Torque Recommendations

[charles p]

What is the torgue recommendation for a Mod 700 stock?  Is the Mod 7 any different?  Seem to recall 65 inch/pounds but that may be high.

[sniperVLS]

the 65lb # is thrown around when talking about HS Precision and some McMillian/Bell&Carlson aftermarket stocks. I don't recall what Remington recommends for wood or their synthetic stocks. 32" lbs rings a bell, I'd have to get my notes out. I have different #'s for scope bases and rings and stocks and I get them jumbled at times 

I'll do more checking tomorrow... you can always check with Google 

[drdougrx]

Interesting thread...I read somewhere where a gun writer...I think Sundra...takes his rifles apart when he travels and transports them in a short, breakdown shotgun case.  He then reassembles them when he arrives with a torque driver at 65 inch pounds and the guns shoot exactly where they were shooting before he left. 

I've toyed with the idea but haven't developed the jingle bells to try it.

What do you think?

[sniperVLS]

I do all my rifles to 65inch lbs, all have HS precision stocks on them and after ripping down to clean and reassembling, they shoot exactly the same. There's no reason they shouldn't unless one has a bedding problem but if its seated good it should all go back together just as it came apart. I'm pretty certain Graybeard doesn't bother with specific torque #'s and before putting HS stocks on my rifles, I never bothered with torquing them down either and never had a problem with POI shifting, again probably due to a good bedding job to begin with.

[crash87]

Here's what I found, from 2 different sources, While I don't endorse, it's here for informational puposes only.
#1. Torque settings- depending on who you listen to, use these as a rule-of-thumb guide. Accuracy is the boss here (as long as they are at least about 25 in/lbs or so min.) "Kind of vague wouldn't you say?" The front one is most critical, tighten it last. This will put uneven stress at the rear, away from the locking lugs. Check it again after firing.
1. Solid wood-25-30 in/lbs; Laminates-25-40 in/lbs; Fiberglass-30-40 in/lbs; Aluminum-50-60 in/lbs.

#2. Reciever screws should be tightened to about 25-30 in/lbs in a tupperware or non-bedded wooden stock; 45-50 in/lbs in a well bedded laminate or laid up synthetic. This is snug but not cranked. The tightening order on a bolt action is:
    1. Barely snug the front reciever screw:
    2. tighten the rear (tang) screw:
    3. tighten the front screw.

In this way, if your reciever bedding is off, at least it will stress the reciever closer to the rear, not under the locking lugs.
 It would seem to me that the sequence in tightening is of more importance as to, Maybe, tightening to much as I don't believe anyone who has taken an action out of the stock, has ever NOT tightened it enough.

Interesting thread...I read somewhere where a gun writer...I think Sundra...takes his rifles apart when he travels and transports them in a short, breakdown shotgun case.  He then reassembles them when he arrives with a torque driver at 65 inch pounds and the guns shoot exactly where they were shooting before he left.

I took a Ruger 77 to Alaska and tried it. It did not happen for me, not saying it won't for someone else or a different rifle. When put back together and fired, it was close to a foot high and about 6" left. I guess it pays to recheck zero wherever you go. Also on the above tourque settings. These were taken from two different gunsmith's website, unfortunatley I never wrote down who it was, just copied it for my notebook for future reference. CRASH87

[charles p]

I put my Bell and Carlson back on at 65 inch pounds.  First time I have used my torque wrench.  I have probably been over tightening my stocks for years.

[drdougrx]

Still interesting...I have a torque driver that I bought from Midway (that yellow handled thing).  It works OK and I remember that it suggets that action screws should be tightened to 40-45lbs.  Maybe I'll sight in a rifle, take it apart, then reassemble using the 40lb mode (none of my stocks have an alum bed), and then shoot and see what happens.

[diggler1833]

65 inch/lbs is a bit much unless you are using an aluminum blocked stock or aluminum pillars.  I do remember reading a few years ago that McMillan said that thier stocks were tested at 100in/lbs before, but can't remember where I saw it...definitely not going to try with mine.