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Pro tip: You're probably over-torquing scope ring screws
I see this all the time in the shop. Guys bring in rifles with scopes that won't hold zero. They blame the scope or the mount. I check the screws. Nine times out of ten, they're cranked down way too hard. I use a FAT wrench set to 15 inch-pounds, like the manual says. They just reef on it with a regular driver. It strips the threads, warps the tube, or crushes the internals. I had a guy from Tucson last month who sheared a screw clean off in his Seekins rings. That was a $80 fix he didn't need. It's a precision job, not a lug nut. How do you guys explain proper torque specs to customers without sounding like you're talking down to them?
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milalopez3mo ago
My old man taught me to tighten scope screws until they just stop, then give a tiny nudge. Never had a scope slip in 20 years.
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karenf402mo ago
Ha, my version of that tiny nudge usually turns into a full "oops there goes the torque wrench" situation. I stripped a screw on my first deer rifle doing exactly that, you'd think I'd learn. So now I just stick with the manual specs and call it a day, your mileage may vary of course.
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