How ofton do you check for loose action screws & how tight do you keep them/VERY TIGHT RIGHT?and how tight are the recoil bolt lugs that go thru the wooden stocks suppose to be?VERY TIGHT RIGHT?Compressing the wood tight?
Do you have to check bolts and screws everytime you shoot your big bores?Just wondering... i have had several that seem to work loose over time from recoil..have you noticed this problem before on any rifles?
Also would you trade in the flat head screws on a action for the allen head type?

The actions screws on big bores will loosten after every shooting session,no matter how tight you tighten them.As they loosten,the point of impact will drop and you will get large groups and flyers.You may get a very good group one week but when you return to the range again you will be dissapointed.You MUST use loctite and check your screws after every session.The same goes for the screw on the express sights.This screw should be checked by tapping the sight continuosly with some effort on the side,with the plastic handle of a screw driver.You MUST makesure the sights don't slide or shift when you tapp them.This screw may not show signs of loostening when checked with a screw driver.You need to tap the sight.A loose sight screw shows up on the target as a shifting group.

set them firmly and then check them "every once in awhile" to learn your gun LONG before a hunting trip. Don't over tighten, or you'll wind up stripping the screws and needing to replace them. Some guns don't change POI after every time you "adjust" the screws, most do. Don't fiddle with it, try to get it to "Set it and forget it"

if you do replace them, think torx or hex head.

Might consider doing what many experienced long range/prone match shooters do and that is once the correct torque is set on the action screws, a small dab of white/red, etc. paint is struck across the screw head and the bottom metal and a quick glance will indicate if there has been movement or change. Some simply place a small white dot where the screw slot is and does the same thing, but I prefer the small white line approach. Sight screws as mentioned can be a problem for some years ago while shooting Palma at Perry, had an excellent string going at the 1K line and shots started drifting off in all directions on the target face. Action screws secured, marks lined up, front sight tight marked and no movement, rear sight base marked and secure, but the actual sight attachment screws had worked loose. Too late, good score ruined. Twenty shots in less than 15 minutes will tend to shake things loose. I now mark all screw heads and good example of live and learn!

Darn good post, MFD

IMO,a one piece bottom metal is much better than two or three piece ones for keeping things tight and accurate.A plus for the CZ over Winchester and Ruger.

I usually break out the brownells screwdriver and check the action screws to see if they loosed up
every evening during a hunt just to be certain.

I bought a Brownells fixed blade screwdriver lately and it is top quality.

In my line of work as a oil and gas operator you have two kinds of people. Those who fiddle and those who leave it alone until it needs attention. The fiddlers always have to be fiddling as they seem to do more damage than good. I leave my screws alone once set and my zero on my RSM has been the same for two years now. Starting at the proper 'spec' torque on the screw will help too. If you are light and go shooting it will make it harder to get it tight later as everything on the gun is taking a beating, and possibly coming loose. Loctite is good for guns seeing a lot of rounds such as Shootaway's.

Change the action screws to Allen heads if possible, buy a 50 dollar torque wrench.
Record setting per rifle a simple ck will tell you if you are OK. If I can use steel pillars and glass bed the stock I torque to 65 inch lbs.

JD

quote:

Originally posted by MFD:
Might consider doing what many experienced long range/prone match shooters do and that is once the correct torque is set on the action screws, a small dab of white/red, etc. paint is struck across the screw head and the bottom metal and a quick glance will indicate if there has been movement or change. Some simply place a small white dot where the screw slot is and does the same thing, but I prefer the small white line approach. Sight screws as mentioned can be a problem for some years ago while shooting Palma at Perry, had an excellent string going at the 1K line and shots started drifting off in all directions on the target face. Action screws secured, marks lined up, front sight tight marked and no movement, rear sight base marked and secure, but the actual sight attachment screws had worked loose. Too late, good score ruined. Twenty shots in less than 15 minutes will tend to shake things loose. I now mark all screw heads and good example of live and learn!

Good info. I have had several big bore rifles that would loosen the screws.

Mark them and check them... Often.

on the big bores -- especially my ruger 77's-- the slanted action screw has to as tight as posssible to keep the tang fron breating the stock. On other brands, I just make positive they are tight enough nothing falls off.

I check every range session and keep action screws reasonably sung.

I use only hollow ground screw drivers so I don't marr flat head screws, but I like the looks of the Allen type better on custom rifles.

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
IMO,a one piece bottom metal is much better than two or three piece ones for keeping things tight and accurate.A plus for the CZ over Winchester and Ruger.

Not so sure about that.

I believe that the old Winchester system with 3 screws was much superior for allowing you to achieve the proper torque settings without inducing stress into the action/bedding.

Rear tang screws are what you should watch......if over tightened you will ruin the bedding...especially on actions with small rear tangs.

Once had a one piece plastic trigger guard assembly or bottom metal on my Steyr modelM proffesional in 270win.The trigger guard would weaken and sometimes crack around the guard screws after a few sessions at the range.Groups would worsten until I replaced the trigger guard with a new one.Once replaced, groups would really tighten up.I must have replaced the thing about ten times and each time it was the same story.Until recently I thought that a steel trigger guard,be it one ,two,or three piece would be strong enough and such an issue wouldn't arise.While discussing my custom rifle project with my gunsmith lately,I was told that the Win three piece bottom metal had to be changed again and again because it does not hold up or last and the CZ action with it's one piece bottom metal is a better thing.I wonder if the three piece Ruger set-up is responsible for some accuracy issues I am having lately.I would much prefer a quality, one piece bottom metal with a machined magazine.I think it would make a rifle very accurate and consistant,especially if it is hand fitted by a stockmaker or gunmaker.