Rem 700 trigger - adjust or aftermarket?

[LEADPOISON]

Rem 700 VSSF .308 for paper punching and varmint/deer hunting (more paper punching than anything else)
Looking to get trigger pull in the 1.5lb range. I've seen articles about adjusting factory trigger, but I'm a little leary about adjusting this low. Anyone else adjusted theirs this light? I'm thinking about purchasing an aftermarket trigger. I'm looking closely at either Jard or Jewell. Anyone have experience with either, likes, dislikes etc. etc.
TIA,
L.P.

 

[Don't Tread On Me]

Is this the older trigger, or the new X-mark pro trigger?


The older trigger can be adjusted, and be adjusted to a pretty decent pull. A pull that is much better than the new trigger. The newer X-mark is not really adjustable. They glue all the adjustment screws in. Will require heating to free them.

I don't believe they do that to piss people off. I believe the new design made of MIM parts loses its setting and as a solution they lock them down. People who have freed the adjustments and adjusted the trigger found that A] they couldn't safely adjust it down very much, although they did get some improvement - to get it where they wanted it, it caused issues they typically wouldn't have with the older trigger B] the setting would not hold. Thus, the likely reason Remington glues them down.


I had the X-mark. It's an improvement over the older trigger's factory pull. It is lighter and much more crisp. However, you're trapped at their setting, which is terrible for paper punching for tiny groups. Not a bad hunting trigger though. My solution? I bought the Rifle Basix trigger. It's set at about 1.5lbs when it came from the factory, it is the 12oz-1.5lb model. Incredibly better. Jard has a good reputation, and Jewell is often considered the best. Now I have two triggers. I can always go back an install the factory if I choose to sell the rifle and keep the aftermarket trigger for a different rifle or replacement. I have a spare incase of problems with the new trigger. Not a bad idea having more than one trigger anyway.

 

[xring44]

I've owned several Jewels, they are top notch triggers, easily ajustable and even at the lightest settings, 2 ounces, safe as can be. I highly reccomend them.

Remington triggers can be lightened somewhat and still be safe, but there is a very fine line between a good trigger and a unsafe trigger..Spend the money and buy the Jewel, you will not be disappointed.

 

[jesse485]

Definitely try adjustment first, it's free after all! If you are concerned about the trigger's safety, then test it after adjusting. Bang the stock against the ground, flip the safety on and off, ect.. Basically, try to replicate anything that can happen in the field (unloaded of course). I got the trigger down to a very low setting with just a tiny bit of creep, but no overtravel. If you can't get the trigger to what you want safely, then by all means go aftermarket. Of course YMMV, but I am perfectly fine with the stock trigger on my old ADL.

 

[GardDog223]

I can't stress enough that you get what you pay for in a Jewell. I wasted my time and money with a Rifle Basix, then made the jump to a Jewell. Now I have Jewell triggers on all of my long range stuff (including a Rem 700P).


Go with the Jewell.

 

[ants]

I own a Rifle Basix, a Jard, and a Jewell.

Rifle Basix - For under $100 it will truly improve upon your stock trigger. It still may have some creep and excess travel, but for a deer hunting trigger it sure is an improvement. It won't make a match trigger and you'll be disappointed if you want a match trigger, but it sure makes a good hunting trigger for the money.

Jard - For over $100 it is a great improvement, very adjustable, and with patience you can eliminate or almost eliminate creep, you can set overtravel where you want it, and can select the trigger pull you want. Truly a great step above Rifle Basix and most factory triggers.

Jewell - Now we're near or over $200, and what a difference. Yes, with this trigger you get what you pay for. But if you don't want a truly special match quality trigger, you don't have to spend so much money.

It's your wallet. You decide.

 

[GunDoctor]

Paper, Varmint, Deer. You really have three different sets of qualifications and three different trigger settings. 1.5lbs for deer isn't a good idea. Adreniline will get you setting off the round before you mean to and without remembering touching the trigger. For deer a very crisp 3.5 to 4 lbs is the right area. While paper on the other end of our spectrum can be as light as safety will allow. Remington factory triggers are capable of adjustments to about 2.5 lb safely. Done by the right smith it will feel like 1.5 lb. There really isn't much difference between a light trigger and a very crisp trigger. If you want the rifle to do all three I would put the trigger at a very crisp 3 or 3.5 lb.

 

[Tim Galyean]

Triggers are like hookers, you get what you pay for. Buy the Jewell.

 

[steve_dune]

I adjusted my factory trigger down to around 3lbs but I still wasn't happy so I went out and bought a jewell hvr. I love it. It seems like a lot of money but once you buy it and install it you will ask yourself what took so long.

