[ccw9mm]

On my Remington 700 .243 bolt-action rifle, I recently had my gunsmith install a Jewell HVR trigger to replace the factory Remington X-Mark Pro trigger assembly.

For anyone interested in making the change, I'd say: Do it!

Remington did a good job with the X-Mark Pro trigger, I think. Basically, though, it is just too stiff for my tastes. At least, on a gun intended to live its life on the range poking holes in targets, the X-Mark Pro was adding far too much tension to my shooting and, of course, inducing much error in the aim.

Enter the Jewell HVR.

Here is a picture of the trigger assembly of the Jewell HVR 700. This write-up is by Joe D'Alessandro on RealGuns.com and is an excellent summary of the HVR trigger on a Remington 700 rifle.

<Photograph removed per request from author of the article.>

FEATURES & BENEFITS:

• Gun -- Remington 700 SPS Varmint LH (lefty), with lightweight vented synthetic stock.
• Gunsmith installed -- Yes. I don't crack open engine blocks, in my car. I don't fool with trigger assemblies when we're talking about sub-2lbs.
• Trigger model -- Jewell HVR for the Remington 700, LH (lefty), safety included, stainless.
• Availability -- Note that Brownell's and other sources might well not yet have the lefty variants of the HVR trigger. But, Jewell does make it. Call them directly and get it from them, if you're having troubles finding one.
• Safety -- Jewell had made a RH-only variant until recently. Now, they make a LH version. Mine came with a safety lever that sticks up on the left-hand side of the bolt. Easy to flip to "safe" or "fire."
• Bolt Release lever -- [/b]Still where it should be. Works just fine.
• Adjustments for Travel, Pull, Sear -- I have not yet fiddled with any of the adjustments. I'll let it break in for a couple hundred rounds, first, while I get used to everything.
• Pull Weight -- The trigger comes with three springs ("A", "B" and "C"). The "A" spring allows a range of 8.0 to ~48.0 ounces. I had my gunsmith set the pull weight right at 2.0 lbs, to start. Once I get used to it, I might adjust things a little, to taste. For now, it's a good place to start. The pull feels to be about one-fifth that of the original X-Mark Pro's setting. A huge difference.
• Feel of the Pull -- The Remington 700 is an entirely new rifle, with this trigger. It's very similar to the Savage Accu-Trigger, but without the two-stage take-up of the Accu-Trigger's assembly. If you're familiar with Jewell triggers, it's hallmark Jewell. Smooth and clean. Not gritty at all. Zero creep. Exceptional feel, for having come right out of the box.
• Break of the Sear -- The trigger "break" is exceedingly crisp and sharp. You apply a bit of force to the trigger, then just enough to break the sear, then it fires. There is simply no extraneous movement or delay, gritty feel or anything else, other than the break.
• Lefty Trigger -- Being a lefty, I installed a lefty trigger, of course. Until recently, though, Jewell had not made the HVR with the LH safety gear. There aren't many choices, out there, for excellent after-market triggers that include the safety. Important, IMO, when going under 2 lbs.
• Accuracy -- No photos today, at the range. I'll get some soon, once I get a few score more shots under my belt. On the 100yd range with six 4-shot groups, several bullets went through the same hole. Average size of groups, center-to-center, was roughly ~0.6" or so, with a couple of fliers across the batch. As I get used to the new setup (Rem700, Jewell HVR 700 LH @ 32oz, Vortex CrossFire 8-32x50mm scope), I'm sure the "same hole" phenomenon will become more frequent. The gun is nearly that good, even if I am not.
• Improvements -- The "nut" behind the steering wheel needs adjustment. That's about all that's needed.

Target pics will come next time ... once I stop drooling over the new rig. (Drool ain't cool, you know?)

Highly recommended. On a Remington 700 with the X-Mark Pro trigger, at least, the Jewell HVR will transform the rifle into a targets-splitting range monster. Kudos to Jewell for this exceptional trigger. :hand10:

I've shot up to 100gr Sierras. I'm not sure it'll handle 107gr bullets, yet, given the twist, but we'll see. If so, then this might well reach out to 1000yds at Douglas Ridge, next spring. Mmmmmmm, good.

 

[ccw9mm]

The Jewell HVR trigger just keeps getting better and better. While it might be my imagination, every time I hit the range the break seems to be cleaner by a slight margin. My finger can wander over the surface of the trigger at about ~1.0 lb, but it won't ever break early. Yet when I think "fire," it does so smoothly and crisply at that exact moment. That's about the best I can describe it. The Jewell trigger is wonderful! Thank you for those who recommended it.

This morning, I spent about 90mins at the range testing out a new cartridge (for me, in the Rem 700): Fusion .243 Win 95gr Soft Point Boat Tail (SPBT).

It's every bit as accurate in this gun as the Hornady 100gr Interlock BTSP, which has been one of the rounds to beat so far.

Best 4-round grouping was 0.813" center-to-center. Over the past couple of months, I have been able to do 3-round groups through the same ragged hole several times. This rifle far more accurate than I am capable of being. With the Jewell HVR trigger, it's much better.

Kudos to the manufacturer of the scope, as well. It's a Vortex CrossFire 8-32x50mm. While not as clear as a Nikon Monarch in similar power, and though it doesn't quite seem to get out to 32x, it's a heck of a value at $219. It is reliable, repeatable, with fairly sharp optics. It has handled adjusting through 100yd, 200yd, 300yd, 600yd and back again, accurately following the 1/8" click adjustments.

If you haven't considered Vortex for your glass, it might be worth doing. Before this summer I had never heard of them.

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