The elk and the set trigger

[longcruise]

I was going through some stuff that I had written a long time ago and came across this little memo from an elk hunt quite a few years back. The rifle is a GPR.

I was hunting country that I know well in Colorado. This was a familiar spot for me, having been there many times in the past. There had been many elk "encounters" here in the past involving both myself and other hunting partners. The location is a small saddle formed by small hills that don't really qualify as "mountains". At least here in Colorado they don't.

So, I arrive at this same saddle and position myself about 20 yards to the downwind side of a trail that cuts through the saddle. These little saddles usually have a well worn elk trail coming around both sides of both hills that form the saddle. In a small saddle like this, the trails just about form an X in the middle of the high point of the saddle. I simply snugged myself up to a medium Lodge pole Pine and faced into the saddle so as to closely cover every direction except the direction from which I had come into the saddle. Within ten minutes I heard sounds on the trail that I had come in on but given the direction I was facing, It was hard to look back over my shoulder and around the tree. Decided to just wait it out and see what wandered into view. It was a lot of noise and I was thinking it was another hunter. Maybe even a hunter on a horse. Well, it wasn't. It was a five point bull plodding along with an apparent destination in mind. I waited him out for a bit so as to have him in a small opening at about 50 yards. As he approached the opening, I put my sights on the opening itself and set the trigger on the .54. As he stepped into the opening and his chest filled it, I fired. I made a huge rookie mistake. Just before touching off I lifted my head off the comb to double check his position and threw the shot over his back. DANG!! How could I? Well, if you have ever been up close and personal with elk, you may know the answer.

The next thing that happened was too good to be true. The elk looked around wondering what the heck was going on. Then he turned around and started back tracking very very slowly up the trail the way he come from. I commenced a silent reloading of the rifle. I got it reloaded just as he got right next to me at 20 yards. As I raised the rifle he looked my way and saw me. He still hesitated a moment and gave me enough time to form a perfect sight picture. I pulled the trigger...and I kept pulling the trigger... harder and harder. I had not set the trigger for the shot and the unset pull weight on this rifle is 20 or 25 pounds at least. The elk had had enough of my stupidity and took off directly away from me and was out of sight within seconds.

So, that's one true story about what can happen. Of course, it would never happen to anyone else I'm sure. Not enough room in this world for two of us!

 

[coloradoclyde]

Your not alone.....fiascos and muzzleloaders go "hand in hand". Now you know why I prefer the single trigger :grin:

 

[robinsroost]

It is real hard to concentrate in a situation like that. I once watched a guy shuck all of the unfired rounds out of his lever action rifle and swear that he had fired every one. Go figure.......Robin :wink:

 

[Spikebuck]

Now you know why I prefer the single trigger

Or at least a front trigger that is 4 lbs or less without use of the set trigger!

Clyde...look at it this way...one heck of a built-in "safety" on that frontstuffer! :wink: Oh....I'm sure that for those that have hunted with guns we don't discuss here, the "safety" being on at such a moment would bring back some bad memories! But that's ff

 

[Vaino]

All the LRs I've built, except one, have simple single triggers and all the "Hawken" style rifles have DSTs....but, w/ the exception of one, the DSTs have the setting trigger "blocked" so it's inoperable. The front trigger is then fine tuned for a crisp 3-4 lb pull. Have been doing this for years, but an "incident" that happened a few years ago, reinforced my decision.

On the 2nd day of the Colorado MLer elk season, a buddy was climbing a steep wooded slope, saw a 6X6 bull standing in a slight opening, set the rear trigger and as he was bringing the sights to the elk's ribs, he inadvertently touched the front trigger for a complete miss. He reloaded while the bull was just standing there and a repeat performance happened again. While loading again, the bull walked away.

This "flubbed" chance at a nice bull was caused by 2 things....he was breathing very hard because of climbing the steep slope and that along w/ nervousness, resulted in a very disappointing experience for him.

Was he ever told before the hunt not to use the setting trigger? No....we don't talk about the choice of guns or equipment....which can lead to arguements. In fact, one buddy was using an unmentionable rifle...we're there to hunt, not to critique guns.

After the hunt, he asked if I would "fix" the DSTs which I did. This "fix" can be removed and the original spring installed, if a later owner wants to use the DSTs.

Why install DSTs at all? Because Hawken style rifles look better w/ DSTs...most originals have them....Fred

 

[BrownBear]

Or at least a front trigger that is 4 lbs or less without use of the set trigger!

In a word, RE Davis Deerslayer Trigger. Drop-in for the GPR, even if the blurb says "TC".

That trigger also solved another of my double trigger foibles. With both the front and rear triggers the same shape, it's easy to pull the set trigger (and pull and pull and pull for all you're worth) when you think you're pulling that 25# front trigger. The set trigger is waaaay back near the guard, while the front trigger is straight.

 

[longcruise]

Had I been carrying my TC Hawken that day, the error would have been unimportant since its front trigger functions well when not set. Doesn't mean id of killed the elk, just that the gun would have fired :haha:

I'm in the process of building another GPR kit and plan to build it with an alternate drop in single trigger or a permanent single trigger. Building a drop in will require mounting it to a post on the trigger plate while a permanent can be pinned through the stock. One goal with the single trigger is to set it back so it will be positioned where the set trigger is with the factory trigger. For me, that is a much better hand position than reaching forward to the front trigger position.

 

[Christophero]

This reminds me of the very cold day about 25 years ago when 5 does came into the opening I was watching. With hammer cocked and renegade resting on my knee I went to set the trigger with fingers that could barely feel for the cold. Next thing I know the gun discharges! I was pulling on the actual trigger instead of the set trigger. No deer that day.

Another time I nearly missed a dandy buck taking a fast shot without setting the trigger. I pulled the sites off target trying to fire. From then on out I practiced with and without using the set trigger.

 

[laufer]

i hunt with gpr sometimes, i hunt alone- i return slowly cocked hammer back on the cap/ nipple, than i pull the set trigger, and when i need to shoot, i just pull the hammer back and my main trigger is already set. never failed. buddy used same trick with his hawken, works for him too.

 

[BigBoreBLR]

When you got a picture of your muzzleloader laying ontop of a nice big game trophy, it is real hard to see one trigger or two.

I got a single trigger percussion muzzleloader with a good bit less than 2lbs of trigger pull. Too light for my liking.

I do prefer single triggers. I have flubbed a whitetail hunt once with using the wrong trigger.

I own a GPR as well. I'm sure someone makes a good single trigger for the gun.

You could buy a bulky sized single trigger and file it down to work good with the gpr with little to no trouble at all.