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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
I tried this on another site and it fell flat(maybe just me fetch) One of the cheapest easiest ways to become a better rifle shot is start with a clean crisp trigger and of course alot of practice. I think a large majority of deer hunters use a bolt action rifle. At the age of 14 I was given a used Remington 721 .270 and it came with a 3# clean crisp trigger pull. When I bought my next rifle a couple years later I was shocked at the factory trigger (most are at about 7#s and have a certain amount creep) Now some 40 years and about 30 rifles later I still get my triggers adjusted (only by a competent gunsmith). Anyone out there realize a good trigger pull or do you all take whats comes on the rifle???????????
 

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YOu know I never even knew that you could have the trigger adjusted like that..what the difference between #3 or #7?? All my rifles except my dirty 30 are bolt actions. My ol man goes on a couple of guided trips out west, and the guides wont even allow a automatic in there group.

madison
 

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Discussion Starter · #3 ·
There are lot of good gunsmiths around. Most seem not to adverize much. E-mail me if you are in GF and I will show you the differnce. It's amazing! If your trigger can not be reworked you can have a custom one installed. My experiece is mostly with Ruger and Remington bolts. At one time the earlier Ruger bolts had adjustable triggers when they came from the factory. I don't think they do that anymore because of liability. I even have a 20 gauge that had one trigger that was terrible. I had it fixed to match the other trigger. A 3# trigger is TOO light for a shotgun. If you every have a chance to read any Jack O'Conner he has written a lot about trigger pulls. I lost my library in 1997 so I don't know which book.

[ This Message was edited by: zogman on 2002-04-25 17:54 ]
 

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Zogman,

In my opinion, a quality trigger ranks right out there with a quality scope and some quality ammo to get an accurate rifle. I grew up in a house of rifle-shooting freaks (my brother is really a freak), and I even shot some competitively when I was a kid.

I am amazed at how some people shoot rifles with terrible triggers (either a heavy trigger or a creepy trigger) and complain that the rifle isn't accurate. All of my rifles have a trigger set between 2.5 and 3 lbs, and I will replace a bad trigger with an after-market one if I am not satisfied.

Last summer, I bought a brand new Winchester Mod 70 in a .270. Out of the box, the trigger was over 10 lbs (no lie, I measured it)!!! I don't know if this was a manufacturing error or if the manufacturer was scared of liability with too light of a trigger. I took the rifle to Duane Spooner, and he adjusted it down to 2.5 lbs. The trigger is beautiful, nice and crisp.

Shortly thereafter, I went to MN to visit family. I hadn't shot the rifle, so I brought it along. It just so happened that my brother-in-law wanted to sight in his .308, so we headed to the range. He was having problems shooting a decent group, and he was convinced that there was something wrong with his scope. He saw the groups I shot with my .270 (with factory ammo, mind you), and asked me to shoot a group with his .308. I was amazed that his trigger was 7 to 8 lbs! How could he expect to shoot a group with that? He said that his trigger had always been like that. I told him to squeeze the trigger on my .270, and he was floored.

Anyway, his .308 was a Remington Mod 70, so adjusting it was easy. We went back to his place, adjusted the trigger down to around 3 lbs, and went back to the range. The thing shot like a dream.

Lighten your trigger, make it nice and crisp, and SQUEEEEEEEZE!

BigDaddy
 

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Oops, I made a typo the previous post. My brother-in-law's .308 was a Remington Mod 700 (I typed "70" by mistake). The trigger on a Mod 700 is not too hard to adjust. However, the triggers on a Winchester Mod 70 are much tougher. I recommend leaving those to a quality gunsmith.

BigDaddy.
 

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Discussion Starter · #6 ·
Bump :beer:
 

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Zogman

With large caliber I flinch if I have a bad trigger. I set my own triggers, simple, I think. I also stone the sear with 1500 grit. They give directions ons snipercountry.com. I set my varmint rifles at 2.5 lb and my deer rifles at 3 lb. I messed up a screw on my Remington 700 and they would not send me one. Send it back and I understand it is returned at 7 or 8lb. I put a Timney in it and like that very much. You have to take the safety from your Remington trigger and put it in the Timney, but not to difficult. Set triggers like the black powder rifles spoils you. I guess it is product liability that scares the manufacurers. To many nut case courts I guess, like the 9th circus court of appeals in California.
 
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