Leupold STD Base and Rings Torque Question

[alex818]

Hi All,

I purchased the Leupold STD 2 piece base and rings for my Weatherby Vanguard that's chambered in .300 Win Mag. Turners only had the Remington 700 bases which fit the Weatherby so I bought those.

The base comes with two types of screws (two 6-48 and two 8-40 screws)
The rings come with four 8-40 Screws.

I tightened the base to the maximum torque value listed on the back of the package which were 22 in/lbs for the 6-48 screws and 28 in/lbs for the 8-40 screws.

After researching torque settings for rings it seems that most people are recommending to tighten between 15 and 20 in/lbs. I know that over-tightening can damage the scope and under-tightening can cause the scope to slip (which I had happen with my previous Weaver mounts installed by a gunsmith whom I don't trust now which is why I'm doing it myself).

Now.. the package says the 8-40 ring screws can take a maximum torque level of 28 in/lbs. I called Leupold and the person I spoke with told me to tighten it all the way up to the 28 or 29 in/lbs range. Others have posted that when they called Leupold, they were told to go up to 20 in/lbs.

I'm confused now.. I have a hunting trip coming up in less than 2 weeks and its critical for me to get these rings on properly. Should I do what the Leupold tech told me and tighten the 8-40 ring screws all the way up to 28 in/lbs?

Thanks!

[Rattlesnake6.8]

Do what Leupold recommends. I use to have the same setup on my Winchester. If it fails, Leupold has a great customer service team that will assist in your damaged product.

[bruce_ventura]

Did you lap the rings? If not, I recommend that you remove the scope, lap the rings, and then tighten to 20 in-lbs, which is adequate for lapped steel rings. Otherwise you'll risk POI shifts, damage to the scope, and deep ring marks.