I'm betting lot of scope / gun problems are likely self inflicted.....I know I've inflicted myself on more than one occasion working on something I shouldn't have be it guns, cars, plumbing, electrical the list is long.
Being a Jack of all trades is hard.
Somethings are better left to Gunsmiths....I'll go out on a limb and say that scope set up and mounting is one of those things that the Average jOe shouldn't tackle after watching a few You tube videos.
I have run into several gunsmiths over the years who didn't have much of a clue about mounting scopes. Have seen several tighten rings so much they left a visible "waist" in the scope tube, and often the pressure prevented the scope from adjusting correctly. In fact one of those claimed that ALL Leupold scopes are bad right out of the factory, due to his ham-handed idiocy.
I've ran into my share of bad gunsmiths....sad thing is at any moment one can go.bad.
Just got my new Maven 2-10x38 in and mounted it. They have instructions to tighten rings to 20 inch pounds.
I've read that 20 inch pounds is pretty close to what you can tighten one with the short end of the little wrench. That's what I do, although I do have a torque wrench, I find that easier and quicker.
I was working on a friends rifle and loosening the ring screws took full effort using the long end of the wrench. Those screws were a LOT tighter than 20 inch pounds, probably double or more. At least they went back at near 20 inch pounds, not "farmer tight"....
