I keep seeing folks over-torque scope base screws on hunting rifles

A guy brought in a Remington 700 last week with a cracked front ring because he cranked the screws to 40 inch-pounds instead of the 15 the manual says. Had to explain that aluminum rings just can't handle that kind of force. How do you all make sure customers understand proper torque specs without making them feel talked down to?

3 comments

3 Comments

cole_miller2mo agoMost Upvoted

Manuals are just suggestions from lawyers... not real world rules. If you don't torque it down hard, the scope will come loose after a few shots from recoil. That aluminum is tougher than people give it credit for, and a little extra tightness is cheap insurance against a missed shot. Most guys have been cranking on screws for years without any problems. The real issue is using cheap rings, not the torque.

leo6032mo ago

Ever strip a screw from over-tightening?

sean_barnes831mo ago

Leo603 has a point about stripping screws, but cole_miller is right that cheap rings are the real problem. Seen guys use a basic Allen wrench and muscle a screw into soft aluminum until the head is just a round hole. A decent torque wrench stops that, but so does buying rings that aren't made of butter. Good hardware can take a proper snugging down without giving up.