What LB trigger pull for hunt vs target vs home defense?

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ACES&8S

ACES&8S

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What # trigger pull do you prefer for hunting vs target shooting rifles?
Some will probably say keep them the same pounds, but a 223 vs a 7mm Mag
wouldn't translate the same in my mind.
Also a light trigger for hunting would be dangerous to pack around, just ask my
best friend, he just about blew his head off this past deer season, never saw him
so angry with himself.
Also some rifles we just have for home defense & others just for tight groups at
long range.
 
My hunting rifles are pretty close to 3 lbs. My AR's closer to or slightly more than 4 lbs. No dedicated target rifles, I shoot at targets with both hunting and SD rifles. If the rifle and load is capable, I can get 1/2 MOA with those trigger weights. I see no need to have them any lighter.
 
Unless it is for target shooting, I can't see where a 3.0-4.5lb trigger would be too light. Anything less would be too light for defense unless you were a highly trained person. I've read stories of a heavy trigger feeling very light under stress. I've been blessed to have never been in that situation myself.
 
I prefer all of my hunting rifles to be about 3-4 lbs. I’ve hunted with as low as 1.5 lbs but I’m not comfortable with that. My target rifles I like as light as I can safely get them. Every rifle I’ve ever owned has gotten a trigger job. Sometimes just springs, but usually sear work.
 
I've got one hunting gun that has a 2.5lb trigger pull and that's getting changed when I drop it in it's new stock. Right at 3lbs is where prefer my triggers, mostly because that's where my brain seems to be tuned for "BANG!". Lighter and the gun goes off unexpectedly, much heavier and it feels like a lag.
My new sks has about a 5lb trigger pull after doing a basic trigger job, and that's right at the edge of where I start to wonder if it's gonna go off.


Safety wise I see little difference between a 1oz trigger and a 10lb trigger when the gun is not in action. If your not ready to fire the safety should be on.
If your hiking thru, over, under stuff where your likely to fall, drag the gun thru heavy brush, or drop it, then you should probably leave the chamber empty or at least be careful of controlling the weapon (IE, not flopping around on your back slung up).
I've heard of, but never experienced (or witnessed) a safety being snaged, and undone by brances, or during a fall. If that happens a light trigger would be more likely to discharge than a heavy one, but again in my experience I've never had it happen.

Where issues with the very light trigger comes into play In my experience, is when the shooter is not familiar enough with their rifle, and/or becomes very excited. Usually this results in the rifle being discharged early.


My home defense gun is a hipoint 9mm carbine, and that by design dictates a heavier and longer trigger pull for mechanical safety.
 
I have what most guys would think are lighter triggers on all my rifles. My Varminter AR is maybe 2#, my deer hunting AR was a little less. My 7 Mag will be 2-3#, probably closer to 2#

I fail to understand why a 2# trigger is unsafe. If you get a ND because of a 2# trigger, it’s you that’s unsafe. The rifle only does what you tell it to. If you’re too stupid to keep your damned finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot, you should stick to a slingshot

Blaming a gun with a light trigger for a ND falls into the same category as blaming the gun for school shootings

Guns like glocks that have no safety are a different story. And yes, I own a G20
 
My Tikka is my lightest hunting trigger. I’ve had it set as low as 1.5 lbs. That was perfectly fine until I bough 10 other rifles whose triggers couldn’t be safely tuned below 3 lbs. I turned it up a bit because everytime I get it out to plink I’m not prepared for it. If I shot it all the time it would not be an issue, but now it’s the odd one out of the rotation. The next time I take it out of the stock I’ll turn it up again. It’s a shame every rifle doesn’t come with that trigger. It’s the only rifle trigger I’ve never taken apart, though I did change the sear spring.
 
