.338 Federal Revisited After Torquing Stock Screws

As promised, I used the Wheeler FAT wrench on the Ruger Hawkeye .338 Federal and got a chance to go to the gun club today and fire only 4 rounds at 75 yards. I limited myself to 75 yards as the weather conditions were windy to say the least.

My last episode just guessing on the tightness of the stock screws left me with 1.5 to 2 inch groups at 75 yards. That followed a previous session with 4 inch PLUS groups at 75 yards. (I have since received in WRITING FROM RUGER DIRECTLY that the front screw should be torqued to 95 inch pounds. ) That is tough to do without a gun smith level torque wrench or screw driver. There is nothing wrong with 3/4 inch groups even at 75 yards, however the 95 inch pounds is the official recommendation.

I am pleased with today's results of 3 shots into 3/4 inch center to center and the 4th shot opening up the group to 1 and 3/8".

I used the Wheeler Torque wrench to tighten the FRONT stock screw first to 65 inch pounds which maxed out the setting on the Wheeler wrench. Instructions indicate that the wrench is accurate to within 2 inch pounds. I then tightened the rear screw to 50 inch pounds and then brought the center screw to 1/4 turn past barely snug. In essence enough so it won't back out or fall out.



Here is the target from today's range session:

The Founding Fathers on the Second Amendment

"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason
Co-author of the Second Amendment
during Virginia's Convention to Ratify the Constitution, 1788

"And that the said Constitution be never construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the Press, or the rights of Conscience; or to prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from keeping their own arms; …"
Samuel Adams
quoted in the Philadelphia Independent Gazetteer, August 20, 1789, "Propositions submitted to the Convention of this State"