Win 88 trigger gets a bad rap IMO

ninepointer

ninepointer

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For years I've been hearing about Winchester Model 88 lever actions and their terrible triggers. Well I finally got to try one and I think that the 88 does not deserve its bad rap. Yes the trigger pull was on the heavy side, but I found it no different than some other factory rifles. The thing that pleasantly surprised me about the 88's trigger was that it had very little creep. I like that :cool:.
 
Personally,I have only fired a couple of 88s,and I wasn't at all impressed.The triggers were way to heavy,and they did have some creep.Then again.I have yet to find a trigger that I liked on any lever action or pump action rifle.
 
Getting used to a trigger, isn't quite the right idea. You won't do your best shooting with a creepy and or hard trigger pull, no matter how used to it you get.
The best triggers have no perceptable movement, either before or after firing and a reasonable weight of pull. This pretty well means a type trigger that breaks in itself and releases the sear, like custom triggers and those installed in such rifles as some old Sakos.
 
The trigger on my 88 is heavy and has a bunch of creep. I can manage to print some decent groups with it because the break is predictable, but it's far from a sweet trigger.
 
H4831 said:
Getting used to a trigger, isn't quite the right idea. You won't do your best shooting with a creepy and or hard trigger pull, no matter how used to it you get.
The best triggers have no perceptable movement, either before or after firing and a reasonable weight of pull. This pretty well means a type trigger that breaks in itself and releases the sear, like custom triggers and those installed in such rifles as some old Sakos.
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I have shot some real good groups with a creepy trigger..I just was use to it..I would rather a have a trigger with creep that was light..rather than a trigger that is 8lbs with no creep. IMHO
I got an 88..hate it..will never sell it though.
 
H4831 said:
Getting used to a trigger, isn't quite the right idea. You won't do your best shooting with a creepy and or hard trigger pull, no matter how used to it you get.
The best triggers have no perceptable movement, either before or after firing and a reasonable weight of pull. This pretty well means a type trigger that breaks in itself and releases the sear, like custom triggers and those installed in such rifles as some old Sakos.
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either u can shoot or u cant ..triggers are just tools ..its sh!t or get of the pot.
 
It's a lever action for crying out loud, if it goes bang , she's all good.

Hope we aren't trying to make an 88 a long range F class or something.:p

have an 88 and a BLR, they both do the same, lead comes out end, animal goes to freezer.(but i do have my other toys for playin at distance too;) )
 
either u can shoot or u cant ..triggers are just tools ..its sh!t or get of the pot.
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If that is really the case,target shooters are just wasting their money with high end barrels,triggers and bullets.The better shooter will win regardless of what equipment he uses.So why do target shooters waste so much money on high end "tools"?
 
stubblejumper said:
If that is really the case,target shooters are just wasting their money with high end barrels,triggers and bullets.The better shooter will win regardless of what equipment he uses.So why do target shooters waste so much money on high end "tools"?
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we are not talking about targt shooters we are talking about hunting rifles IE win 88 .
 
stubblejumper said:
If that is really the case,target shooters are just wasting their money with high end barrels,triggers and bullets.The better shooter will win regardless of what equipment he uses.So why do target shooters waste so much money on high end "tools"?
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Do you have to be a "target shooter" to be good? tools can only help some people so much
 
Do you have to be a "target shooter" to be good?
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A target shooter has more to gain with slight increases in accuracy than a hunter or plinker,so a good trigger is usually more important to a target shooter.Decreasing your group size by .100" doesn't mean a great deal to a hunter,but it can mean the difference between winning and losing to a target shooter.For that reason,I chose a target shooter as an example.
 
Kelly Timoffee said:
So, just curious, why is the 88 so sought after???
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The 88 is essentially a lever gun that locks up like a bolt gun. It is quite strong, handles pointed bullets with ease, and is decently accurate for hunting at modest ranges. It was available in a number of rimless cartridges, such as the 308, 358, and 284.
It uses a removable box magazine and uses a one piece stock, instead of the traditional two piece.

These features endeared it to hunters in general, and Eastern hunters in particular.

It is bigger, and heavier than the BLR, the rifle that probably is preventing the return of the 88, although Winchester says production costs for the 88 are too high.

Any rifle with a trigger that moves with the lever is difficult to adjust safely to a nice break. I left mine alone, and am happy with it. The trigger mechanism does respond well to a really good cleaning.

I think the two nay sayers above will admit they are primarily bolt gun guys. Lever guns have their own niche. They were never intended as bench rest guns.
 
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