You don't need steel, nor the hard coat. Steel only adds weight, which is not a good thing when it's under recoil. The more weight you put in the scope and mount, the more stress the screws will endure. 6061 has plenty enough strength to handle that kind of recoil. Just remember when you drill them out, the countersink on the base should match the screw heads. I've seen a lot of bases that have a 90 degree countersinks, but came with 82 degree screws.
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