 

[Tarvis]

You can adjust a 700 trigger down to 3 lbs with the trigger spring tension screw. To get it down to 1.25 lbs, you have to adjust the sear engagement screw, which makes the sear have to move a shorter distance to release, reducing creep and weight. It took me a couple of trys to figure out exactly what I was doing, but once you get the idea, its easy peasy japaneasy. The Rem trigger is not a timney or a jewel, but I like the feel of it and its light enough for my use and it was $free.99. A lot of people will tell you that you have to spend a lot of money to get a good product, which is mostly true, but in some cases it just takes a little sweat equity to get what you want.


FWIW, I did everything but put my gun in a vice and hit it with a sledge hammer after I set the screws and glued them on the trigger and nothing released the sear, so a good trigger job doesnt necesarily require a gunsmith. You do know how to operate a screw driver, right?

On an after thought, if I was indeed going to buy a new trigger as opposed to adjusting the stock trigger myself, I would probably not go cheap. If it's gotta be done right the first time, go with the brand with a reputation for quality.

 

[Tim Galyean]

What lured me to the Jewell besides the ease of adjusting and great feel was the replacement saftey, it glides between safe/fire instead of snapping. When I am done varmint hunting I switch my Jewell from my 22-250 to my .300RUM. It takes me about 5 minutes to switch the two triggers out. If you have two of the same rifle it makes more sense spending the money. I dont want to be caught staring at 6 point bull and then scare him when engage the saftey to the fire position. I adjust the trigger to around 3lbs for big game, 1lb. for varmint hunting.

 

[ADKWOODSMAN]

Tim, if you push down quite firmly when you push the Rem 700 safety forward it won't click. It will take a little practice.

Hunting shows who click the trigger always make me smile, they would never get a shot here in the adirondacks.

 

[kennedy]

I adjusted mine down to 2.5 lbs and its great for target shooting, adjusted spring and sear ingagement,

 

[LeonCarr]

I had mine adjusted down to 2.5 pounds and the only thing they had to adjust was the spring tension. Breaks like a glass rod, no creep, no over travel, passes all the safety tests.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[Snipe315]

I've adjusted a couple of my stock remington 700 triggers with varying degrees of success.

I then spent the $$$ to put Shilen triggers to 2 of them.


Night and Day difference! The Shilen is outstanding in all regards. I like it more than the Jewel because its a bit more durable for field use.

 

[LEADPOISON]

Thanks for all the great replies! I'm going to kick it around a while before I make a decision. But if I do go aftermarket, I will probably go with a Jewell.
Hey, if I'm going to go, I'm going to go big. Were not talking about something you can skimp on... like a child's car seat or something (you think they care what they're sitting in) Just kidding!
Thanks again,
L.P.

 

[RNB65]

Aftermarket. I bought a VSSF II last summer and the first thing I did was have my gunsmith install a 1lb Jard varmint trigger. It's a thing of beauty.
-

 

[tjj]

The stock X-Mark trigger can be adjusted to around 2-1/2 pounds with the stock spring. Maybe down to 2 pounds with a lighter spring. Mine would break at 1-3/4 pounds with no spring so the safe limit lies somewhere around 2 pounds for my particular rifle. Results vary between rifles of course. I had a chance to grab up a Jewell at a discount so I made the jump.

A Jewell will spoil you. I've got one on my M700SS and an extra one in the parts drawer for my new 6BR build in progress.

 

[MASTEROFMALICE]

Triggers are like hookers, you get what you pay for

If I run for president, that's the platform I'm running on.

 

[one eye joe]

Kepplinger make a single set trigger that might give you the best of both worlds. Brownell's carries it.

 

[MCgunner]

I just took my son-in-law's he bought while he was on leave to the smith. I don't know what he'll charge, but heck, can't be THAT much. It's only a few screws. He wanted to get it done before he comes home from Iraq for good, at least for this tour. Already his second, who knows how many in the future, and he's just National Guard! He's been there a year, too. Didn't they do 6 month tours in Vietnam? Sheesh! He'll be home for next hunting season at least.

I probably could have figured it out myself, but didn't wanna try on my other two Remingtons. My Savage has an open assembly and I just looked in there and could tell which screw adjusted the trigger spring, safety, and sear engagement, was real straight forward. But, the Remingtons were all enclosed and I didn't know which screw did what, so I let my smith do it and I think he might have charged me 15 or 20 bucks for his five minutes, but it got done.

His was set too light as he wants to hunt with it. I let him try my M7 which I had set at 3 lbs like the rest of my rifles, where I like it. He thought it too light still. So, said to have the guy set it to 4 lbs. I don't have a trigger gauge, but made one once with a fishing deliar. Not real accurate, I'm sure, but it was good 'nuf for gov'mnt work. Don't know where I put that thing, think it's rusting in my tackle box.