Thread: Wheeler Tools

Has anyone had any experience with the Wheeler Fat torque wrench? Have been considering one for torqueing action screws etc. At present I use a Warren and Brown automotive unit which measures in N.M as in/lbs. It works ok but felt it may be easier to use one in a screwdriver type form. Also a Wheeler leveler devise for setting up scope cross hair level. The model is the one which clamps around the barrel and has a level bubble on it. Another bubble is placed on the top flat section of the action. From there they suggest you mount your scope then rotate it until becomes level with a bubble on the top turret cap. I prefer to use a plumb bob to align the reticle for this part. Any suggestions would be appreciated.Thanks

Torque wrench have come up in the past.... Haven't got one myself but thinking i'll need one in the future / now when. I swap stocks and scopes around more than I should

The FAT wrench is awesome. The adjustment scale is fairly course though.

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FAT wrench is a really great tool. Purchased one as a gift for my brother to stop him over tightening the small torx tips on scope rings with his sausage fingers and gorilla strength. Wish I'd got two.

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I have a fat wrench... I mean i have the fat wrench & it works well. Can't fault it.

Yep the wheeler fat wrench is pretty good.

I like it.

Cheers
Pete

Sounds like the Fat wrench will be in my reloading cabinet before long. Thanks for the advise. Hope to get the same response about the scope leveler

The magnetic scope leveller is rubbish. Haven't tried the one you're going for

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As above, the fat wrench is great but wouldn't recommend their levelling kit. Does anyone use a digital angle gauge/finder for levelling their reticle? Could be an idea and will be what I try next time. Cheers

I have the Wheeler Fat torque wrench and can recommend it certainly for its pricepoint. I was lucky I got mine off EBAY - lately though I haven't seen any that will sell to NZ. My set also came with some useful tips which I have added other sizes to including grinding down some larger tips to exactly fit screws – nothing worse than ill fitting driver tips that end up slipping out of the slots.

I also picked up a torque wrench from Torpedo 7 when they had them on special (they don’t seem to list the now though). I coupled the Torpedo 7 and the Wheeler together (like 2 torque wrenches shagging) and found them almost exactly in agreement. This of course doesn’t necessarily mean they are accurate…..just they agree.

I wouldn’t be tempted with the digital Wheeler but that is just my opinion, I have nothing to base it on.

Re there scope leveler – a fundamentally flawed concept. It relies on the turret cap being true to the reticle. I have only one scope that is absolutely spot on and that is my old NF NXS. The horizontal cross hair is parallel with the turret and the vertical hair is plumb with the turret. All confirmed using an expensive digital level and a plumb bob and string.

Of my other scopes the Leupolds are not bad although one has the crosshairs not at 90 degrees to each other. Hard to see by eye but picked up with the level and plumb Bob arrangement.

Once I got to my cheaper scopes they were all over the place. Also some turret caps by their shape don’t have much surface for a level to sit on.

Also to set the Wheeler barrel clamp level up you need to reference off somewhere on the action. I have set up scopes for mates and was amused to find that a level put across the rear dovetail didn’t always agree with the front – pretty astounding considering they are milled together. The other method I have seen recommended is to attach the bottom scope rings to the dovetails and put a level across them. In my own experience, generally woefully out. Maybe OK on super expensive rings.

For my F Class stuff I take a lot of care and align the scope centre thru the barrel centre in conjunction with a plumb bob to align the vertical crosshair.
I use a tool similar to this -

EXD ENGINEERING VERTICAL RETICLE INSTRUMENT | Brownells

For shorter range hunting set ups all of above is a bit anal.

Originally Posted by Mauser308

Of course, aligning the reticle to vertical and horizontal looks nice - but if the reticle is off to the axis of the scope's windage and elevation adjustment screws it don't mean nothin'.

Have had a new out of the box Leupold that the reticle was approx. 45deg out, awful quality control. Most scopes are a little on the piss but that Leupold was in a league of it's own... Another vote for the NF kit, very very accurately assembled and probably one of the few brands that I won't bother checking on the rifle after levelling the reticles.

Why would you bother even trying to set up a scope with a fault?
It is crazy to set up a scope like that and I never have. You need to find the optical centre b4 you start. Understand your elevation requirements, work out available and required elevation for use, and fit an approriate rail. Keep the max elevation adjustment well clear of its limit and the foublies that exist in that region aside from the degraded optical quality. And its the vertical hair that I rely on to be true/plumb not the 90 degrees relationship it has with the cross hair. Windage is zeroed at the longest range to be shot (lot of waiting for the right conditions).

And yes Leupold seems to be the brand that springs to mind for reticle problems although haven't heard of anything lately. Closely followed maybe by Vortex.
2 brands with impecable warranties - and you need it. Mmm likewise Sightron.