Let's hear about it.

Not me. Figure four screws and low strength Locktite will hold it just fine. Some guys apply a strip of Locktite to the rail before assembly.

I just reinstalled my EGW rail and used locktite this time. Hopefully that gets rid of the wobbles.

A good quality rail shouldn't need it. Cheap ones might

Locktite base and rings and have quality base and rings. All ya need.

What good would bedding a scope base do? If the reciever isn't square, putting bedding compound between it and the rail isn't going to fix that right?

I'd be worried the bedding compound would mess things up more than they would help. The few that I have seen, had stuff seep into the action holes.

I hate those guys.

I can see machine screws coming loose, but the glue under the rail is pointless, if the screws come loose at all, that loctite/adhesive ain't slowing that raildown let alone stopping it.

Scopes, mounts, bases, rails, set square and fitted properly, shouldn't need anything. I'll use loctite if there's any doubt, or if the customer asks for it, but I prefer none.

Loctite lubes the threads and you end up turning screws in further than they should be with the same amount of torque applied.

If the screws are the proper length then it isn't a problem.

1st I've heard of this. Interesting. I use loctite on tons of stuff, including scope rings/bases. Never really thought about this.

We're talking about over-torquing as a result, JG.

I'm assuming by "rails" you are talking about the scope base(s). It all depends, hunting or target rifle? For the average hunting rifle, NO. But I just bedded the base on a target rifle as a matter of course. The idea is to remove all points of stress in the rifle's orchestrated "system". A base that doesn't fit perfectly flat to the top of the receiver will apply stress when tightened down. Same with unaligned rings or a bad fitting stock. The complete process takes some work, but bedding the base & rings may add a 1/4" improvement to a target rifle.

FWIW...

I have always though it interesting that we use heavy duty scope rings with 4-6 screws each (8-12 for a pair) and then have big bolts holding them to a rail. When it is all held down to the rifle by four tiny screws.

I've wasted too much time and ammo on cheap rings, but can't break the habit of using loctite. Once that scope is on and working, I just want it to stay there. The loctite just makes me feel better.

I get that. So when the torque wrench is set properly the screw with Locktite ,causing lubrication, is going to go in how much farther?

But if the argument is over torque, then the lube counteracts stripping threads or head. Point being I've yet to have a problem using low strength Locktite. I have had a problem when I, and people I have shot with, did not use it.

i use locktite on all my scopes and bases

You might wanna check out what your friends at Vortex have to say about it, JG.

No bedding, no Loctite, no problems.

-Mickey

I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing. I disagree with them one their way to level the scope and I disagree with them on thread locker. I've seen how each of those methods cause problems.

I think your way of leveling a scope is probably better, actually. There's more than one way of skinning a cat. But I've also been inquiring about torquing fasteners, and when you start digging into issues where torque is critical, there's a lot more to it than is commonly accepted. I can't say exactly how much Loctite will affect mount and ring screws and I've found no real data regarding such. One suggestion I've heard that sounds reasonable is to torque the screws dry, as is usually directed, and then glyp the screw heads.

I have yet to keep a particular scope on a rifle long enough for it to come loose LOL

I really think you are correct in that the screws do get torqued higher than intended. I suspect I am gambling that the modern screws and actions will not break or strip. My gamble has worked on, lost count number of rifles. Now use f-ing flat head screws and older materials and things could break.

If I were POTUS, every fastener in the U.S. would be a torx drive.

had one come loose on 300 win mag with quality rings. so every since that blue locktite for me esp on the 338 with badger rings. just picked up a big bottle of blue last week.

Clarification/Correction on "over torqueing" by using Thread Locker (below is an excerpt from the Vortex site regarding Thread Locker). Torque is a rotational force and the value does NOT change with the use of Thread Locker, or any lubricant for that matter. What DOES change is the resulting clamping force when threads are lubricated with Thread Locker or any other form of lubricant. This Vortex blog is poorly written and misleading and, as already pointed out, the reticle leveling portion is faulty in that is assumes the reticle is perfectly aligned with the elevation turret.

Thread locker is useful as those with experience have pointed out.


VORTEX blog:
5. Don�t use Thread Locker

Recommended by many, it is not necessary to use Thread Locker on your ring or base screws. Thread Locker lubricates screw threads, causing a wet-torque which can actually lead to over-torqueing. Your torque wrench might read 15 inch pounds, but in reality be much higher.