Advice Needed on Action Screw Torque

[South Pender]

I have a new-to-me Sako A1-action repeater 6 PPC and am wondering about optimal action-screw torque. I should add that the rifle has been pillar-bedded. Is there some consensus on this? Does the pillar-bedding eliminate concerns about action-screw torque (in that, with the pillars present, any tension will produce the same effects as any other)? Should both action screws be torqued to the same value? I have an accurate torque screwdriver so am able to set it from about 5 in./lbs. up to over 40 in./lbs. I tried torquing the screws to 30 in./lbs., and they felt very tight at that level. With pillars, will differing torques result in differences in accuracy?

Any advice on this will be much appreciated.

 

[Pappy42]

I'm thinking, that being pillar bedded, you would need to torque those screws to the same value. I have one target rifle that shoots lights out at 50 inch/pounds. I also have rifles that shoot very, very well at 65 inch/pounds; as recommended by my gunsmith.

A little experimentation, at the range should confirm what torque your rifle prefers.

 

[dedogs]

+1, dedogs

 

[dcali]

If it matters something is wrong. The whole point of pillar bedding is to put metal to metal contact from screw head to action. Tighten them up and shoot.

 

[Lapua40X]

"Optimal action-screw torque" may vary from one gunsmith to another but, in my experience, 60 - 65 inch pounds is generally the standard range recommended.
I torque mine progressively, setting them first at 40, then 50, and finally 60 inch pounds. At the very least, whether or not you believe that even torque on action screws makes a difference in accuracy potential, the proper torque will go a long way to ensure that they don't loosen up under the stress of action temperature fluctuations and recoil. If you've ever installed a cylinder head on an internal combustion engine without torquing the head bolts you'll understand what mean.

 

[carlsbad]

If it matters something is wrong. The whole point of pillar bedding is to put metal to metal contact from screw head to action. Tighten them up and shoot.

This.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

If it matters something is wrong. The whole point of pillar bedding is to put metal to metal contact from screw head to action. Tighten them up and shoot.

Pillars or not, screw torque will make a difference if the action wasn't bedded properly to be as stress free as possible.

Alex Wheeler has a good video on how to check how much your bedding job is applying stress to the action when torquing the action screws. No such thing as 100% stress free, but its easy to induce too much stress when doing a bedding job if not done correctly.

If too much stress is being created when tightening, then different torque levels may change the way the rifle shoots