Browning x bolt

[Gills]

I recently started playing around with a browning x bolt western hunter in a 26 nosler. I pulled the stock off to lighten the trigger up and man I am telling you the bolts holding the stock to the trigger where terribly tight. Does anybody know what the torque spec for these two bolts (holding stock to action) is?

 

[MudRunner2005]

Might be best to call Browning on that one.

 

[manitou]

About 45 lbs.

 

[Gills]

Talked with browning this morning they said to tighten these bolts to 18 inch pounds. In case anybody else has the same question

 

[manitou]

Funny... they said 45 inch pounds 2 years ago. Heck, scope bases are torqued to 22-25 inch pounds and rings to 17-20 inch pounds. 18 inch pounds would be pretty loose on an action screw that size.
Most manufacturers suggest 45-55 for synthetic stocks and about 45 for wood stocks.
X-bolt action screw holes in the stock lack circumferential support on the rear screw, proba ly the reason for only 45 lbs. My X- Bolts shoot .5 moa at 45 inch pounds, but then again I never saw a need to experiment further.

 

[Gills]

That's interesting. Maybe the guy I talked to just shot me a number. I do know that kimber recommends 10 on their mountain ascent rifle. I ran into troubles in accuracy on one and talked to them after dropping to ten it started grouping well.
But thanks for the input you have wondering if this info I got from browning was right I may email them again just to see if I get a third number

 

[Mike 338]

Talked with browning this morning they said to tighten these bolts to 18 inch pounds. In case anybody else has the same question

That sounds more like scope ring torque than action screws. Maybe those Browning folks are so busy counting their money that they never had the time to shoot a rifle, or at least adjust their own adjustable trigger.

 

[manitou]

Lol... probably could ask 15 people there and get 15 answers.

 

[Gills]

Lol that's probably true

 

[Mike 338]

I've been fiddling around with the torque on a Savage Accu-stock. They recommend 40-45 inch pounds. I get very bad vertical stringing with that though. Went out yesterday and did my own testing. Started at 45-45 (first number is front screw and second is rear). I picked this starting point because, evenly tightened, this is where any decent degree of uniformity began, although there was still frequent vertical stringing. Tightening the front screw 5 i.p. at a time and firing 3 shot groups, 60 i.p. is where things settled down. Did the same for the rear screw, leaving the front on 60 i.p. I had varying degrees of accuracy between 50 i.p. and 65 i.p. Will go back and re-test rear screw with 5 shot groups in 5 i.p. increments, between 50 and 65. I can tell that this gun won't shoot consistently unless the action torque is higher than factory recommended spec.

 

[Gills]

Wow that's interesting until my kimber I never knew that something this small would affect my accuracy this much. How is that stock bedded. On this browning I'm not sure if it is glass bedded or some sort of epoxy. I'm woundering if a different material here would cause for a different torque

 

[manitou]

Yes Gills. On pillar bedded actions, they recommend higher torque values. On wood stocks, due to wood compression, they recommend lighter values.
If you disassemble your X-Bolt and look at the rear hole for the action screw, it is only a half hole... making it not as rigid as a fully encircled hole... thus the reason for a lighter torque. Browning says their X-Bolts are glass bedded. Technically they are partially bedded, but they do shoot well as such. I completely epoxy bedded two of my X-Bolts... not because they needed it, but because I can say they having bedding jobs.

 

[cohunt]

http://precisionrifleblog.com/2013/03/22/rifle-screw-torque-settings-specifications/

here is another reference chart that has browning specs on it :
Note that these factory settings are suggestions and are not absolute (other than generally being considered max).
Many rifles will give better groups at different settings.

Manufacturer's Action Screw Torque Settings
BRAND MODEL FRONT REAR GUARD
(if any) NOTES
Accuracy International All 53 in/lb 53 in/lb --

Browning Wood or synthetic stocks 40 in/lb 40 in/lb Snug
Stocks with bedding blocks 65 in/lb 65 in/lb Snug
HS Precision All 65 in/lb 65 in/lb --
Kimber All 45 in/lb 35 in/lb not stated (snug)
Remington Early Sendero & Police rifles 45 in/lb 45 in/lb Snug confirmed
Sendero & Police rifles 65 in/lb 65 in/lb Snug confirmed
Synthetic and Wood stock 30-35 in/lb 30-35 in/lb Snug
Military M24/M40 65 in/lb 65 in/lb not specified
Ruger M77/MkII/Hawkeye 90 in/lb Hand tight then backed off 1/8 turn Hand tight then backed of 1/8 turn
Scout 90 in/lb 10 in/lb See note below
77/22 .22RF/.22Mag 50 in/lb Snug
77/.22 Hornet 80 in/lb Snug
Steyr All except SSG08 65-70 in/lb 65-70 in/lb n/a
Savage Accu-Stock 40 in/lb 340 in/lb Snug Wedge screw 40 in/lb
See note below
Any wood or synthetic stock 30-35 in/lb 30-35 in/lb Snug See note below
Rimfire 15 in/lb 15 in/lb
Springfield '03 Rifles All 60 -65 in/lb 60 -65 in/lb Tighten front first
Winchester Wood or synthetic stocks 40 in/lb 40 in/lb Snug
Stocks with bedding blocks 65 in/lb 65 in/lb Snug
Weatherby Wood stocked 35 in/lb 35 in/lb Tighten rear screw first
Fiber & Accumark 55 in/lb 55 in/lb See note below

Ruger Notes
"Firmly tighten" front mounting lug screw first.
No spec for 10/22 types other than "snug."

Savage Notes
Start about 10-15 in/lb below spec and tighten in small increments

Weatherby Notes
Tighten the rear screw first to 30 inch pounds.
Align the barrel to the center of the barrel channel in the fore stock.
Tighten the front screw to 30 inch pounds.
Tighten the rear screw to 50-55 inch pounds.
Finally, tighten the front trigger guard screw to 50-55 inch pounds.