Originally Posted By: DAASteve, the way you describe shooting your ARs with a two stage, is EXACTLY how I operate my 28 oz. single stage triggers on my bolt action calling rifles. I standardized on 28 oz. for all my field carried bolt guns twenty years ago. I ended up at that weight almost by accident, as it was as light as a particular 700 trigger would safely go. But now, some are Jewel, some are Rifle Basix, some are tuned old Rem. Walker triggers, but they all break at the same 28 oz. I can very easily take up probably about 20 of those 28 oz. and hold it like that waiting for the sight picture to automatically cause the rest to be taken up. I do it all the time on called coyotes that I see coming.
I always work a trigger like that on colony varmints. But all of my dedicated colony varmint rigs have much lighter triggers. From 4 oz. to 12 oz.
Back when I was shooting a LOT of prairie dogs and I mean a LOT, the trigger I used most often was a 4 oz. I got to where I was constantly taking up 2 of those 4 and holding, waiting for a p-dog to line up with his buddy, or get an eyeball fully visible over the top of the mound, then the last 2 ounces would be finished automatically, like you describe.
So, I probably could get used to a two stage I think. It would have to be a lot lighter than my new RRA though. And a lot cleaner, crisper of a break.
Granted, my first time using it and all that. But shooting groups with that trigger, well, it wasn't the way I like to work a trigger for precision work, or any other kind of shooting, that is for dang sure. For one thing, it's just way too heavy for my tastes. I measured it after I got home, and it's about 2.25 pounds first stage and another 2.25 second, for 4.5 lb's total. For seom reason, I had it in my head that the second stage would only seem like that 2.25 pounds. But it felt like pulling a house to me. I haven't used a trigger heavier than 28 oz. in decades, mind you! Even my rimfires have triggers under 2 lbs. It's not a terrible break, I've felt lighter triggers that were much worse. But it's not near as crisp and clean as I like and am accustomed to either. I think I've heard you describe it as more like a carrot breaking than a glass rod, that's a good way to put it.
So, it all added up to what I really hate when shooting groups - a surprise break! Man, I can not abide that. I want to know PRECISELY when the trigger is going to break when I'm shooting groups. I don't squeeze a trigger. I press it. A very precise little movement of only my finger tip. But, the only way I could maintain a decent hold with this one, was to get it into my second knuckle and squeeze it, squeeze it, and wait, and wait. I gave up, came off the rifle, took a few deep breaths and went back at it to try and get a shot off again probably twenty times in sixty shots.
That trigger has to GO!
- DAA
staging a single stage is what it sounds like your doing and to be able to do it that well, is actually beyond what I can wrap my head around. you must have better motor skills than I do. my handwriting sucks, maybe some people are better at controlling their fingers than others.
until I used 2 stage triggers it was always something of a crap shoot for me if I got the trigger off ok. for me its compounded by the fact the gun isn't exactly steady on the target in the field like it would be from a bench, and I get that BREAK IT NOW, which is really a yank feeling and its almost always a miss. I still remember the first mule deer I shot at, which also happened to be about the biggest deer I to this day may have ever shot at. my dad saying SHOOT SHOOT, I missed. what I would give to go back in time with some shooting sticks.