Ruger M77 Hawkeye TARGET spring

When the Hawkeye Lives at the Bench

The Ruger M77 Hawkeye has the barrel and the action to be a serious precision platform. The LC6 trigger has the geometry for a clean, consistent break. What the factory spring does is put a 4.5 to 6 lb wall between the shooter and what the rifle is actually capable of. For a Hawkeye that lives primarily at the bench – load development, precision work, deliberate shots at distance from supported positions – that wall is the one thing in the way.

The TARGET spring removes it. Pull weight comes down into the 1-2.5 lb range. Combined with a light polish of the sear surfaces – not machining, just cleaning up the factory finish – buyers have reached just over 1 lb on their Hawkeyes. That is match-grade trigger performance on a factory LC6 without touching the geometry or replacing the trigger unit.

One buyer summed it up directly: “Worked great, along with polishing got the trigger pull just a little over 1 lb. Without polishing it was at 2.5 lb.” Another buyer has purchased this spring three times for different Hawkeyes. That kind of repeat purchase tells you more than any spec sheet.

The LC6 Trigger – Why It Responds So Well

Ruger’s LC6 trigger on the Hawkeye is a design that has been developed and refined over decades. The mechanism is proven across hundreds of thousands of rifles in demanding field conditions. The sear engagement is consistent. The geometry is sound. This is not a trigger that needs to be replaced – it needs to be unleashed.

The factory spring tension is set high for the same reason every production rifle manufacturer does it: liability margin, broadest possible user base, worst-case handling scenarios. For an experienced shooter doing disciplined bench work, that margin is not protection – it is just resistance. The TARGET spring removes the resistance while leaving every structural element of the LC6 exactly as Ruger built it.

If you want to go further after the spring swap, a light polish of the sear contact surfaces is a legitimate next step that experienced owners do themselves. It does not change geometry – it removes the rough factory finish from contact points, which reduces grit and stacking. Combined with the TARGET spring, this is where sub-1.5 lb pulls come from on a Hawkeye. The spring alone gets you to 1-2.5 lb. The spring plus a careful polish gets you to 1 lb territory.

TARGET Spring Is Not for Every Situation

This needs to be said plainly. A 1-2.5 lb trigger is not the right setup for a rifle that goes hunting in rough conditions, gets handled in cold weather with gloves, or sees fast shots under pressure. That is what the HUNTER spring is for. The TARGET spring is for a rifle that is used deliberately, from stable positions, by a disciplined shooter who understands what a light pull demands.

If your Hawkeye is your bench rifle and your hunting rifle, consider two options: run the HUNTER spring and accept a somewhat heavier pull at the bench, or have a second rifle or second trigger spring for the two different use cases. The spring swap is reversible. Some owners keep both springs and change them based on season and use.

Earlier M77 Variants

The TARGET spring is designed for the Ruger M77 Hawkeye LC6 trigger. Earlier M77 rifles share design heritage with the Hawkeye trigger, and buyers have successfully installed both springs in pre-Hawkeye M77 models. If you own an earlier variant, verify compatibility visually, install carefully, and run the complete safety test sequence. Pull weight results may differ slightly from the Hawkeye.

HUNTER vs. TARGET – Which One

	HUNTER	TARGET
Pull weight	~2.5-3 lb	~1-2.5 lb
Best for	Hunting, field carry, all conditions	Bench, load development, precision shooting
With sear polish	Cleaner break, same weight range	Can reach ~1 lb and below
Demands	Good fundamentals	Consistent discipline, no shortcuts
Field carry	Appropriate	Not recommended

Quick Specs

Spec	Detail
Primary Platform	Ruger M77 Hawkeye (LC6 trigger)
Also Compatible	Earlier Ruger M77 variants – verify visually before ordering
Spring Designation	TARGET
Typical Final Pull Weight	1-2.5 lb (spring only)
With Light Sear Polish	~1 lb and below reported by buyers
Factory Pull Weight	Typically 4.5-6 lb
What Changes	Trigger spring only – LC6 geometry unchanged
Permanent Modification	None – fully reversible
Required After Install	Full safety test sequence: function, safety, bump, drop
Best Use Case	Bench work, load development, precision shooting from stable positions
Not Recommended For	Field carry, hunting, rough conditions, new shooters

Installation guide covering both HUNTER and TARGET springs is available on this site. If you are not comfortable working inside a trigger assembly, have the spring installed by a qualified gunsmith.