How-To Install a Red Dot Sight to a 12 Gauge Shotgun With Wheeler Torque Wrench

With the opening day of the Spring turkey season fast approaching, I can’t hide the excitement that I feel with less than 3 weeks away.

Turkey season means so many things to me both spiritually and socially, that I seem to get an earlier start on planning each year.

The more I learn about turkey hunting, the more I have to adapt how I hunt them. It’s like anything we’re passionate about, the more we learn, the more we want to learn about it. One of the big takeaways from last turkey season for me was target acquisition time and shot distance.

I’ve made more mistakes hunting turkey than I care to mention, but I always try to learn from my mistakes to never repeat them. I lost multiple opportunities in previous years because I couldn’t get my front sight lined up at 50 yards in time for the turkey to sense something was up and fly into the trees. Another issue is during the early morning, as the sun comes up and burns the fogs away, it’s difficult to line up a shot at 50 yards.

I’ve used my Wheeler F.A.T. Wrench for about 2 years and I absolutely love it for its versatility, accuracy, and durability. If you’re a new or veteran turkey hunter and are considering installing a red dot sight onto your shotgun, this blog is for you.

What is the Wheeler F.A.T. Torque Wrench?

Wheeler’s F.A.T. (Firearm Accurizing Torque) Wrench has been my go-to tool for installing all of my optics, rail systems (Weaver, Picatinny), lights, and laser attachments for the past 2 years.

The F.A.T. Wrench is a pre-loaded, manually adjustable torque wrench to ensure you always have the exact right amount of torque on your screws.

I know there are many of our readers that are like me and disregard this as unimportant. It took me a while to learn just how bad it is for my optics and my guns to tighten over/under-tightening screws for weapon attachments.

Stripping screws because of incorrect bit size or over-tightening can destroy the optic or gun and leave you with no warranty because of negligence. I bought the analog Wheeler F.A.T. Wrench, but I wish I bought the digital model if I’m being honest.

The analog F.A.T. Wrench is only $56.43 on Amazon right now, while the Wheeler Digital F.A.T. Wrench is on sale right now for 74.17. Both prices are unbeatable for any other website and are tools that will last you for years if you take care of them.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Wheeler F.A.T. Wrench, we have some other great guides for you to read?! The Complete (Hands-On) Guide to The Wheeler Torque Wrench.

How Much Torque Should I Apply to an M193 Picatinny Rail?

I used the Weaver base mount because the full base mount was the only one that would fit on my Stoeger M3500 that I could find locally. Wheeler recommends we use 18-20 in-lbs on the F.A.T. wrench.

This is so incredibly easy to do on the F.A.T. Wrench by pulling down on the F.A.T. Wrench handle and turning it counterclockwise until you reach 18-20 in-lbs and setting the handle back into place.

How Do I Know How Much Torque to Use?

The best part about the Wheeler Engineering F.A.T. Wrench is the audible click and tangible rotation of the wrench to notify me when my screw is tight enough. The wrench will click 3 times without moving the screw to notify me when to move to another screw.

I not only use the Wheeler Engineering F.A.T. Wrench because of its convenience and versatility but also the fact that it improves my safety by ensuring my optic will not fly back and smack me in the face as I fire my 3.5" 2 oz. Magnum turkey shell.

Sometimes, I’ve had an optic or scope come loose after the recoil of a shot because I took a guess on the level of torque, instead of taking an extra 45 seconds to be sure. I joke with my friends and family that it may have taken over 30 years for me to stop taking so many chances, but luckily I leave as little to chance as possible with firearms.

The first big step for every gun owner is making life easier with 1 tool that can handle all of your scope mounting needs. We will discuss whether you go with the 10-piece set or the 89-Piece set, later…

How Do I Install the Battery on the CTS-1300 Red Dot Sight?

1. Use the Allen wrench that came with the RDS and place it into the slots on top of the housing (as seen below).

2. Turn the Allen wrench counterclockwise to release the optic from the Picatinny M193 base mount.

3. You’ll need to have a specialty wrench bit to remove the battery lid to get to the compartment that isn’t included in the 10-bit package that I originally bought. I had to buy the 55-piece set to get the #1 Phillips size that is smaller than an average paperclip point.

4. Remove the side compartment to reveal the battery tray. Place the battery in the tray, it will only go in one way so it won’t click if you place the battery the wrong way.

5. Once the battery is properly inserted, place the housing back onto the M193 rail mount and attach it to the base mount on the shotgun.

How to Sight in a Red Dot Scope on a Shotgun For Turkey Hunting

1. Always double-check your shotgun to ensure it’s unloaded and your shotgun is on safety or secured.
2. Attach the Wheeler Laser Bore Sighter to the muzzle of the shotgun and it will magnetically attach.

3. Turn on the CTS-1300 by pressing and holding either brightness level for 3 seconds.

4. Line your shotgun up to eye level and adjust the CTS_1300 RDS reticle to the green laser point on the reflective paper.

5. Adjust your Windage and Elevation knobs on the CTS-1300 housing to line up with the green laser dot. This will get you on paper! With a shotgun, you don’t worry about being as precise, as long as your spread is uniformly on the target.

How Big is the Crimson Trace CTS-1300 RDS?

The CTS-1300 is only 1.16" wide and only 1.91" in length. The window into the multi-coated lens is objectively a few mm bigger than the size of a quarter. However, the small size and wide window for an RDS gives me a lower profile than many other optics.

How Should You Store My Wheeler, Torque Wrench?

This is very important, so please make sure you’re paying attention to how you store your F.A.T. wrench. Once you set your pounds f pressure and finish securing your screws, it’s vital that you release the tension back to zero to ensure your wrench lasts as long as possible. It won’t kill it if you forgot for a week or so, but it could damage the springs if left loaded that long.

Why Should You Buy The Digital Wheeler Torque Wrench?

The Digital F.A.T. Wrench with the 89-piece bit set will cover every type of screw, from the smallest screws on the back of an optic battery panel to my 7mm Rem Mag scope rings. Wheeler gives me the opportunity to conserve space on storage and time by searching for the right bit.

Attaching my CTS-1300 shotgun RDS would have been as easy as pressing a button to 18 in.-lbs and using the right bit until the digital click sounds off 3 times. If you’re tired of stripping screws or having inconsistent performance with scopes and optics, the Wheeler F.A.T. Wrench is the answer to your problems. Good Luck and thank you for spending time with Re Factor.

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