New User - Savage 111 Trophy Hunter XP - 30.06 Question
Hello folks - I'm a new Savage owner (and first rifle) and I love it so far. But I did run into an issue first time out to the range. I have been reading and researching and I can't seem to find the exact answers to my questions. So that has led me to this group. I've also read through and searched the forums here - and maybe I'm just not searching correctly, but I cannot find this exact issue. And that is perhaps because it is a newbie problem.
Started out (100 yds) on paper. So I started adjusting the shots in and the groups were moving where I would expect. I was taking slow shots and spotting each of them before taking the next one - and taking a few rounds before making any conclusions / adjustments. About 30 rounds in, I had a nice group top left of the paper about 2 MOA up and 2 MOA left. So I adjusted down 2 MOA and fired again expecting to be just left of center. It wasn't on paper. Fired a couple of more and still no paper. Adjusted back up and still couldn't find the target. Getting frustrated, I spent the next 15 rounds trying to figure out what happened.
That's when I noticed the scope rattled. I looked and the screws that hold the rings to the base had come loose (stock Nikon rifle with the stock rings. I tightened them as tight as I dared...went back and was right back on paper. After another 10 rounds I had a 1" grouping with 2 of the shots in dead center bullseye. So then I just shot for practice and the scope came loose again.
I've read everywhere about using blue loctite - but they all seem to be focused on either the base to the rifle, or the screws that hold the rings together. Nothing on the 2 screws that hold the rings to the base. My assumption these are made the way they are so you can remove the scope if needed without too much hassle (as opposed to quick release rings which are even easier).
So I'm at a loss on how to fix - I don't want to torque them down too much, but at least it is just the base (not the rifle). And I'm not sure about using loctite on them if I ever want to take the scope off (although I'd be using blue, not red - but it would certainly not make removing the scope convenient). But I'm not sure I'd even need to except in the event I upgrade the scope. I cannot find anything that tells me if there is a torque value on these screws (just torque values on the base mounts and the rings themselves). My dad thinks I should just tighten the things with a heavy screwdriver as tight as I can since it is just to the base - but not sure that is a great idea.
Any suggestions would be great. I am going hunting with it in less than 2 weeks, and I already have enough $$ soaked into the trip now, I'd rather wait until after the hunt to worry about upgrading the setup. So maybe loctite is the answer?
