Re: Bridger 330s
[Re: PBS]
#8281539
12/08/24 07:02 PM
12/08/24 07:02 PM
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Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 5,560 Aliceville, Kansas 44
Yukon John
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 5,560
Aliceville, Kansas 44
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I grind the frame at the hinges so the spring eyes will pass easier.
Act like a blank, get treated like a blank. Insert your own blank!
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Re: Bridger 330s
[Re: Yukon John]
#8281943
12/09/24 08:44 AM
12/09/24 08:44 AM
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 5,975 West Central MN
20scout
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 5,975
West Central MN
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I grind the frame at the hinges so the spring eyes will pass easier. Same here along with tuning the triggers. They're not my first choice but they work.
Common sense is a not a vegetable that does well in everyone's garden.
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Re: Bridger 330s
[Re: PBS]
#8282198
12/09/24 01:57 PM
12/09/24 01:57 PM
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 14,460 South Ga - Almost Florida
Swamp Wolf
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 14,460
South Ga - Almost Florida
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Never used a Bridger bodygrip...but if the spring eyes will come around the corners.....y'all can keep them.
I'll spend my $$ on Belisles.
Thank God For Your Blessings! Never Half-Arse Anything!
Resource Protection Service
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Re: Bridger 330s
[Re: Swamp Wolf]
#8282895
12/10/24 09:31 AM
12/10/24 09:31 AM
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Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,830 Idaho
bearcat2
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,830
Idaho
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Never used a Bridger bodygrip...but if the spring eyes will come around the corners.....y'all can keep them.
I'll spend my $$ on Belisles. That's not the problem with them (although it may be an issue with the new ones if they enlarge the spring eyes, but doubtful). The problem is that their spring eyes are small, which of course means that they a)don't go around the corner and b)hold the jaws closed tightly. These are the pluses and I'm assuming the reason they made them this way. The minuses and the reason so many won't use Bridger bodygrips is that they are a royal pain to set, and very difficult to use setters on. Now I haven't used most of the sizes, and from what I understand some sizes are better than others, but many of them the spring eyes won't fit over the jaw hinge, and with many setters you can't squeeze them tight enough to set the safeties because there simply isn't room for the setters. I've just used the small Bridgers, and the 120s have the highest complaints of any size, pretty sure I'm the only guy on here who will admit to buying more after using them (the price is right, and the work reliably and effeciently on animals) they combine small spring eyes, with very strong, very short springs. Making them both difficult to set with setters and very stout and difficult to set by hand. I will say that after they have been set and used a few times the springs 'limber up' and become much easier to set by hand. If they stayed as hard to set as they are new out of the box I would probably quit using them. The 150/155 size has slightly longer springs, making them unbelievably easier to set by hand, while not losing any noticeable power, but the same issues if you were to try to use setters on them. Setting with a rope will work fine, except for the issue of the spring eyes hanging up on the jaw hinge .
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Re: Bridger 330s
[Re: PBS]
#8282912
12/10/24 10:12 AM
12/10/24 10:12 AM
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Joined: Nov 2024
Posts: 492 Alaska
AK Timber Tramp
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Nov 2024
Posts: 492
Alaska
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I've had the spring eyes hang up on the jaw hinge and the trap not fire completely. It cost me a marten that was worth what a dozen Bridger 120's was at the time, so I gave that dozen to a kid down the road that wanted to start trapping, and I never bought another Bridger body grip of any size. Edit: I am willing to give them another shot if I like the design changes
Last edited by AK Timber Tramp; 12/10/24 10:14 AM.
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Re: Bridger 330s
[Re: PBS]
#8283163
12/10/24 04:52 PM
12/10/24 04:52 PM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 2,249 Rochester, MN
Teacher
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 2,249
Rochester, MN
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For the last couple of years, I’ve bought $80-100 worth of Mn trappers assoc raffle tickets and was awarded a Bridger 330 for each 40 sold/bought. So I have some experience with them. Yup, setting them can be difficult as EVERYONE has stated.
I bought a dozen of the Bridger 5” variety for fisher and marten boxes. Stout as *#€x”* and setting isn’t easy. My biggest gripe is the safeties are too long and as such, if you store them with safeties on, they’re still difficult to set. Due to partner illness, we didn’t get to Tofte (MN) last year. Same this year except my wife is sick. Those Bridgers have had the springs set for almost 2 years and they’re still unbelievably strong.
Never too old to learn
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Re: Bridger 330s
[Re: PBS]
#8283227
12/10/24 06:23 PM
12/10/24 06:23 PM
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Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,830 Idaho
bearcat2
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,830
Idaho
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Yes the safeties are too long, I was complaining about that the other day when setting marten traps. But then realized if the safeties were any shorter I don't thing I could set them by hand because the dang jaw hinge would be in the way. Also, the extra notches in the dog are just for looks, no way to possibly set them on the inner notch (at least on the 120s). I've never had an issue with them once set though, they have always worked flawlessly for me, if they didn't I'd probably do as AK Timber Tramp did.
Oh and Teacher, if you think those 5" are tough to set, try the 120s, springs are shorter but the same strength, giving you less leverage. I'd love to see them put the springs off the 5" traps on the 120s, and bigger eyes would be even better.
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