Bedding scopes bases

[GUNSICK]

Anyone doing this to their bases? I was thinking about doing this on my 10/22 build. Will it help with accuracy or am I wasting my time. I'm using a factory receiver and I know the molding changes over the years so any aftermarket rail can't be true on all of them. It's not like I'm shooting out to 500yrds with a .22 but want to squeeze all I can out of this build.

[Meketrefe]

yes. always a good idea no matter what. Years ago one of the members on the dark side made a small video showing the small movements of the bases with the micrometer up
to a couple of thousands at the time. You can make it very simple. If you do not bed at least oil the receiver, fine sand the base and give it a coat of red locktite but w/o going into
the threads, put some grease there. In the threads later you want some blue locktite. When you remove the base will see the gaps filled by the locktite as you torque down.
For shooting 50 yards will not see substantial help but will not hurt neither if one day you want to shoot longer and given the other components are also properly installed.
For the scope you will need a boresighter and a masons plumb or a laser system to level the scope true to the bore in both axis. 8 out of 10 folks have the scopes and sigths
poorly mounted along with several other problems.
Don't need to over do it with a 10/22 but a bit of attention to detail might remove some of the variables that screw with the accuracy.
What stock do you have on that 22LR beast?
Thanks.

[GUNSICK]

Once the mount gets here (GRRRR) I'm going to check it with some clay to see how off it is. If there are voids I'm going to bed it. As far as scope mounting I'm completely anal lol! You can't get a better scope mount if you paid someone to do it.

[Meketrefe]

That's a very good thing. Sometimes on the dark side I get the oh... not everyone needs a precision rifle, not everything is a bench shooter.... not everyone needs this or that
....and then they cannot hit schit with anything. But I guess some folks like to spray dinner plates with 1000 rounds at 25 yards vs. playing the call of duty.
I wonder why not go with airsoft that is a lot cheaper. LOL..

IMO do not bed the rings but do take off any fancy cloths or shims. if you run an emery cloth inside you can use one drop of blue locktite like in the screws themselves. But this after you
plumb the scope and do final torquing. I do this at the range unless I have a large place like a barn or large indoor garage or something. Also I never paint the ring contact area unless it is cerakote that for you would be easy as you are the cerakote master.

There is no one single formula fits all but you get my point right? the 10/22 can be pretty accurate with CCIs, some federal and other ammo.

[masterswimmer]

Tagging along. I'd like to get some clarification of what you two masters are talking about. Quite confused...but that's nothing new.

I've got a Nikon on my 10/22 and didn't do anything special when I mounted it.

[Meketrefe]

we are not talking about anything special Realy. These are simple steps to make sure the scope stays true ans it retains zero no matter what conditions. 8 out 10 people have their sights or glass poorly setup. This doesnt mean they cannot produce decent accuracy at 25 or 50 yards. So it depends if one really wants to understand what the rifle is capable of given a decent setup and proper adjustment. One of my favorite things to do with a 22lr is to shoot targets simultaniously alternating ranges between 50,100,150,200 and 240 yards. I put 12ga empty shells at 200 yards to make them pop with the little rifle. Here consistent ammo and good optics and setup are as important as any other decent systems. In fact one can use the training to mimic long range precision with a larger rigle at larger distances but with less space needed and way less expensive.
makes sense?

[masterswimmer]

Makes sense. What isn't clear to me is all the nuances you guys were discussing. Here's a for instance:

"You can make it very simple. If you do not bed at least oil the receiver, fine sand the base and give it a coat of red locktite but w/o going into
the threads, put some grease there. In the threads later you want some blue locktite."

[Meketrefe]

I would not call it a nuance. what some consider extra work not necessary for their use others consider it necessary to make the system more consistent.
A 22LR doesn't deserve any less attention than a larger rifle but again depends on the intentions and desired purpose. All this is optional, not mandatory.
I am describing the benefits of bedding a base no matter what rifle. Ideally epoxy but even other fillers will help if the gaps between the parts are not too
bad otherwise even the red locktite is useless.Thre grease is to keep the epoxty/locktite from sticking to the receiver and instead to the added mount piece.
The end goal is to mate the two pieces as closely as possible as if they were one monolithic unit milled in the receiver from factory.

