bases, rings, scope mounting. best practices

[T3clay]

hi all, looking for some information on the best practices for mounting bases rings and scope. I just picked up a bergara wilderness ridge and I'll likely be mounting everything myself. in some other threads I have read " bed the bases" but I have no clue what that means.

from start to finish looking for what you guys use as far as loctite or other similar products and is you put anything inside the rings.

I have mounted scopes in the past but never on a magnum rifle, and never on a "long range" gun so I want to be sure that I use the best practices!

thanks!

 

[slowelk]

Scope mounting to maintain zero

After multiple requests for an explanation of how to mount a scope in order to have the lowest possibility of loss of zero, a discussion of a scope mounting video, and the latest thread about scope bases and action screw coming loose, I took some pics of what I do with a rifle when I get it and...

www.rokslide.com

 

[T3clay]

sweet, exactly what I was looking for! Thanks

 

[SDHNTR]

Another mans opinion... and I’ve NEVER had a failure after doing this at least 50 times. Talley Lightweight rings and bases. 8-40 screws for anything above a 30-06 and/or for any scope over 16 oz. First degrease everything, especially screws and screw holes. Install lower half of rings/bases and torque to 20 (6-48) or 25 in lbs (8-40). Check for straightness with Wheeler alignment bars. If off, lap rings until aligned. Then attach scope rings with 18 in lbs and blue loctite. Done this with up to .375 H and H and have never had a single problem.

Ive never understood bedding rails and such. IMO, it’s solving a problem that doesn’t exist.

I also have no problem with Talley steel mounts or Leupold dual dovetails. They work well too, especially if weight is not a concern. Same process.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

loctite on bases?

 

[Shooter71]

This is why I like to bed bases. These are talleys on a Defiance action. Bad pic but only contact points are the outer edges, and no, they don’t flex out to make full contact. The scope and mounts are arguably the most important part of the system, if we value hitting what we’re trying to hit. .001” movement on either end of a 4” spacing is roughly 1” at 100yds. It’s easy to attribute flyers to wind, hold, load, etc but it can also be your stuff moving around.
So, apply release agent to the action only if you must, but glue the bases down with JB, Marine Tex, whatever. Once that’s done, I like to lap the rings a bit, degrease everything, and assemble. Loctite is up to you, but tight is tight. Drip Some nail polish in there, done. I like metallic pink but goth black works as well.