Scope mounting - how tight should rings be?

[Benelli Shooter]

I am mounting a VXIII 3.5x10x40 Leupold scope in a Larue LT-104 mount. The instructions do not indicate how much I should tighten the rings with the hex head wrench.

How tight is too tight / not tight enough?

Without a torque wrench, how to you know when to stop tightening?

 

[gcrookston]

I use a dab of red locktight on my bolts... and "firmly tighten", usually snug - then just 1/8 to 1/4 more. All my rings these days have 4 bolts, so I tighten them gradually like lug nuts on a car, making sure I'm getting the rings seated evenly.

The only time I ever used a torque wrench on a rifle was putting on an ARMS mount on a M1A1... I broke the main bolt long before I reached spec.

 

[MinnMooney]

Scope mounting - if done correctly - is a time consuming process of aligning the rings and making sure that the entire inside of the ring contacts the scope rather than just some of the ring's edge due to the "bore" of one ring doesn't match the "bore" of the other ring. They make ring alignment tools and reamers for $60-$80 that is a one-time purchase. It's an easy do-it-yourself type project that will take almost all of the stress off of your scope and hold it much more securely. There will never be "ring marks" left on your scope.

But to answer your original question, Midway sells a torque driver that is automatically set at the correct inch/lbs for many rings. Leupold or LaRue should let you know what is the correct torque for their scopes but you can't go far wrong with the auto torque driver. (Leupold recommends 65in./lbs. while using their MK-4 rings but I don't know if that includes other rings.) Relying on feel with an allen wrench/screw-driver/torx driver is not the way to go.

 

[Black_Talon]

I always contact the maker of the rings and bases to get their recommended torque setting. I always use a torque wrench to tighten base and ring screws.