Not to offend or insult any one here. I hunt with one in the pipe. Many of nice animals have slipped by because of the noise of racking one in. I'm confident in my equipment and I hunt alone.Anyone that "loads ONLY when READY to engage" kind of scares me.
If you dont trust YOURSELF OR YOUR WEAPON to use a trigger, SAFETY, LOADED ROUND IN CHAMBER, HOW CAN I TRUST YOU AS MY HINTING PARTNER??? EITHER YOU AND YOUR EQUIPMENT ARE SAFE OR NOT SAFE!!! If you cant carry a LOADED RIFLE/CARBINE/PISTOL/SHOTGUN SAFELY...... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE STAY AWAY....
can you imagine carrying your self defense pistol on an empty chamber or walking a field bird hunting on an empty chamber???
RUBBISH
BTW even the Israelis have given up on carrying on an empty chamber as it wastes VALUABLE TIME for a safety problem based on maintenance, design or training.....
How do you sneak around in the timber, swamp or around an Arroyo or kansas field break if you dont have a round loaded and safety engaged ready for a snap shot on the buck, bull or bear?
THAT BEING SAID...
I have found be it hunting man or beast I am going to snap shoot standing, snap shoot kneeling, precisely shoot braces, knealing or preferably prone... I want to ASSASINATE MY TARGET UNAWARE OF MY PRESENCE!!! I want a trigger I can place my finger on as I wait FOR THE OBJECT TO BE DESTROYED TO BE IN POSITION FOR THE SHOT! the shot should be a reflexive action when target sights and placement are PERFECT...
2LB TO 3LB WITH AN EXCELLENT CLEAN BREAK...
I CAN LIE IN PRONE WITH FINGER WAITING TO REFLEXIVELY PULL WHEN THE MOVING TARGET IS IN POSITION FOR THE KILLSHOT....
Regardless of trigger type, who made it, what the manufacturer says! I MUST VERIFY my trigger is safe. VERIFICATION IS MY DUTY!!!
Start with a sighted in rifle that's ready to hunt, ready to fight, ready to DEFEND AND SAVE MY LIFE possibly....
1. Empty case in chamber with case head and primer blackened by sharpie..
2. Pile drive rifle into cement floor from eye level 3-6 times. I am 5'11" I am simulating worst case fall scenario... If you are afraid of damaging rifle why are you taking it hunting?????????? If falling down can make your rifle fire please stay away!!!
3. Rubber mallet beat on barrel, beat on stock, beat on action, beat on mag!!! Cycle safety on and off, beat on bolt!!! If ANYTHING IS NOT PERFECT I WANT TO KNOW NOW!!! I have found loose scopes and mounts this way MULTIPLE times on friends, family rifles as well as new acquisitions!!!!
4. Goto the range 3x on different days shooting ACROSS CHRONOGRAPH at well defined targets 200 or 300 yards away! Shoot a MAGAZINE full of cartridges aimed SLOW FIRE PRONE without stopping .... paying attention to first cold bore shot, 3round group, 5 round group, vertical stringing.... The rifle will tell you WHERE SHE WANTS TO HIT!!! be it on the first, third, fifth, 10th, 20th or 30th round!!! ANNOTATE GROUP SIZES, DISPERSION AND SHIFTS IN ZERO!
5. Save target! Sign, date, annotate load, velocity, bc, bullet specifics, load specifics, temperature, weapon, distance, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 10th, 30th rounds impact!!!
6. Put target in gun case, update load data on rifle stock or phone or pda or ballistic computer, if necessary, load up detachable mags, put 20, 40, 100 IDENTICLE spare rounds in gun case!!!
7. Now your ready to hunt!!!
The only other thing I would add is in #2 is to check the trigger pull, with a gauge, after each of the steps, just to make sure that the trigger did not lighted with the steps performed.1) At first, no. I will use a trigger with a light thread compound or light torque on the nuts. Then when I'm done adjusting, I will carefully apply blue locktite. That locks small screws down well.
2) This is difficult, but I have a set of tests I do based on some use cases I have developed.....close action smartly 10 times; smack action on side with rubber mallet 3 times..dropping light mallet 3 times about 6". With action in stock drop 6" on butt pad 3 times; check all disconnect, connect, bolt remove, safety functions(lock up of action 100% if so designed); with safety engaged, action should be able to take severe impact from rear....tested with more severe mallet strikes to tang.
3) confirm all trigger and safety functions. Measure 10 pulls looking for abnormal pull weights or variation. Confirm safety locks up action or lifts striker off trigger on m70. I have no customers except me.
This is all roughly based on what it took stock rifles to jar off.
The only other thing I would add is in #2 is to check the trigger pull, with a gauge, after each of the steps, just to make sure that the trigger did not lighted with the steps performed.
Which is safer? The safety that blocks the trigger or the safety that blocks the firing pin. The Model 70 style wing safety is a much better tool when hunting. Particularly when crossing fences, getting in and out of vehicles or blinds. I like to hunt with people with wing safeties that block the firing pin. Then we can use Jewell triggers that are measured in ounces and not worry about it. I have a neighbor that shot two of his sons, one in the gut and the other in the leg, he was unloading the magazine by cranking them through the chamber, in the dark, in the rain, at the finish of the day. Maybe it could have been avoided with 3-position wing safety. These safeties are available for Remington bolts, and are much slicker than the factory safety and shroud, as well as Montana, Kimber and Winchester Model 70s.
Just got done resurrecting one of my old 700s....adjusted this "walker" last in 1987 or 1988.....the fingernail polish I applied at that time was "crusty" but still intact....had to dig it out of the screw slots & threads.....Good info on here. I do not locktit my setting screws.
If I can I use a nice crisp 2.0 pound trigger on everything. I don't shoot bench rest.
That weight works on hunting rifles and target pistols.
Zeke