Bolt In Bolt Torque

sbindy

Steve B
I just received a Benchrest rifle that happens to be a bolt in, and was wondering what the torque spec would be. I'm fairly certain that 45in.lbs will do it, but since I'm new to this I figured I would ask those with much more experience.
 
I pillar bed just about everything. The compression strenth is different for pillars than for other un-named materials. So, its difficult to give a definitive answer to your question. With pillars, I use 65in/lbs up front and about 40in/lbs on the rear. But I wouldn't use that much if my stock was a sponge..for example. I hope you get my point with that comment. Tuning a gun with action torque might be viewed as "pre-loading" the material, bending the action to where it shoots best. Hmmm!
I will add that during some tuner vibration analysis testing, higher torque yields less movement from a given stock and bedding, but that at high enough frequencies, every joint moves. Another...Hmmm!
 
Last edited:
Thanks for that! Yes, it's pillar bedded at each end, It was no where near 65 at the front. as a matter of fact, it was barely tight at all. The trigger guard was tighter! There was also a fluid of some kind between the action and stock. Not much, but that's a big no no from everything I've ever read and heard.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for that! Yes, it's pillar bedded at each end, It was no where near 65 at the front. as a matter of fact, it was barely tight at all. The trigger guard was tighter! There was also a fluid of some kind between the action and stock. Not much, but that's a big no no from everything I've ever read and heard.

The fluid is most likely cleaning solution, probably the result of cleaning the bore without the implementation of an effective chamber-sealing device.

It might also be lubricating oil but probably not on a BR rifle.

My advice is to clean area, drying it with isopropyl alcohol, reassemble and never let fluids enter the bolt-lug area.
Never let cleaning fluid puddle in your chamber and,
for consistency always shoot with a clean, dry chamber.
 
The rifle was shipped with a thin coat of some kind of light lube. Some of it seeped underneath one side.
 
Unless the pillars are compressing and/or the receiver to bedding contact isn't a stress free micron fit, there's no magic or specific action screw torque thats needed.

The screws need to just be tight enough to insure the action doesn't shift between shots. Once thats achieved, you should be able to tighten the screws much more with no change in accuracy or point of impact.

If accuracy or point of impact can be changed by changing the action screws tightness, the bedding/pillars/stock and the entire bedding 'picture' needs to be looked at to determine where the issues are.

Good shootin' :) -Al
 
I use a real sophisticated method of holding the small end of the allen wrench between my thumb and forefinger and tighten.
 
Well, this is my first real Benchrest rifle and I didn't want to screw anything up before I even got a chance to shoot it :eek:
 
Well, this is my first real Benchrest rifle and I didn't want to screw anything up before I even got a chance to shoot it :eek:

Yep...always better to ask first rather than fixing it later. ;)

I put the barrelled action in with the screws just finger tight, then stand the gun upright with the butt on a pad or rug, loosen the screws a bit, lift the butt off the pad a couple inches and with my hand holding the action and stock together, I lightly smack the butt down on the ground to 'seat' the recoil lug. With my hand still around the action and stock, the action screws are snugged a bit at a time, alternating between them. Doing this a few times and feeling how the screws feel when you snug them down can give you good feedback on what the bedding is like. The screws should come up to 'tight' very quickly.

Keeping the gun vertical and feeling for any movement when the screws are cracked loose is another good thing to do.

Just my approach to it..... -Al
 
Yep...always better to ask first rather than fixing it later. ;)

I put the barrelled action in with the screws just finger tight, then stand the gun upright with the butt on a pad or rug, loosen the screws a bit, lift the butt off the pad a couple inches and with my hand holding the action and stock together, I lightly smack the butt down on the ground to 'seat' the recoil lug. With my hand still around the action and stock, the action screws are snugged a bit at a time, alternating between them. Doing this a few times and feeling how the screws feel when you snug them down can give you good feedback on what the bedding is like. The screws should come up to 'tight' very quickly.

Keeping the gun vertical and feeling for any movement when the screws are cracked loose is another good thing to do.

Just my approach to it..... -Al

The screws should come up to 'tight' very quickly.

Here is the key, if the bedding is right, screws should not need any"work" to get tight. They should come to a hard stop, and that's it. Same with proper scope rings, same with putting a barrel on. When it's right, you know it.
 
The screws should come up to 'tight' very quickly.

Here is the key, if the bedding is right, screws should not need any"work" to get tight. They should come to a hard stop, and that's it. Same with proper scope rings, same with putting a barrel on. When it's right, you know it.

yep what he said
 
Yep...always better to ask first rather than fixing it later. ;)

I put the barrelled action in with the screws just finger tight, then stand the gun upright with the butt on a pad or rug, loosen the screws a bit, lift the butt off the pad a couple inches and with my hand holding the action and stock together, I lightly smack the butt down on the ground to 'seat' the recoil lug.

This rifle doesn't have what I would really recognize as a recoil Lug when compared to typical factory rifles. It has a milled rounded groove on the underside of the receiver to align it. It's a BAT action, so I'm sure you're familiar with what it looks like. And yes, the bolts get tight all at once. I used Vibra-tite on then to keep them from loosening.
 
Back
Top