Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Should I epoxy scope bases to receiver?

Reading the instruction manual that came with my new M18 last evening, it says to epoxy bases. "... ensure that the mounting base is not just screwed on, rather has additional and evenly applied high-quality two-component adhesive used to stick it in place."

What say my expert Campfire advisors? Should I epoxy scope bases? If so, how do I get them off if I ever want to?

I have used LocTite in blue or red a few times to ensure even contact between bases and receiver but usually not. I have Talley one-piece base/rings ready to put on the rifle. If I use epoxy it would probably be marine grade since I have some on hand and we hunt the wet.

FWIW, the manual also says to never shoot hand loads, and its use of English is faintly odd, calling the bolt the chamber most of the time.

I've epoxied-on bases (and the screws that hold them to the receiver) for over 20 years on every rifle I own. You end up with a "monolithic" mount.

I use JB Weld as it's a farily "weak" epoxy. Apply it thinly and evenly across the base bottoms, and a small dab on the end of the screws. Tighten down slowly, alternating between screws. Take up to 5+ minutes to tighten allowing excess epoxy to squeeze out.

Clean up with acetone and/or denatured alcohol and qtips, cotton swabs and paper towels.

To remove bases, take barrelled action out of the stock and lightly kiss the bases with a Benzomatic torch until screws loosen.

I get the cross hairs centered in the tube.
My way of rotating the scope and change the turrets until the hairs cross are in the center.
I have since read about pressing the objective against a mirror and adjust the turrets until the crosshairs line up with the cross hair reflection.

With the rings tight on the bases and the scope, I shim [with narrow shims] the bases until the crosshairs align with the cross hairs.
I then epoxy between the bases and receiver, but leave the screws loose.

After the epoxy is hard, I take off the rings and tighten the base screws.

Now centered scopes can be swapped from rifle to rifle and be on the paper.
Now the rings are not putting a bind on the scope tube.



Alternatively I can put a scope base in modified V blocks and mill out, with a boring bar, the concave bottom of the base.
I can change radius, height, or introduce and offset.... ala Steve Acker.

No, sir. I would not recommend epoxy for bases .

What's your advice based on?

I have never epoxied my bases and have never had an issue. So, for me, there is nothing to fix.

30 years of experience and white privilege.

I think Formid’s method is plenty strong/reliable enough. His extensive testing proves that it is.

Never had one come loose, so never felt the need, until I bought a .22 Match barrel for my G2 Contender. The screw holes were shallow, forcing me to shorten the screws of my EGW rail. Probably would never cause trouble on the rimfire, but just to be safe I mixed up some clear epoxy and ran a bead on the rail, staying clear of the holes. When I torqued it down, the glue oozed out a bit and I wiped it flush. I can see it on the edges, so if it ever lets go, I should be able to see that. I think the loctite on the screws should've kept the glue out of those holes.

The instructions for the Burris bases I put on my Alpine said to smear loctite on the bottoms, so I did. We'll see how that works out.

I typically do not bed two piece bases and personally feel lapping corrects the same issues, but I do like to bed one piece bases or rails. I highly doubt you would ever see a difference in your case with Talleys, but I would lap them.

So in other words, no experience. Thanks.

Math is racist . thirty equals zero . Thank you

I use loctite on base screws only and have never needed more

It's the same as bedding a rifle to me. No downside to doing it.

I don't epoxy
Everything gets degreased with
acetone and gets the appropriate
amount of loctite including the
ring screws. If it has threads it
gets loctite

No, I have never epoxy on bases!

Further, I've never had problems so why change.

I did on a couple of rifles but would not now. I will epoxy bed bases and rails if they appear to need it but most don't. The reason I wouldn't epoxy now is if I were on a hunt and dinged a scope it would be a pain to swap out with out the proper tools. Loctite or even nail polish has not let me down yet even on the medium bores.

I’ve mounted roughly 75 scopes for myself and a few others. Never used any epoxy on bases and never had an issue. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Always

NEVER NEVER epoxy any screws on scope mounts. tighten too 20 inch lbs per screw