Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Scope mounting to maintain zero....

I too use powdered rosin on ring to scope tube mating surfaces. A third advantage is it tends to prevent ring marks.

I don't recommend using electrical tape in there. It (or any other plastic + adhesive film) actually lubricates the joint under pressure, the opposite of increasing friction. You may not have had issues, but that's because there was still plenty of clamping friction for your use, not because electrical tape was a good idea.

I say that from the perspective of a fastener test engineer for a large company. One of the worst things I see in bolted joints is when someone forgets to remove tape or plastic film before bolting parts together.

If you feel the need to increase friction in the joint, use rosin or even Loctite, but not electrical tape.

In my experience the biggest issue with maintaining zero is the bedding of ones action. If bedded properly in a stable stock, there is no flexing of ones action with disassembly and reassembly for a thorough cleaning. Anything short of perfection in that realm and one will need a very scientific approach when it comes to torqueing action screws. If not so, then it's another session of chasing zero at the range when things are reassembled.

Do agree that proper scope installation is important too. Had a couple days of frustration years back when a windage screw in a Leupold mount came loose. Had me chasing a horizontal spread for about 15 rounds.

Not a tape advocate either, but I have used silicon seal with a heavy scope attached to a heavy kicker (30-378).


BigDave39355:
I don't care who you are. That there is funny!

I've been doing what Formidilosis listed, with the exception of nail polish on top of screws, for a long time. I think all of my rings have rusted screw heads. I'm assuming that it's accelerated by de-greasing everything but I'm hoping using nail polish as a final coat on top will minimize this rust......as is, I think the rust works well to help "lock" them ring screws in place so they don't loosen.

I used to do this but it left a big dent on one of my scopes, used 2 layers as a shim.

Use rubber cement on the inside of rings, if you want extra holding power.

Good info, learned a lot. Will be trying some of these methods. Thanks!

For 20 years I have used a film of clear GE silicone seal, applied with the index finger, between in the rings. The scope will absolutely not slip, even with minimum torque on the ring screws. after tightening the ring screws, and the silicone seal dries for a few minutes, you can clean any off the scope and edge of the rings with a rag without any residue remaining, it just rolls right off. When you remove the scope, you can remove the silicone seal from rings and scope with your finger. It minimizes any scratching of the scope tube due to misaligned rings. before using silicone seal, I used powdered rosin, but it is far too messy. That powder gets every where.Try silicone seal and you won't ever use anything else. RJ

Rubber cement works very much the same.

It did really well. A buddy shot his first mule deer with it and now he has it. Was the light/standard 20" barrel. Factory Hornady Black 123gr ELD-M is what I used. Elk, deer, bear, etc. there isn't anything in NA that I wouldn't use it on.






Yes. I like rust. Worlds best thread lock.

Bump for technical question:

If one chooses not to use loctite on their ring screws, is it best to install the screws dry or with a light coat of oil on them? Reason I ask is the torque values with dry screws vs loctite/oil will be different. If torquing dry screws, do you add a certain number of in/lbs to the wrench?

Thanks.

The scope-ring-base-receiver junctions are the greatest reasons for loss of zero IMO. Thorough Degreasing and Loc-tite are a priority all the way around and one can go even further with the bigger magnums by tapping the receiver for the bigger 8x40 screws and epoxying the bases and screws to the receiver.

In regard to fingernail polish, another way I use it (in a bright color) is to dab all the primers of my hunting loads with it, wiping off the excess with a cloth leaving a colored seal around the primer edges. It’s another barrier to moisture for cartridges dropped in the snow or even water and stuck back into a pocket or carrier.

I use clear polish.

Thanks for the great write-up. Now I'll think I have to re-mount all my scopes.

Yep...It only takes about 15 to 20 seconds holding the hot tip of a soldering iron to the screw head to melt the LocTite. All the adhesives, including the bedding epoxies are plastics and can be melted, or softened, so you can move a screw or another part held in place by the adhesive/epoxy. When it cools back down it regains its hold on whatever part you are moving/unscrewing/shifting.

I'm going to give my guns a ''going over'' and re-do all my bases/rings .
I have a CZ 452 American 17 hmr that should be shooting a lot better than it is . Curious to see what all is out of torgue spec. .

Also will be tuning some triggers -heavier- yes -heavier- I realise some are way too light .

Thanks for taking the time Formidilosus !

How do you like the Howa Grendel ?

Tag

I'd say this was the post that deserved to be made into a sticky.

If you are going to put Lok-Tite on your ring screws at least don't do it at first. Read what Driftless said about needing to tighten after shooting a while. That happens more often than not and is NOT because the screws start backing out -- it is because of other things moving around, which can have the effect of loosening the screws even though they did not turn. If you Blue Lok-Tited them you can't snug them up.

But, as Drift says, once you do that follow-up snug up, you can forget about it.

If I was going to Lok-Title ring screws I would use Purple, designed for fine threads, and permits snugging up later. Putting blue on them is totally unnecessary, and will probably be counter-productive.

I have never used any locktite on scope mounting. I simply wipe things dry and properly evenly torque the rings and base screws. I have no doubt the described method by op is ideal.
I have not had any instance of finding anything loose ever or I probably would be doing it all. A. Number of myrifles get used hard and have maintained zero for 20 years. Heating and freezing cycles can also loosen fasteners . Also dissimilar metals have different rates of expansion and when fastened to one another can relieve the fastener. Aluminum to ferrous attachments most likely in scope mounting
I do not shoot but a couple heavy recoiling rifles so my experience of that effect is limited. In those I use large rings so there is more surface area mates to the scope tube.
I have removed scope bases that have rust under them a few times. So that is a drawback of thorough degreasing surfaces.
To me the most important of all is proper and even torquing of the whole system.

I will definitely reconsider my method after reading these posts. Thanks