No DG experience, but I have a 2.5#, very crisp trigger on my 375 Ruger.

My open gun now has a 1.75# trigger, it used to have a 1.5# trigger, until I dumped it out my stupid race holster into fluffy sand.

An USPSA stage doesn't have the same elements as DG hunting, but it still involves some stress, and running around, and, so far, I haven't had an ND.

The original poster asked for "thoughts" on individual opinions for trigger pulls on DG rifles.
It's obviously a matter of individual opinions - and opinions, and experience levels, on this forum vary considerably.
Not being a dogmatic sort and accepting the 3 lb pull (that was proposed by some famous gunwriter) as gospel, I have tried a number of different pull and come to my own opinions.
There are plenty of other shooters out there who obviously do well with 3 lb pulls on every thing.
The best suggestion I can give anyone is to try them and find out for yourself.

I spent my share of time operating an issue M40 built by the 2112s and I don't think the trigger pull was ever set any lower than around 3 1/2 to 4 pounds. This poundage didn't prevent accurate bullet placement out to some fairly long ranged distances. As a result, I prefer having the trigger pull no lower than this weight on my hunting rifles, and my large bore rifle is set over 4 pounds.

Any type of CQB situation, to include sports and hunting, causes a stress-induced heart rate above and beyond your resting rate. Ideally, if you're well trained and experienced, you'll maintain your elevated BPM in condition Red which is around 115-145. Most do not and often find their BPM running over 145 where your motor skills begin to deteriorate. Some run over 175 and suffer major performance degradation in condition Black. All this sounds complex, but it is pretty basic in that light triggers and any form of CQB, to include hunting, are a bad combination.

Best

I like 3 to 3.5 pounds. Agree with Ray about the controlled "jerk" too. I might add though that it takes a bit of practice to control that "jerk". At least it did for me.

Definition of the "controled jerk", and unofficial term that I concocted many years past. Has not become acceptable to many.

Used for the snap shot, running shot, standing broadside shot and resting over a rock!...How many times have I seen a animal step into the bush and disolve while the hunter was looking; slowly, slowly slowy squeezing the trigger; breathing; yawning; changing scope power; using the focus; blinking; wipeing his running eye from straining his vision for minutes; Thus the "controled jerk" came about by those hearty souls who desired success in the hunting fields, and agreed with my thinking, I think..

The human body being consturcted of flushing rivers of pulsing blood, muscles that spasam, scream, shake, and jerk, lungs that and heart that run amok in stressfull situations, need your full attention and need not be abused.

You aim and pull the trigger before muscle strain sets in, you don't yank it, but you don't squeeze it to death, you hold your breath and pull the trigger in a single heart beat.

It comes natural to kids raised on ranches and farms, shooting all the time, hunting whatever with the 22 and 30-30 and iron sights..The learning process with irons does not magnify the wobble like a scope, so one does not deem it necessary to fiddle around pulling the trigger..With a scope the cross hairs bounce around because they are magnifide by the power of the scope, so it takes longer to get off a shot to those unintiated to irons and they go into deep shock and freeze on the wobbling X that won't stick on the shoulder of the beast in question, it happens to excited humans!..

At least thats the way I see it..put the x on the game and use a controle jerk, pull the trigger rather quickly. I think!

I make no claim as to the accuracy of this post, only that I tend to agree with myself on the subject. Have a good day.

Ray, Isn't that also what shotgun shooters do ?

And exactly how many ounces should a trigger be set for those type of shots

....You need to take your time in a hurry.

Attrib to Wyatt Earp.

SSR

458,
Damn, no wonder those groups look like patterns..

You can pull a hard trigger or a light trigger as long as you control the jerk!

I like the "controlled jerk" concept. Works for me!

My wife says that controlling a jerk is harder than it looks.

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
My wife says that controlling a jerk is harder than it looks.

My wife has a fair amount of experience at that as well!

quote:

Under stress ( as any of you who have ever been there can attest) your fine motor skill go to hell.

Speak for yourself.

I was only talking about us humans - not gods

I have my triggers at 40 ounces... works for me.

I have to work on my controlled jerk and my random flinch. I would like to get them to shoot to the same place every time but my groups often end up looking like SHOOTAWAY’S. I did find it took some practice to get use to shooting a big bore CZ 550 in 458 Lot. To many years of shooting small and medium calibers offhand. I would tend not to hold the rifle as tightly with the set trigger as I would with it not set. You might guess it didn’t take many rounds to get that sorted out.
Bill

quote:

Originally posted by jetdrvr:

quote:

Under stress ( as any of you who have ever been there can attest) your fine motor skill go to hell.

Speak for yourself.

jetdrvr - You're killin' me!

Exactly correct; some of us have spent our entire lives performing with the potential of instant stress requiring the immediate use of "fine motor skills" for us to walk away and go home to our families at night.

Ray,
That's about he best description I ever read. There is a saying in motordcycle racing that "you have to go slow to go fast". The same thing applies to shooting in a hurry.