Scope ring torques
- Thread starter photocam
- Start date
fade2black
CGN Regular
- Location
- Central Ontario
The brand and type of scope won't make a huge difference. The type of rings will.
Aluminum Rings 10-15 inch-lbs "MAX"
Steel Rings 15-20 inch-lbs "MAX"
Aluminum Rings 10-15 inch-lbs "MAX"
Steel Rings 15-20 inch-lbs "MAX"
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Agree with post #2 - helps to find the maker's specs. I just did up a set of Burris rings - they called for 30-35 inch pounds on those cap screws. Most all ring makers have spec on Internet if you look for them - a spec for ring cap screws and a spec for the cross bolt. Same for bases - a spec for the attaching screws.
I was an underground miner and I live in farming country - turns out old school idea that more torque is better, is wrong - engineered torque spec puts correct amount of stretch on screw body, gets good "bite" of the threads - over tightening tends to over stretch screw body, start to strip threads, and likely starts to rip off the head. A bit more tighter, is NOT good, on scope screws. Not like torquing on track frame bolts on a D-9 Cat!!!
I was an underground miner and I live in farming country - turns out old school idea that more torque is better, is wrong - engineered torque spec puts correct amount of stretch on screw body, gets good "bite" of the threads - over tightening tends to over stretch screw body, start to strip threads, and likely starts to rip off the head. A bit more tighter, is NOT good, on scope screws. Not like torquing on track frame bolts on a D-9 Cat!!!
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- Location
- Western Manitoba
todbartell - I might mount 5 to 10 a year - of my own - new-to-me, or swapping. Why would you use a different value than what the ring maker's call for??
Same #s I use too. RJ
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I was curious, is all. For forty years or more, my life has been that guys on tools sometimes know different things than engineers from a University. Was curious what the guys on the tools know, that the makers do not...
Most quality rings will advise on torque settings for bot sets of screws. Base screws on Vortex PMR rings are 45 inch pounds and Ring screws are 18 inch pounds. Im sure the width of the bearing surface and the number of screws has a direct correlation to torque values. Maybe part of the reason so many scopes have dented tubes. I agree with todbartell, less is often more.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Not sure that I buy that - "dented" scope bodies are from mis-aligned rings - installer did not verify alignment or lap them, or the bases - I don't think that under-torque, torque or over-torque has much to do with scope tubes with "dents" - that is just plain misalignment, I think...
Believe what you want BUT I have seen MANY crushed - marked scope tubes From Guys torqueing them up over 18 in lbs BUT you are correct TOO that mis alignment is a Problem also - LOTs of manufactures say NOT to lap there rings - I Lap ALL my Talley 1 PC LW rings - JMO RJ
- Location
- Western Manitoba
For sure I have dented a scope body - one of my earliest posts on CGN. Was a Mueller 4.5-14x40 AO going onto a CZ 452 Silhouette rifle. I had bought the correct CZ rings from Tradex. Installed and torqued - all looked good. Some months later was thinking to swap out scopes - removed my installation - the scope body was dented - others, at the time, posted of never having that problem despite mounting dozens - occurred to me a bit unusual to later remove your own installation - at least, to that point, for me. Was no way to know or see that the scope was dented without removing it.
The CZ rings had a lower saddle that was much less than the diameter of the scope body - the ring caps had to be "snapped" over the diameter - the attachment screws were therefore low - say at 4:00 and 8:00. The cause appeared to me to be the sharp edges on the left and right side of the ring strap - that formed the attachment "foot", with the screw mount holes through - when torquing the ring cap screws, seemed to press the scope body with those corners. About two swipes with a file "broke" those corners. Scope is back on - Grandson using that rifle, 14 (?) years later. Looks fine, works fine, except I know the scope body is dented under those rings.
Go here - https://www.tradeexcanada.com/content/cz451-2pc-mount-1-inch-rings - those rings still offered - what I used, then. A note to myself that I just found says CZ called for 20 inch pounds on those cap screws.
The CZ rings had a lower saddle that was much less than the diameter of the scope body - the ring caps had to be "snapped" over the diameter - the attachment screws were therefore low - say at 4:00 and 8:00. The cause appeared to me to be the sharp edges on the left and right side of the ring strap - that formed the attachment "foot", with the screw mount holes through - when torquing the ring cap screws, seemed to press the scope body with those corners. About two swipes with a file "broke" those corners. Scope is back on - Grandson using that rifle, 14 (?) years later. Looks fine, works fine, except I know the scope body is dented under those rings.
Go here - https://www.tradeexcanada.com/content/cz451-2pc-mount-1-inch-rings - those rings still offered - what I used, then. A note to myself that I just found says CZ called for 20 inch pounds on those cap screws.
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ALBERTA BOY
Regular
- Location
- Edmonton, AB
The torque specs from most manufacturers are out to lunch. WAY too much! It sounds strange, but I recommend ignoring the manufacture's specs. Some say to apply 30 in lbs to the rings! That's outrageous!
Go over 15 in lbs on the rings and you're asking for trouble.
For the base or dovetail mounts, I find 20-22 to be the correct torque setting.
Go over 15 in lbs on the rings and you're asking for trouble.
For the base or dovetail mounts, I find 20-22 to be the correct torque setting.
Fastestmanalive
Regular
- Location
- Quebec City
�� well said!
