Thread Locker On Heavy Recoiling Rifle Scope Rings

[jonp]

I finally got around to mounting a Leopold VS Freedom
1.5x4x20 Pig Scope ( 3 heavy bars and center circle like the german) on my 416 Ruger using Ruger rings.

1st time mounting a scope on a rifle like this. Should I use red or blue Loctite on the rings or just tighten the 4 screws up

[Wheelguns 1961]

I degrease all screws and screw holes, and use blue or purple loctite. I have not had any come loose, yet I can still take them apart.

[country gent]

Clean the screws both male and female very good. I usually soak the screws in a cap with alcohol . work over the receiver threads with it and q tips. 2-3 times. then mount with threads light so everything is aligned pull one screw and give a coat of BLUE locktite in threads and under the head install work thru in this manner. I have been nown to epocy the blocks to the receiver with JB weld for some extra bite if needed. this works well but makes it a 2 step process

[jonp]

Ok, sounds good. Another question. The front mount is higher than the rear so the scope sits at a slight upward angle. Is this done on purpose due to the drop of the heavy 400gr solids?

[GBertolet]

I find that placing a 3" or so, strip of plumbers teflon tape in the lower ring, before placing the scope in, then the remainder of the tape over the top of the scope, before the top ring, for 360 degree contact. This will improve the grip of the rings on the scope. I have not yet have one slip in the rings, plus your scope tube will not be marked by the rings.

Other than the base mount screws, I don't think any locktite is needed on rings. Use the teflon tape, as suggested above.

[bmortell]

A front mount higher puts the muzzle towards the ground, so im not sure whats goin on there

[M-Tecs]

Thread Locker is normally used on scope bases only. Since Ruger Rings don't use a base you don't need any. If you do use purple witch is designed for small screws. Most ring manufacture do not recommend using thread locker on the ring screws since it changes the torque values.

Both ring should be the same height for the center-line of the scope. If not something is amiss. If it is only slight lapping may resolve it.

Rosin is my choice for applying between the scope and rings.

[Winger Ed.]

Go easy with the red locktite.
That stuff is like Herpes---- its onboard for life.

[Geezer in NH]

Lap The Rings!!! I use red Lock-tite A hot solder iron loosens it, it is not forever.

[jonp]

After some research I don't think that the rings I got with the rifle are the correct ones. I never checked them as I wasn't intending to scope it but now that I look they make different height ring sets as in the rear is taller than the front for some of the rifles including the African. I sent Ruger a message to make sure but looks like I might have a set of rings to sell.

[GBertolet]

Ruger 77 rings, are supposed to be different heights. At least on my tang safety 77v they are. The height of the receiver bridge is different between the front and back. The different height rings are to compensate for this. The beauty of this is, if you want to go to a higher or lower ring height, you need to buy only one ring, and swap position of the rings. Ruger designed the rings to have a consistent difference between the heights, so they can be interchanged to get the scope height you want. I just learned this when going to a larger scope on my 77 .220 Swift.

[ol skool]

Ruger 77 rings, are supposed to be different heights...

On my Hawkeye as well.

I clean everything with Acetone then use Blue LocTite on the base and a dot of RTV on the bottom ring to keep the scope from sliding, lap the lower rings too. The heaviest recoil gun I got is a 338RCM a far cry from your's I suspect!

[jonp]

Yup, the ones that came with my Hawkeye are not different height to account for the bridge height difference, they are both the same. Factory Ruger rings in the red package but the wrong rings. The guy I bought the rifle from had a number of ruger rifles and he must have thrown in the wrong rings by mistake. He did send me 5 boxes of ammo for free. At over $75 box I'm not going to complain over a set of rings.

[jonp]

Well, I sent Ruger a question yesterday on the rings I had and the different bridge heights on the Hawkeye. Got this answer bright and early this morning:

Thank you for contacting Ruger Customer Service.
Your Customer Service Issue # is xxxxx485

It will not work with two of the same height rings. This serial number shipped in October 2014. It shipped with a 4BHM (90278) medium and a 5BHM (90279) high ring. You can purchase these at www.shopruger.com or call 336-949-5200 for assistance.

Ruger Customer Service

So that settles that. I am impressed that a question I sent on a Sunday was answered before 0900 Monday. Typical Ruger and gun industry customer service!

[RichardB]

On my rifles I lap the rings, then clean them well. Even my 470 Capstick doesn't move scopes when done that way.

[1hole]

Teflon tape is slick stuff, it's more likely to let rings slip than not. Use a slip of news paper under each ring half to improve ring grip, coarse paper is quite a friction increaser.

Scopes were being securely mounted long before Loc-Tite was invented and it still isn't necessary if the screws are actually tight. A tiny drop of oil in the threads actually makes it easier to torque them truly tight.

[fatnhappy]

I lap, degrease with naptha, dust with rosin and use blue Loctite on base screws and ring screws. I've had the internals of scopes recoil loose, but never had a scope move in the mounts. Then again I don't have a .416

YMMV