I do not own a “target” rifle. My hunting rifles shoot 0.5-1.5 MOA. The problem I have with hunting rifles having light triggers is that many of us don’t hunt in warm climates. We wear gloves when we hunt. And a 2oz-2lb trigger can make that dangerous. My M70 has an adjustable trigger and I’ve set it pretty light. My other hunting rifles (mostly leverguns) have had the sears polished. But that’s it. It’s never affected my ability to hit my mark.
 
redneck2 said:
Why?
I’ve got an idea.....

(1). point the rifle where you’re going to shoot
(2). Flip off the safety
(3). THEN put your finger on the trigger

I hunt in northern Indiana and Michigan. I wear gloves that have a trigger finger that flips back when shooting
Click to expand...
2 of my primary hunting rifles don’t have safeties. And I like to feel the trigger. I also don’t gun hunt from stands or blinds. So the extra movement of peeling a glove back doesn’t appeal to me. YMMV.
 
BigBore44 said:
2 of my primary hunting rifles don’t have safeties. And I like to feel the trigger. I also don’t gun hunt from stands or blinds. So the extra movement of peeling a glove back doesn’t appeal to me. YMMV.
Click to expand...
Neither do I but I seem to find the opportunity to not only peel back my glovemitt but also insert ear plugs.
 
I just received the (4) 1.5 pound trigger springs for my Savages. They feel heavier than 1.5 pounds, regardless, they are nice improvement over the factory 4ish pound springs.
 
I like fairly light, short, triggers with trigger stops set to reliably fire. That said, it gets cold here in Maine during deer season, so those rifles have 2.5-2.75 lb. pulls. Varmint and informal target rifle triggers may be about 2.0-2.25 lb. pulls. My Rem 581 target rifle has a 1.75 lb. pull.

Target handgun triggers are about 2 1/4 lbs. Defense semi-auto triggers are about 5 lbs. Revolver single-action pulls are about 3 lbs.
 
Geno said:
It depends on if it is a 2-stage, single-set or standard trigger. For big game hunting, I prefer about 3.5 pounds. For varmint hunting, 1.5 pounds. My defensive firearms are 3 pounds.
Click to expand...
Your set up is a lot like mine. Speaking of 2 stage triggers, I love the way old springfield
rifles were done, the 1903 & Garand, I have a 1903 that has a Jagger trigger in it.
I had to look it up, it was & may still be made for competition, but it is just a lighter
version of the original Springfield.
 
jmr40 said:
My hunting rifles are pretty close to 3 lbs. My AR's closer to or slightly more than 4 lbs. No dedicated target rifles, I shoot at targets with both hunting and SD rifles. If the rifle and load is capable, I can get 1/2 MOA with those trigger weights. I see no need to have them any lighter.
Click to expand...
No doubt about the results, all one needs is consistent shooter function. You must be like myself, even if it an 8 lb trigger
just be on target. Seems so many AR rifles come with stiff triggers on purpose, so we have to get better ones thus begins
the upgrades which never seem to stop unless the trigger is enough upgrade, which is all I do.
 
redneck2 said:
I have what most guys would think are lighter triggers on all my rifles. My Varminter AR is maybe 2#, my deer hunting AR was a little less. My 7 Mag will be 2-3#, probably closer to 2#

I fail to understand why a 2# trigger is unsafe. If you get a ND because of a 2# trigger, it’s you that’s unsafe. The rifle only does what you tell it to. If you’re too stupid to keep your damned finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot, you should stick to a slingshot

Blaming a gun with a light trigger for a ND falls into the same category as blaming the gun for school shootings

Guns like glocks that have no safety are a different story. And yes, I own a G20
Click to expand...
I used to keep mine lower until I had a friend show me the bump stock test! I am going to post that thread next
look for it.
 
ACES&8S said:
Looks like they would go off when you inhaled!
Click to expand...

They won't go off if you don't touch them. They are drop in triggers from Jewell and Shilen, not Bubba'ed up kitchen table trigger jobs....The heaviest the Jewell can be set is 3 ounces. The lightest is 1.5.
 
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