GOOD TRIGGER WEIGHT FOR A HUNTING RIFLE?

[Orange Dust]

I would not have the trigger lighter on my hunting rifle than the one on my practice rifle. On my LR and practice rifles the triggers are set to 20oz. Stalking and woods rifles about 40oz. Here's the weird thing; I am more likely to flinch with a 2oz trigger than a 20oz one. I guess I may be weird, but I need a little pressure to squeeze for my brain to work right.

 

[WahooYahoo]

I don't measure the pull weight, it is just light... real light... not quite telepathy but just a tick more than a thought. I put a round in the hole when it's time to go bang and then I wish for it to happen and it just does, but...in full disclosure, I don't hunt from the bed of a moving truck... anymore, and I don't do deer drives anymore or hunt behind dogs ('cept for birds). I like the TriggerTech Diamond dialed way down.

 

[ofbandg]

I don't hunt with a round in the chamber unless I am alone and seeing lots of fresh bear sign. I set my protection rifles at around 4 pounds because I like older style rifles and light triggers mean less sear engagement. Adjustment screws move. I know they can be glued but things change. I have had slam fires. I have had rifles go off when the safety was flipped off. I once had a Browning A-bolt rifle go off when I began to lift the bolt after it had just been lightened to 3 pounds by and "expert". I once had a hang-fire after walking through thick snow-covered timber. Snow got on my rifle and melted into the trigger. I still managed to shoot the buck, one of my best. Four pounds on a rifle meant for close range shooting has not caused me any problems, but it does make me feel more secure if I have to solve a problem with it.

 

[PartsJr.]

I took my 12 year old son coyote calling for the first time. We loaded the rifle and shotgun at the truck but left the chambers empty. I was leading the way when my son took a digger. Barrel in the snow. The gun didn't go click but it was a teachable moment for both of us. We had a spare rifle so we put the one with snow in the barrel in the cab. I carry chamber empty unless I'm still hunting.
That said... I like 2ish pounds.
I agree with someone who posted... it depends what type of hunting you do.

 

[muleystalker]

A lot of it has to do with what you are used to pulling, I shoot a lot of F-Class and other long range shoots. I shoot at least 1 F-Class shoot and month minimum and up to 2-3 shoots a month. Most my guns I shoot in F-Class are about 1.5 -2oz. And about 4oz on my other comp guns. I run about 8 -12oz on my hunting rigs. I pulled out one of my older 28 Noshers to load some monos for Ca. season. It has a 2 stage Huber at about
1.95 lbs combined weight, When I went to shoot the thing at the range I about died, it felt like an 8lbs trigger, like it didn't want to break, LOL

I am using the 2 stage Bix & Andy Tack Sport Pro now on my other hunting rifles and love them, the 2 stage lets you marry your finger to the trigger a bit before you hit the second stage which is lighter. Its a good compromise for people who like real light triggers on their hunting rifle. Me myself I have no problem touching my 2oz triggers and moving my finger on the trigger without it going off, its all in the repetitive practice.

 

[swe123]

1 1/2 to 2 lbs on everything that does not have set triggers.

 

[ron jaege]

To each his own. Having a trigger under 2 lbs would not be my preference for hunting, but for those that typically use very light triggers I can see it makes sense. Sometimes I get jump shots and the light trigger would be a problem for me then.

 

[Rich Coyle]

How is a jump shot different from other hunting?

 

[ofbandg]

I think it was Jack O'conner but it might have been Jim Carmichael (?) who referred to fast shots as a controlled jerk.

 

[Orange Dust]

To each his own. Having a trigger under 2 lbs would not be my preference for hunting, but for those that typically use very light triggers I can see it makes sense. Sometimes I get jump shots and the light trigger would be a problem for me then.

Rifles for different uses are at their best with different weights. You would not want a 20oz trigger on a dangerous game rifle any more than you would want a 4lb trigger on a precision rifle. Generally the more precise or longer range the lighter the trigger. More stressful situations call for a little more weight, but same quality of pull.

 

[smokin502]

I just installed a timney in my savage 111 LR. Trigger pull was light and crisp. I went to the range and the rifle slam fired after closing the bolt. Freaked me out. Checked adjustments and found the trigger pull was just too light for sear engagement. So I dialed it back and doesn't do it now.

 

[Eagleye242]

I prefer a "hunting" trigger weight of right around 2.5 lbs.
It feels good, and allows for light gloves or cold fingers.
Varmint triggers at 8 oz. Competition 2-4 oz. Dave.

 

[freddiej]

I set all of the hunting rifle's triggers to 2.5# to 3.5#. The only exclusion to this is the varmint triggers I set. I set in 0.010" over travel, 0.007" engagement, and I make sure the trigger itself is as balanced as possible due to people dropping or using their rifle butts for walking sticks from time to time. I do not want the trigger over riding the trigger spring and going off while the gun is pointed at the sky/head of anyone.
as for the safety, I never trust safeties. I make sure in my own hunts that my rifles have the bolt unlocked a little more than 1/2 way to insure the striker's cocking piece and the cocking part of the bolt body are engaged with each other. no possible way to go off when these two pieces are engaged with eachother.

 

[WildRose]

Seems that after getting used to a 1.5 lb. trigger on my competition rifle I want to have a hunting rifle with a pull of no more than 2.5 lbs.

So what do "all y'all" have for your hunting rifle trigger pull weight (if it is adjustable.that is)?
(Translation for western Pennsylvanians: "What's yuns's trigger pull weight?")

Eric B.

That realy depends on you as a shooter and the conditions. If you end up hunting/shooting in extreme cold wearing gloves you need a heavier trigger just so you can feel it through the gloves vs shooting prairie dogs in 95F heat on the plains.

In general I like a very crisp trigger of about 2-2.5lbs with zero overtravel or creep.