I've never kept my adoration for Model 70s a secret. I think they have the right stuff as a hunting rifle, including the 3-position safety and the triggers. The original trigger can be adjusted very nicely, and I've found the MOA to be a great trigger too----especially if you treat em with an Ernie the Gunsmith spring. I've never seen one of either type that wouldn't serve very well on a big game rig.

But then there's my Model 70 HV in .223 Rem. The rifle has the old style trigger and while it would be just fine on a .270 or what have you, it just doesn't cut it when you're trying to shoot quarter-inch groups. I think the rifle can do it, but I can't do it---not with that trigger. So I ordered a Rifle Basix trigger for it last week and received it today.

Installation was easy and the instructions that come with the trigger are clear enough. I had the trigger installed in about ten minutes. Adjusting it took a little longer. Adjusting requires the use of a couple of 1/4" open end wrenches and some patience, but was not all that difficult.

I don't have a trigger pull scale...never felt like I needed one. I could always tell whether I liked a trigger or not by checking it with the correct bugger hook. I'll go so far as to say I think I've got about a 1- to 1-1/4 pound trigger pull...just guessin. NO creep, no perceptible overtravel. I have two other triggers in my safe that might compete with the Rifle Basix I just installed---one is a Winchester 52 repro with the lawyer pin removed and the other is a custom Model Seven with a Jewell trigger. I would not say either of them is better than the Rifle Basix. I never had a Timney that was anywhere near as nice as either of them.

I guess you could say I like it.

I highly recommend the Rifle Basix as a replacement for the Model 70 old style trigger if you feel you need something better.

Model 70 is great rifle. They don't get discussed much on THF. I have a Featherweight in 7mm-08.

I just put a Rifle Basix on my 7 mag build. Interesting that the trigger for the Model 70 uses an open end wrench for adjusting. The one I put on my Savage action had 4 adjustments - trigger pull, sear engagement, over travel and safety engagement - and all four were allen screws. It did take a bit of time to get all 4 exactly where I wanted them, since changing one would sometimes affect the others, but once I got it set it felt great. When I get the rifle back from the machine shop, I'll give a first hand report of how the trigger feels when actually firing. I do have a couple of rigs with Timneys to compare it to.

The hex nuts are for locking down the adjustment screws. The RB trigger is very similar to the original M70 trigger which also locks adjustments with hex nuts.

Model 70 trigger, for those that haven't seen one.

Here is the Rifle Basix replacement for the original design M70. Note the sear engagement adjustment and the overtravel screw which were added to the original design...