Ring screws
Leupold has an excellent video on their website for mounting scopes.
Of course some might say: "So what does Leupold know anyway about mounting scopes". A valid point as they are only manufactures of scopes, rings, and bases. How could they possibly know how to mount one ?
The Leupold man says Leupold does not recommend loctite on the base screws, but if you are going to use it, as some like to, use the blue. He doesn't mention
the ring screws, but we noticed he didn't use any.
Dug up some instructions for some Burris rings (they were for STD and tip off
rings) that were about 10-15 years old. They say no "cement" on the ring screws. It seems we've read this in other places as well, but can't recall where at the moment, which is just heresay so we don't offer that up.
(One could construe, if done carefully, that "no cement on the ring screws" could mean that anything else on the screws would be o.k., or that cement in the screw holes would be o.k.. We were "shocked" actually that Burris was surprising "vague" on those two important points. Tremendously confusing to us on this end and
probably contributes to differences of opinion on this age old question. And rightly so.
Of course these instructions can be interpreted in many ways by the reader or
viewer as the case may be, depending on his or her (or other) interpretation
of the words "no", "don't" or "do", "yes", "no" etc....
In passing we would mention that we removed, a few years back, one of the old Griffin and Howe side mounts that were secured with 3 screws and 2 alignment pins from one of our favorite rifles. We know the mounts were installed for at least 50 years. There was no loctite on the threads nor were they particularly tight or difficult to remove (snug, yes). They had ridden on a horse a good portion of the time that we used it and were probably subjected to about as rough a treatment as a mount can get without calling it abuse (abuse as in the old definition at least). It was never known to shift point of aim.
Personally we have no opinion on the matter one way or the other. Which would seem to be the most political correct position considering the circumstances, or lack thereof. We try to remain "fair and balanced", you decide. OYE