Stupid scope-mounting question

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MUP said:
Myself, I don't use loctite, just torque the screws to spec, after using a similar technique as @fairchaser to align and mount the scope atop the action. Just check them each season and you should be fine. It's what we all should do anyway as we get ready to shoot or hunt. 👍🏻
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Uh oh... I have never checked scope ring screws once I have the scope on the gun! Silly me.
 
BSK said:
Uh oh... I have never checked scope ring screws once I have the scope on the gun! Silly me.
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I've seen scopes slip in the middle of these .22 Rimfire matches even. All of a sudden shots are all over the paper, and you can hear the shooter over everyone else when it happens too 😄 I also use the pencil scribe mark on each side of the rings to help keep an eye on potential slippage. 👍🏻

Chances are that they will not slip, but there's still a chance in there.
 
MUP said:
Myself, I don't use loctite, just torque the screws to spec, after using a similar technique as @fairchaser to align and mount the scope atop the action. Just check them each season and you should be fine. It's what we all should do anyway as we get ready to shoot or hunt. 👍🏻
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I do quick cursory check to make sure everything's tight every time I take out a gun to hunt or shoot. I had a base screw to loosen this past year, and it had been blue-loc-tighted about 10 yrs ago.

My question is "why not" use blue loctite just for additional insurance against a screw loosening? What's the harm?

BSK said:
Uh oh... I have never checked scope ring screws once I have the scope on the gun! Silly me.
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Well now, they do say you can take the boy out of California, but you can never get the California out of the boy! 🤣
 
If I were to use loctite, I would use @Jcalder s advice, degrease and then place a drop on the threads. I just check mine ever so often so, in my mind, there's no need to use it. As @TheLBLman said, even with loctite on them, they can loosen, so I just try to check them before shooting.
 
Degrease and loctite blue if you like. NEVER red on a firearm, unless you never want to undo it with lots of heat and most likely damage while trying to remove.
 
If you have a set of feeler gauges that is a trick to mount a scope level, assuming there is a flat rail or receiver under the scope. Find the thickness of gauges that fit really snug between the flat bottom of scope center and rail.

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Never use red loctite on any firearm.
I've mounted hundreds of scopes, from .22rf to .450 Ackley with zero issues.
My process is blue loctite on properly torqued base screws and no loctite on ring screws torqued to specs.
Most, if not all, ring manufacturers don't recommend loctite on their ring screws.
 
marty d said:
I agree 110%. Yes, blue locTite works and def stay away from the red but if you really want it correct (I say that because a slightly over tightened mount or ring may cause a shift that makes it almost impossible to find and get the accuracy you should. Basically, you will be chasing holes) get you a proper torque wrench and a scope level and put it on with the manufacturers specs. If you do you won't need locTite but no matter what don't use red…. Torqued properly you will get the best groups capable from you firearm. That goes from a well built rifle for distance to an rimfire set up to plink cans with.
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When I read your post, I had never heard of a scope level. Had to look them up. Wide variety of very cool leveling systems. I'll purchase one as well as a screw-driver-style torque wrench.
 
TheLBLman said:
Well now, they do say you can take the boy out of California, but you can never get the California out of the boy! 🤣
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Actually, nothing to do with my childhood home, but everything to do with the fact I'm so mechanically retarded that I have to read instructions and watch a YouTube video to change a lightbulb. 😭
 
BSK said:
I have had a scope come loose on an MZ before. Cost me a deer.
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I had screws pull the threads out of the apparently pot metal rings on a muzzleloader. Cost me a clean miss (thankfully) on a doe. Loctite wouldn't have prevented it. I could have over torqued the screw I guess but it held for a decade or more until it didn't.

You shouldn't have that issue with Leupold.
 
BSK said:
Just ordered a scope level and screwdriver torque wrench.
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Be sure to level your action first. I use this snd then I have a plumb Bob line at 125yds I check against.


A local store was setting guns in a vice, not leveling the action and then mounting scopes with a level. To say they were crooked as a politician is an understatement.


I torque ring caps to 18 in/lbs, base and rail screws to 35 in/lbs. I've never had one slip.


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TheLBLman said:
Good points.
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I just happened to be standing there when a guy brought a rifle snd scope in. I watched the guy working plop the rifle in a vice, mount the rings on a pic rail, set the scope, throw a level on the scope and bore sight it. He finished and it just so happened the rifle owner wasn't there and I said, "surely you don't think that's correct, because the action isn't level."

I got a lesson on how levels work and as long as the scope is level that's all that matters.


I leveled the action and had him look through the scope. It basically looked like an X, lol.
 
Rails, scope mounts and rings are machined parts. The machining process uses cutting oil. The FIRST thing that I do is degrease them. I use one of the plastic blister packs, that the parts came in, as a little tub to dump the screws into and add enough 91% Isopropyl Alcohol to cover them. I take a q-tip, dip it in the tub and screw it into any/all threaded holes. Then, one at a time I take the screws out of their alcohol bath, put them on the correct driver and turn them as I hold them tightly in an old Tee shirt that's on my bench for such chores. I use blue gel type thread locker in the threaded holes and on the screw threads. I prefer the gel over the liquid as it stays where I put it. Then I use one of 3 inch pound torque devices to carefully tighten the screws to close to their specified torque. Any liquid/get on threads is a setup for over torquing so I stop a little short. I'm very anal about having the same gap on each side of a single scope ring AND I am always watching for the scope to be rotated, in the ring, as I tighten a ring. I may have to go from one side to the other a half dozen times but my gaps will be equal and my reticle will be level. That is THE reason that I've gotten away from traditional 50/50 horizontal split rings.

In the last 3 years or so, I have discovered that, for rimfire hunting rifle 1" scopes, I really like Warne Vapor vertical rings and Warne Maxima 722M 70/30 horizontal rings.

For a classic walnut and blued steel rifle of any caliber I have gone to S&K Mounts and one piece rings. Yes, the rings are one piece. The aesthetics, quality and strength can't be beat in that combination to compliment a fine rifle from days gone by or a new one of high end craftsmanship.

For a centerfire rifle with a high powered scope in 30mm or larger, I have come to love American Rifle Company (ARC) rings. I don't know of any other scope rings of this design. They ain't cheap but they are definitely worth my money.

Now, what were we discussing? 🤔 🥴 😁
 
BSK said:
Leupold rings. Picatinny steel rail.
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What Leupold rings? Some are good and some are trash.


I agree with the Warne Vapor mentioned above except I prefer horizontal. I despise vertical split rings.


Most of mine have Warne Maxima steel rings.
 

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