Reading a lot of post saying folks using MB 550's for coyotes curious why MB 550's (at $21.95 each)that has outside jaw spread of5 1/2 inches and inside of 4 3/4 verses say a Bridger #3 (at 14.75 each DC or 16.75 eac 4C) that has jaw spread of 6 1/2 inches. I was lead to believe the bigger the jaw spread with accompanying larger pan was better. Curious if have been told wrong. Seems the larger jaw spread would be more inclined to insure a full pad/foot catch

I just like the way they bed better than the Bridger's. Best trap there is is the one holding your target animal.

I started with Bridger 3s .Good trap. I went to The 550s they require a lot less maintenance and easy to bed.To me.

I started with 550s and then went to mostly all Bridger #3s. Sold all my 550s.

Yes Sir are yours Laminated?

Ive always ran bridger #3’s and 650’s. I bought a dozen 550’s 3 years ago, lost 2 bobcats the first week they were set. They got sold to a buddy the next week. I know guys catch a ton of cats and coyotes in them. I’m sure it comes down to personal technique and knowledge that I possibly don’t have. But I do catch plenty of animals in #3’s and 650’s without any issues. Im by no means a pro, and I’m not blaming the trap. That is just my personal experience.

Yes and base plated

A lot may be as to what your State allows. GA is 5.75” jaw spread, so I went with MB550’s. I even use the MB450’s and they hold coyotes and cats equally as well.

The 550s have a larger "kill area" than what the specs say. the spread going level to lever is closer to 6" i believe. The jaws are more oval shaped. It is a good trap to get around some states jaw size restrictions that measure from dog to opposite jaw.

My first traps were 6 Bridger #2 and 4 Duke #4.
I caught 5 coyotes and 2 fox last year. Didn't have a lot of effort in as work was non stop. 3 of my catches were in the Duke #4. #2's had many sprung traps with nothing in them. A couple were deer, but at least 2 were pull outs.

I was just deciding on this very comparison and decided on the #3's based on my limited experience. No doubt mb is an excellent trap, I decided upon a larger catch area.

To echo what somebody else mentioned, sometimes different states have regulations about jaw spread - so traps that might be legal in one state might not be allowed in another state. I know that some people lean towards the MB550s for that reason (when limited by a slightly smaller jaw spread), but it's generally considered a better trap than the Bridger just due to the construction. Some will disagree and that's fine, to each their own. Personally - I run both, think both are great coyote traps, and if all I had were a few dozen Bridger #3s, I would feel very confident in catching coyotes with them. It's a great trap. I just personally lean into the MBs a bit more but have a number of the Bridgers as well.

One of the things I do, and this is just personal preference, is that I make a determination on the percentage of chance of trap theft when I make sets, and that somewhat determines if I toss in an MB550 vs a Bridger #3 in that spot. If I'm trapping a farm on private land and there's a super low chance of trap theft, then I use an MB550. If I'm on public land or on the edge of public, or if I'm anywhere that's even remotely visible from a road (more like a forest service road, where I use them) and there's a chance that somebody might see a catch before I get there, then I use a Bridger #3. That's really just so if somebody yanks my trap, which annoys most of us to no end and shouldn't be happening but it does, I'm not losing the more high-dollar trap out of the two.

If somebody told me that I could only use Bridger #3s and MBs weren't an option - honestly, I would feel more than confident that I would run successful sets. It's a great trap. I own a numnbr of both.

Let me add to what Ryan wrote....MTP sells a cheaper #2 and #3 Bridger trap that have some exterior blemishes...welds on the jaw lamination were not perfectly aligned. The traps are much cheaper and work very well.....check them out! Great traps!

Choose the trap you like , but if your having trouble with pull outs , don’t blame the trap. It is likely something your doing wrong. The list is not to long , too much dirt over the pan , not enough pan tension, sticks or rocks in your bedding material. Could be as simple as a critter working in from the side , you want the trap jaws striking the front and back of the foot not the sides for best hookups. This can happen with a properly bedded trap , but if it keeps happening you might rethink your trap placement.

