Magnum Body Grips

[17HMR]

I have never owned one or even had a hands on, but am ready to try some for next year 330 size. Starting to get weak springs on most of my currant ones and need to up grade.

Which ones of the many out there will work with the 5/16 size H stands?

[thebeav2]

Magnum dose not always mean a stronger spring on the trap. Most times It Indicates the jaw type. Being a MAGNUM type trap has no space between the jaws when closed.

It's my opinion that If your trapping cigarette papers then maybe you need a trap that closes completely with no space between the jaws.
Lets say a beavers body Is 5 or 6 Inches thick from back to breast. Now you catch that beaver In a 330 body grip, Is It going to make a difference If that body grip has some clearance between the jaws or zero clearance between the jaws?
Most of my body grips have a few years on them most of them I can set by hand. I caught over 200 beaver In the last few months and I only had one live beaver. And that was do to poor trigger adjustment.
Jaw style and more power don't always make for a better trap or a better kill ratio. If your getting lots of live critters In your body grips look at your trigger adjustment In most cases this will be the culprit.

[17HMR]

Nope they are all dead, but getting a little too much fur damage from the old weak 330s letting them wiggle in the trap too much before they go down.

[trappincoyotes39]

17 HMR the magnum traps are very nice for sure!!!! Depends on what one wants to spend. I like the MB 12x16 if you have larger runs they are nice but a stouter trigger would be better, we have had Rich K make us up some modified Belilses using his thicker rods and his triggers they are a things of beauty and beleive me they are far stronger springs than any standard 330! The thing with zero gap traps is you hold onto the weird catches like feet and tails with this type of traps as well, when doing beaver work that sure is a plus!!!!

The ones he makes us I think are 12" wide or so? The heavy striker bars, the stouter springs and good trigger mean those beaver don;t last long at all! Stone dead in a hurray.

Also don't know too many factory 330's with standard gaps that would hold beaver caught like this: These are the RK traps we have Rich make

[trappincoyotes39]

One could get materials from Rich and buy the traps cut them apart and weld your own for some cost savings. I like the triggers though!!!!

[17HMR]

I might do that, will they fit in the 5/16 H type stands?

[trappincoyotes39]

There a tight fit but they will work.

[thebeav2]

I don't think the price of the magnums Is worth the FEW odd ball catches they will hold.

I must be doing something different since In the 50 some years I have been beaver trapping I have NEVER caught a beaver by the tail or by a front foot. And I get very few If any sprung traps with out a catch.
I would say 90 % of my beaver are caught right behind the ears and the traps aren't even off the stands. I feel It's more important to fine tune your triggers on your body grips then It Is on your foot holds. Most problems with body grips can be attributed to poor trigger adjustment.

I gave up on the H stands 20 years ago. Two 1x1 stakes placed In a V shape and the springs shoved down on the stakes will give you rock solid stability and still give you depth adjustment In just about all water conditions.

[trappincoyotes39]

Beav what do you think happens with the ones you don't catch? Those that use other traps have them waiting upon return

You never have a beaver by the tail or front foot because the traps you use won't hold them!


I know what you mean, but in beaver control working beavers others have given up on I like the advantage of the zero gap, super strong traps. Could I justify a pile of them for trapping 20.00 fur beaver? Probably not, but I would have some even in my fur arsenal just not as many as I would like.

They are a superior beaver trap though that they have shown me.

The H stands are fast and work well I like the longer ones for many uses and don't have any short ones.

[RdFx]

I have never caught a bvr by tail or front foot till i made some magnums out of my reg body grips. Every year i either catch a bvr by tail or front foot since i made modifications. Dont you wonder sometimes when you find your 330 set off and nothing in them??? I always thought muskrat, which i know do set them off and dont get caught but sometimes you find them laying close to yr set off 330.

[17HMR]

Thanks TC, I think Ill go that way. I like both short and long H stands, I went with useing stake for awhile but have found a well adjusted H stand saves messing around.

[jim]

A little space between the jaws would be nice if you got your hand in them. Jim

[thebeav2]

I have trapped In SC for around 14 years And there Isn't a place where you can't find my stabilizer stakes.
Once you get use to them It's a walk In the park.

Hey Rdfox If I caught any more beavr I would never get out of the fur shed.LOL
Just got In, Pat and I put up 50 coon and I just scraped 7 beaver and I then put up 7 otter.

I get some sprung traps but It's very few so It's not something I worry about. If I need to kill the last beaver In the creek then out come the 750s or the snares.

[trappincoyotes39]

Not all beaver become kill trap shy depends on how many beaver and the age and past experiances they have been, besides with those high end beaver traps you won't pinch them you will hold them beav!!!! LOL. Those tails and front feet will be there when you return even after 50 years of never catching one in such fashion!!! Just giving you a hard time, Heck when I need the last beaver out comes the dreaded Hancock now that is a walk in the park!!!! Specially when the last one is a little whipper snapper like this, snaring these buggars a little tricker, the old reliable hancock shows no size favorites LOL.

[Randy G]

If you're using Dukes it's only $20 extra per dozen for magnums. I guarantee you will recover that over the life of the traps.

[Stef]

17hmr, I own mostly Belisle super X and they won't fit the 5/16th H stands.
But they work well with ¼" rod.
330SX can fit on 5/16th rods but makes too much pressure to fire on the trigger.

I don't know if the Belisle classic can fit or not, I never tried with them.

I think that all the other known brand fit on 5/16th H stands

[17HMR]

Good info Stef, Thanks!

[Bigfoot]

with the present price on rats it won,t take many extras catches to make up the exta for belilses . when Otter prices where high that was what I bought made a huge difference on my catch of these extas when setting den entrances ,or channel sets you will be amazed at what you pick up muskrats ,mink ,otter suckers ,catfish , bass (the last three arenot profitable but sure are a welcome catch when you have been eating beaver in camp for aweek )

[robertw]

If your doing control work and need the beaver dead regardless of the fur damage the Belisle are good traps....if your wanting to harvest fur the Belisles are the worst that I have ever used! There is always a handfull of fur on the jaws when you remove a beaver from these traps on the jaws.

[calvin]

I agree with beav on the magnum basics. People will always post how they catch beaver by the tail. If I can't catch him properly with a #330 then he can go free....or I/ll set a foothold. One more thing on Magnums is that when (not if) you catch yourself it may mean the difference between cussing and pulling your fingers out and going about your trapping day OR going to the ER room for a cast. Ever try to finish out the cold water season in a hand cast? Hard to get a glove on a cast.

Always pros and con's. The cons far outweigh the value of a magnum trap for me...price aside.

I use and like the H stands but I have mud conditions that are perfect for them. The last time I tried to set a belisle on a H stand it was a pain.