There are these things called setters and rope, though if you join the more exclusive double handed 330 club, your in trouble unless you have a partner with you.

Do yourself a favor and buy an RTS setter and a safety device for holding the jaws from closing until you have the trap secured in place. Here's a pic of a simple safety device. All supply places sell them.

Good luck.

..and don't think the triggers are good from the factory

they MUST be tuned to fire with short trigger wire stroke

How do you tune the trigger john? I don't think I've ever tuned mine & they seem to work fine.

This is why I like the magnum jaws of a Belisle. Caught and held this XL otter by three toes in this 330. He reached for the fishing lure I had on the trigger and would have been an empty, sprung trap if the jaws weren't magnum.

Since you are just starting out, I would recommend something like Dukes. Not magnums. I have used Belisles, but I do not recommend them to folks new to 330 trapping, as it is a bear to get yourself out of when you join the 330 club.

That's odd, I think they are the easiest compared to duke and bridgers to compress.

I find the Belisle to be pretty easy to set and place in the field. My 330 and 120 sized traps are all Belisle now because I went down the standardization path. Every time I pick up, set, or otherwise handle it is always the same. Same triggers and same safety’s.
My indoctrination into the 330 club was beaver trapping using Belisle 330’s. Take your lumps and move on.

That's impressive Wild_Idaho.

In the interim waiting for John to chime in. There's a tutorial in here somewhere showing how to round file the trigger so it makes complete contact with the jaw. There's another modification along that line in the same tutorial. Well worth doing. I wish I knew where to find it.

330 Belisle

I have both standard and magnum dukes. Only difference is the magnums have retard strong springs. I order the standards the nags can be a struggle even with setters.

I use both duke and bridgers , they both are regular ,I get beaver and otter and rats with them. Just set the trigger right you will be ok. By the way I did got a brook trout in one last season. That is the first for me to get a trout. If that help how close the traps is .

Agreed, dukes work good and for the price you cant beat em. Dont see the point in spending more $$ for a different trap that wil do the same job. just make sure you tune them up so the fire good!

I prefer not to catch critters by the feet because In most cases things don't go well for the critter since there Is no swiveling action And when they get tangled up It gets worse and things go south In hurry.

go down until you see my photo
https://trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/6677574/re-conibear-trigger-problem#Post6677574

I guess if I were to be starting out buying traps why not buy the best traps for the money. Belisle . I too have caught otter and beaver by the tails and toes in Belisles. I am not setting to catch them that way but stuff happens. Would you rather be skinning a critter or looking at a empty snapped Duke ? Been there . Learned my lesson.

so your telling me you have NEVER had a sprung empty Belisle.

I'm with the Beav.I would sooner have a miss than an inhumane catch.But things happen.