I have used #3 dogless Bridgers for 10 years. I 4 coil and outside laminate them. Excellent trap. If it is sprung, there is a critter on it. I have seriously never have lost an animal caught in one. You can't go wrong by purchasing the Bridgers.

if you want a #3 sized trap an like the cast style jaws like the 550 just get some duke 650pros. I run Bridger mb and dukes they all catch fine

Jaw spread laws as mentioned earlier. Plus some people just don't like bigger traps for various reasons. It doesn't take a #3 to consistently catch coyotes.

I ditched my 550s and just run Bridger 2s and 3s now. Not really even a fan of threes for coyotes they grab way too high for my liking. The two is about right to me.
I don’t even have anything still four coiled either. Took off all the extras and just run two coil and they work great.
The MB 550 I like the thick jaws but not a fan of the wider but narrower opening dimensions when set, jaw height isn’t very tall. It’s a stout well built trap but expensive. I can buy a couple Bridger twos modified and dogless and still come out ahead.
I do still have a bunch of the 550s but they are the last thing I reach for and only when the bridgers are all out and set and I need to make another set somewhere.
Just my two cents.
Jim

I run mostly 550’s but as somebody on here said I think last year a truly serious coyote trap starts at a #3 size trap. The longer I trap the more I believe that.

When Comparing the price of a 550 vs a Bridger 3 you need to take into account the cost of laminating and base plating. If you want to make those modifications. A #3 will cause more foot damage without these modifications. The price on a modified #3 is $19.95. So it is still cheaper. Every trapper will have terr own preferences and you will need at least two bags of popcorn to sit back and read all the responses.

About 10 years ago, I geared up for some serious coyote trapping. Yup, the MB550s were expensive, but I didn’t have to do any modifications to them. I like that the jaw faces were wide and had rounded edges, thus no cutting. If I caught a dog or fox, the feet weren’t cut and that’s important to me. Since I run mostly offset jaws, this has also aided in foot comfort.

The MB550s aren’t particularly good on boar coon. But neither are any #3s. In fact, the base to jaw height of #3s guarantees heavy chewing. If money was the issue, I’d go with Montana #3s. It’s got the jaw spread, with a rounded jaw face for foot comfort.

A guy I know fairly well uses Bridger #3s exclusively. They’re all 4-coiled and I think offset. I’ve noticed cuts across the toes on every coyote he catches. Because we face the occasional stray dog, I want my traps to hold, not cut, into the feet.

No complaints about 550's for cats and yotes from me

40lb coyotes and 30lb bobcats all deep foot catches in 550’s for me. Use bridger 3’s also but mainly when the snow sets in. [u][/u] [i][/i]

I've noticed before where the trap was on the animal's foot differently than it should have been. Like it latched on backwards from the way I had it facing when I made the set. I figured the animal either worked the set from behind, or more than likely worked it from the side with the trap grabbing the side of his foot.

A solid 85% of my trap inventory consist of MB550's and #3 Bridgers, some 4, some 2 coiled and most of my Bridgers are modified. I target cats almost exclusively now since the yotey market crashed, but personally I have no complaints about the performance of either on cats or yotes. If I'd note one single observation, it's only that the MB's are more accommodating to incidental fox in my cat sets. I've never observed any notable damage on either cats or coyotes from either trap. For cat setting with exposed trap sets I like having both available as it seems sometimes one fits a location without excessive modification better than the other.

If an animal workers the set from every possible angler, there is no trap placement that will be perfect. Some sets just cause more foot traffic than others. Pretty much why dirt holes have so much more success than flat sets generally is that the animals are all over the place working them. Some sets you can force placement.

If an animal workers the set from every possible angle, there is no trap placement that will be perfect. Some sets just cause more foot traffic than others. Pretty much why dirt holes have so much more success than flat sets generally is that the animals are all over the place working them. Some sets you can force placement.

