Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Problem with talley light weight rings

I was out shooting my new Kimber and I had to shoot a couple of other guns to let her cool. Anyway my extreme weather 300 wsm was shooting 3 inch groups and I just didn't get it. I pulled on the front mount and could feel a little movement. When I got home I pulled the scope to find the front base was loose by more than two turns on each screw (it rattled around once I got the scope off). I cranked them back down tight and got a little more turn on both of the rear base screws. I'm really looking forward to shooting this gun again as I'm not sure how long it has been this way. I was really struggling with some weird groups this summer and the base being loose is something that I just didn't expect as I'm usually guilty of over tightening them. I still like the talley lightweights but I guess I will have to pay a little more attention to errant groups. I had a shift in impact at 400 yards but I figured it must have been from separating the stock from the action. I missed a cow elk at 320 yards and now I scratch my head as to whether it was the gun the cross wind or both.

Do you use lock-tite on the screws? If not, I strongly recommend removing them, and redo-ing with lock-tite.

+1

No I didn't but I probably should consider it. Which color do you use?

Blue...

I do loc tite and JB weld.

My bases ain't going anywhere..

blue

If I had a rifle that had a tendency shake mounts loose I'd use blue locktite on the screws and JB Weld between the bases and the reciever. Sory to copy you Rancho I was writing when you posted.

What you fellas shooting that you have to use JB Weld to hold the bases on?

Rifles that won't have bases come loose..

Loc-tite seems a little extreme but do what gives you confidence.
I use 30 inch/lbs. on the base screws and 15 inch/lbs on the cap screws. Never any problems with a dozen setup this way with Talley LW's. Good luck.

By the way, make sure you degrease the base mounting holes in the action and the screw threads for bases and cap screws. A little lacquer thinner works well.

Never tried JB weld on the bases or rings myself but I was just about ready to do that with my Winchester model 100 the other day. I used the red loctite on the crossbolt nut because it kept wanting to loosen up. The blue was good enough for all the smaller screws. It's amazing how much your groups start falling apart when chit starts loosening up!!!!! That semi-auto just rattled them lose like an impact wrench

Get a T-15 torx head screwdriver and crank the bases "farmer tight."

Blue locktite also works.

The aluminum Talley LW's cranked on the Leupies will put a dent in the tube bodies. Just so you realize that.

Never dented a tube, but I did tighten a rear ring on a Leupy 3-9x40 tight enough that it made it difficult to twist the power ring.

But, on bases, I don't see any harm in cranking them down.

I have had NO problems w/these mounts, not breaking, loosening, etc.

That said, I read something tdy by a custom scope base/ring mfg.

One thing on their website -

"Titanium has a very low coefficient of thermal expansion, so point of impact shifts will not occur due to scope base growth under varying temperature conditions. (Severe problem with aluminum bases)"


I have no doubt the mfg. makes fine products, the statement begs the question, but how much is marketing hype vs. real concerns, I don't know.

I concur with the Blue LocTite.I wouldn't(can't)see the need for anything further.
I thought you were refering to the damage they do to scopes.Tally LW are sleek and light but be prepared to see Tally bites on your tubes.

those talley light weights should really be lapped in too.

That's an OTT problem. (Other Than Talley.)

The base screws could be a bit too long & bottoming out, also, giving you a false sense of torque on the screws. They may just be snug against the base, yet tight as heck in the bottom of the hole. I had this issue with a set. It seemed like they were tight, but not really. Something to check. It drove me nuts 'till Karnis figured it out.