[GUNSICK]

Makes sense. What isn't clear to me is all the nuances you guys were discussing. Here's a for instance:

"You can make it very simple. If you do not bed at least oil the receiver, fine sand the base and give it a coat of red locktite but w/o going into
the threads, put some grease there. In the threads later you want some blue locktite."

You want to grease anything you don't want the bedding to stick to. Red loctite can be used if the gap between the receiver and the mount are pretty tight. I don't use it but blue loctite for the rings.

[whauburger]

Modeling clay is great to fill where you don't want bedding compound. JB Weld is good to use to bed bases. Make sure you use wax (shoe polish) or a good release agent on the receiver.


The purpose isn't so much "gaining" accuracy as to make sure your base is not being torqued down unevenly thus causing your scope to be slightly canted....Place your base on the receiver and put the rear screw in snug, look at the front of the base and see if there is any daylight coming under (or use feeler gauges). If no and it fits well, remove the rear screw and put the front in and check the rear for a gap.

[Celt]

Didnt know about the blue locktite on the rings themselves... as in where the scope sits? I still have to level my scope using my x/y axis laser and ill do the blue locktite then too; if my 7nderstanding is correct.

[GUNSICK]

Didnt know about the blue locktite on the rings themselves... as in where the scope sits? I still have to level my scope using my x/y axis laser and ill do the blue locktite then too; if my 7nderstanding is correct.

Not on the rings but where the scope mount and the receiver meet to fill any spaces. You can use it on the ring screws if you want but I find it's not needed if you mount the scope right.

[Meketrefe]

Actually depends on the rings and the scope. Some tactical scopes have a finishing that allows for a more positive and uniform clamp. Some glossy and hard finish might work against you.
Some folks decide to bed the rings too but as soon as there is nothing between the ring and the scope and a positive good clamp then it is matter of torquing to the right settings.
But cheap rings and scopes sometimes are not true, not by much so a drop of blue or red locktite might do that for you in the ring itself. One can verify the points of contact.
In the screws only blue locktite as the final step and when plumbing the scope and final torqueing. Some other light epoxy will work fine too but first better try w/o bedding the rings. Those pieces of cloth that come with inexpensive rings and mounts need to go in the trash. Once you commit for a good fit, there is nothing worth putting between the clamp and the scope in order to avoid marks.
If minor marks are developed that is the cost of doing things right.
Any rings or mounts with any signs of run out or problems I return them or put them in the trash. They can damage the scope and the system will never be consistent.
Rings or mounts that are off are not totally uncommon with budget parts. I have found a few and I was surprised after verifying them in the lathe and with micrometers, dials and other precision equipment.
But again the seating test and some locktite might give the green light for the 22LR. Also as no heavy recoil is expected other areas like based screws
are not a concern.

[Celt]

Ive already bedded the base with jb weld, and i do use blue licktite on the ring screws. I thought it was said to put blue locktite on the rings themselves almost like a bedding compound for the scope.

Not on the rings but where the scope mount and the receiver meet to fill any spaces. You can use it on the ring screws if you want but I find it's not needed if you mount the scope right.

[Cgrutt]

OK, so this has me interested and I'm a complete nube. I get the bedding the rail part with idea being to minimize any gaps, etc. between rail and receiver. Confused about 1. how to ensure scope is parallel to bore and 2. if scope is 100% parallel to bore but for argument's sake 1" above centerline of bore, doesn't that also mean you will never be perfectly aligned with target at any given range, after adjusting for bullet drop, etc? So a perfectly aligned scope with bore will shoot at let's say 100 yrds all day but will be missing mark at 200 yrds, etc. due to fact parallel lines will never cross, so if its on the mark at 100 it will bel necessarily below mark at 200, etc... Making any sense?