Torque wrenches and Locktite are your friend.

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Quijibo

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Updated on post #23....

Was out shooting my Savage 111 FCXP3 this afternoon. trying out some different ammo to see what brand it likes.
First group was an improvement over my previous outings, but then it just kept getting worse.
Finally on the last couple shots I figured it out.

What I thought was some trigger creep that had developed, was actually the whole barrel/action moving withing the stock. the screws holding it all together had loosened off, as well as the weaver scope mounts. No wonder everything was off.

I know I'm a new shooter, and don't expect to be hitting dimes at 500 yards, but I figured my groups would be a bit better than they had been.

So, tonight I took everything apart, put a little locktite on a few bolts, and grabbed a torque wrench. everything is nice and snug. I'd imagine my groups will tighten up too.

worst part is that the outing was a bit of a waste, as I don't really know if the different ammo was any better or not...

looks like I'll have to go shoot more :D
 
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I hope you used the right Lock Tite. The wrong stuff and you'll have a helluva time removing any of those screws.

Don't ask me which, after stripping a few screw heads that had been Lock Tited by others, I never use the stuff.

I know many swear by it.

But the next screw that comes loose on any of guns will be the first.

I don't have a torque wrench, and I probably should.

I snug the action screws about as tight as they'll go with a screwdriver...without going King Kong about it.

And I snug all scope base and ring screws with Allen wrenches, gingerly, but again without getting carried away. I never use anything other than Allen wrenches on these because it's too easy to twist something off with anything larger.

I've yet to have a scope come loose or slip, or bases shake loose...including on my 300 Win.

Maybe I'm just lucky. But Lock Tite has caused me more grief than I care to talk about. I don't even let my gun smith use the stuff on my guns...except maybe on the trigger adjustment screws! I don't mess with these, he can deal with it!
 
My buddy's wife has the same thing in a 270. He borrowed it to come out and shoot coyotes with me, the barreled action fell outof the stock on the way in. He hadn't noticed, but the same thing happened to him.
 
well, I'm almost comforted that I'm not the only one it happened to... hopefully that was it, and It'll be good to go from now on.
 
I have the same rifle in .270 but I've never had this problem. I did take it apart as soon as I got it and tightened everything, it has'nt come loose since and I had to replace the 2 piece mount with a 1 piece aluminum picattiny rail so I could put a bushnell 3-9x40mm on it ( the simmons scope it came with broke after a single shot in -25 weather). The mounts were too far apart to fit without hitting the objective bell or power ring.
 
Quijibo said:
Was out shooting my Savage 111 FCXP3 this afternoon. trying out some different ammo to see what brand it likes.
First group was an improvement over my previous outings, but then it just kept getting worse.
Finally on the last couple shots I figured it out.

What I thought was some trigger creep that had developed, was actually the whole barrel/action moving withing the stock. the screws holding it all together had loosened off, as well as the weaver scope mounts. No wonder everything was off.

I know I'm a new shooter, and don't expect to be hitting dimes at 500 yards, but I figured my groups would be a bit better than they had been.

So, tonight I took everything apart, put a little locktite on a few bolts, and grabbed a torque wrench. everything is nice and snug. I'd imagine my groups will tighten up too.

worst part is that the outing was a bit of a waste, as I don't really know if the different ammo was any better or not...

looks like I'll have to go shoot more :D
Click to expand...

Same rifle (308) same problem. I didn't use locktite though, just snugged them up as much as i could and it's been fine ever since.
 
it was the blue locktite. just a dab.
Torqued the stock bolts to 25 INCH-lb. found the value on some forum, so it must have been right ;)
 
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I will use Loc-Tite when requested and use it regularly on my own when mounting certain things. Red has no place, blue is the only stuff I use. I have drilled out more buggered screws because of red than I care to mention.
I also de-grease all the threads on the screws and the holes before I use the LT.
 
Quijibo said:
Torqued the stock bolts to 25 ft.lb.
Click to expand...

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A trick with loctite, is apply it to the threads pof the screw, and let the screw sit out overnight. Then all it does is beef up the threads, rather than glue the bolt in. Works good for the really small stuff...
 
PatD said:
A trick with loctite, is apply it to the threads pof the screw, and let the screw sit out overnight. Then all it does is beef up the threads, rather than glue the bolt in. Works good for the really small stuff...
Click to expand...

That sounds like a cool idea, I'll have to try it.
 
Dont go by the colour of the Loctite either as there are sometimes several strengths in the same colour. Loctite website has the specs and look for "small screw" specs and get the part number in that colour you should use. If it doesnt say small screw on it you may as well be using epoxy. There is a section on this in the Acklands Grainger catalog too that splains it all very well.
 
Winchester red-Loc-tited their Model 70 action screws in for years, I don't know about the current batch. It probably had more to do with keeping curious fingers away from the trigger adjustments than anything else.
 
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