing the firing pin with full force as the bolt closes. 700 style bolts are great as you can easily see the bolts are safe. I've seen mistakes made on chamber checks and then pressing the trigger fires the round. Obviously, safety is an entire series of fail-safe measures, namely never point the muzzle as something you're not willing to destroy. But we all been to matches and flagging is still far too common, their guys getting their integrated packs on and off with the gun attached to hiking up a hill and letting the sling get lax; to hunting, climbing through the brush.
The final decocking (not just firing the trigger) of the bolt is something missing in my opinion and it is easy as pie. Hell can't hurt the firing pin spring be storing our fancy guns decocked anyway.
Last edited:
If that works for you, go for it. But handing out a random number for someone to set THEIR trigger? I can't tell you what the trigger pull weight is on any of the 20 or so guns I have. Many of them are different because they are different tools for different jobs.
So what's the best weight for trigger pull? Like I said..... Fire the fuck out of it and get it to where you are happy no matter what the number is. Nevermind that your scale could be different from Billy Ray's.
Ten ounces on a bench rest rig and a hunting rifle?
So what's the best weight for trigger pull? Like I said..... Fire the fuck out of it and get it to where you are happy no matter what the number is. Nevermind that your scale could be different from Billy Ray's.
Ten ounces on a bench rest rig and a hunting rifle?
"One time at band camp"
Get the timney and set it to what you feel comfortable with. I think we can all agree on that lol.
Agree. for hunting go with a quality trigger like a Timney and set it at comfort level for hunting unless you are shooting antelope at 800 yds then 2lbs. All of my deer rifles are heavy factory triggers and my shots are 100 yards or less—never an issue. I never feel the trigger or the recoil.
my F-Class competition rifles are set at 4 oz. period.
Similar threads