That’s a true statement. It’s also a true statement that if you run short chains and have a trap fire on the sides of the foot you can get a pullout . Ed Medvets told me that the original porpoise of shock springs was to prevent pullouts by creating a time lag if you will between the trap firing and coming to the end of the chain. I’m sure I can’t explain it as well as Ed , but the jist is this. If you run less than 24” of chain and a trap fires on the sides of the foot ( according to slow motion photos) a critter can pull out before the trap locks up on the foot. A long chain “24 inches or more “ or a shock spring gives that trap a split second longer to rotate and lock up . I myself agree that dirt holes especially double dirt hole creat a lot of foot movement and therefore more angles that a foot will contact the pan. I compensate with a heavy pan , 4#’s or more on my mb 650’s .

Wait what? So when the trap fires it doesn’t lock up? I’m missing something in the above comment.

I probably run less than 12” of chain normally, probably less than 10” and I don’t have pullouts. My theory is a running start gives them momentum to pull out. I’ve only used drags for less than one year and already had two pullouts. Now both times were after torrential downpours so not sure if trap was maybe slow to fire being soaked in or not. But I don’t have that issue when anchored.

Theres a bit of time lag before the foot conforms to the trap to create that bit of swelling under the jaws so the animal cant pull out,

Bigger traps aren’t always better.

Start working hard ground conditions and you’ll come to appreciate a smaller trap.

Not to mention all the dry bedding material you save not having to bury the big iron.

One was grass in the pinch point of the jaws at a hay set. I filed the trap to where it is gapped for the most part on the sides. Another had a small stick that prevented lockup. Probably had a rabbit pull out of one, which is good that it did, but dictated too light of pan tension. They were used traps and the springs are worn. I have since 4 coiled them.
I'm just saying the larger trap has a higher catch rate imo. Last year I had 4 #4 and the rest #2. total of 27 traps by years end, and the #4's caught half my take. I would love to add some mb550's to my line. Eventually I will.

I do run a short chain. Good point about that. Thanks for all the valuable info everyone shares. It is appreciated.

Wanna Be I don’t run long chains accept on my long springs and then I run about 32” of chain including a shock spring. And I run the shock spring thinking of reducing shoulder strain and slower stop on a single stake. A lot of my #4’s still have the original floppy pans and I mostly get good hookups. I originally ran long chains to get away from double staking. Ed is the one that told me about the lockup and the shock springs original intent. It all had to do with BMP’s and .......... from back in the day .

Are y’all 24hr check or longer?

24 hours for us .

Land sets with footholds are every Calendar day here. That’s technically different than every 24 hours.
Jim

96 hrs here. Though I'm way to eager to wait that long.

I agree the 550 is alot easier to bed then the bridget3

I will add this. There are tools for every occasion. I have a variety of traps, not just one or two models. I do like 3s in more open bean or corn fields picked around here. I like the twos for grassy meadows, pastures, etc. just my preferences .
Was tuning traps yesterday morning, adding berk cable anchors, checking tags, getting ready for boiling and waxing.

Top left is #2 Bridger dogless, top right is #2 dog on fully modified, middle left is MB 550, middle right is Montana #2,
And bottom is a Bridger #3 dogless. I have other traps too like Bridger #3 dog on, and some others.
I don’t run very many four coiled traps. Seem to work just fine without them.
Go with what you have confidence in and the situation calls for. Tuning them properly is key. One isnt necessarily better than another. I like #2 bridgers but don’t always use them everywhere.

I run the Duke 650’s have one dozen 550’s and two of the 450’s I’m trying this year. I never liked the square jaw traps felt they are slower by design than a more rounded jaw trap. I had some Montana #3’s but had a lot of toe catches on cats, looking thru John’s catalog seen several cats toe caught in it. Sold them. Watched a YouTube video of some guy Waddell maybe? He said same thing square jaws slower than round. The 650’s-550’s and 450’s seem more rounded to me not as much as my victors though.

wws

You know that Montana #2 is a really nice coyote trap. Mine I added pit pans and stainless rod dogs. The rounded edge on the round jaws is nice. These really remind me a lot of the old Monty #2 round jaws.
I’ve had really good experiences with this trap. Sort of hard to find some but worth it if you do run across any. They set well and super flat profile when set.
This is one trap I only set in my more private ground areas to minimize theft possibility.
Jim