My trigger has two adjustment screws, but I cannot figure out which screw does what. Is the first screw (towards the muzzle)used to adjust the first stage? Is the rear screw used to adjust the weight? One minute I have 4 1/2lbs of pull and good first stage travel, then with a half a turn on either screw, I have no travel and an 8oz trigger! what the crap?

The screw that is to the rear of the gun is the weight of pull and the front trigger screw is for sear engagement. Now adjusting one of these triggers is not hard but to get the right adjustment takes time. If you turn the weight of pull screw in you will get less first stage travel and a heavier feeling trigger pull. I like to set my trigger where I have a fairly nice first stage travel and then a clean break when the gun fires. So I adjusted the weight of pull screw untill I had a good first stage take up then adjusted the sear engagement screw untill I had no trigger creep on the second stage. If you work on the trigger adjustments always keep the cocking linkage braced, that is if it is a break barrel type gun hold the barrel with one hand as if you get the trigger adjusted where it is unsafe the gun might fire or fail to cock. If you go this far, back the front screw out again untill the gun cocks again, if you work a little at a time with both screws you will get the hang of what they do by test firing the gun each time and see what changes are made by adjusting the screws.