Prior to 2010, I would have probably said that this tool was not necessary for the average shooter. After all, I had been mounting scopes, tightening the screws and floor plates in my firearms for over forty years without a problem. However, on a chilly morning in the Floridas Mountains of New Mexico on my once-in-a-lifetime hunt for the Persian Ibex, I changed my mind.

My outfitter had placed me in a makeshift blind along a well-traveled game trail to wait for a herd of Ibex that he knew would be passing by on their way to a meadow for their morning fare. My blind was perched on a ledge above the two-hundred foot canyon floor below. Despite my airborne training, I do not like heights, so I kept myself glued against the back of my blind as I waited for the Ibex. Around nine o'clock, right on cue, a herd came off the ridge to my left and angled their way towards my blind. I calculated that they would pass right under me. As they approached, I moved to the edge to take what would have been an easy shot and tripped. I fell on the rocks around my blind and knocked my scope loose. As I shouldered my gun, the scope flopped around like a Russian wobby doll.

As the herd passed beneath me, I wanted to cry, there was a huge billy in the 45" - 48" class walking slowly behind his nannies, and me with a floppy scope. Obviously, I did not take the shot. If I had owned a F.A.T. Wrench and properly torqued the scope mounting system, it would not have come loose and I would have been able to put that billy on the wall.

Under most conditions, when we tighten the screws down, we do it by feel and it is adequate, most of the time. Unfortunately, "most of the time" cost me a world class billy. I did manage to get a billy three days later, but it was not near as nice as the one that I missed due to my wobbly scope.

The F.A.T. wrench is a handheld torque wrench which allows you to apply accurate and recommended torque settings on scope rings, action screws and floor plates of your gun. Consistent torque on scope ring screws insure that your scope doesn't work loose over time and affect your accuracy. It provides torque adjustments from 10 inch pounds to 65 inch pounds, +/- 2 pounds.

The ¼" drive comes with a set of 15 bits as follows: Leopold/Buehler windage bit, #10 flat blade bit, #11 flat blade bit, #32 flat blade bit, 3/32" Allen bit, 5/32" Allen bit, T10 Torx bit, T15 Torx bit, T20 Torx bit and Square drive adapter bit.

Proper torque recommendations, both dry and lubricated, for the most common screws used in mounting scopes are included with the wrench. Note that most ring/mount screws are lubricated to prevent corrosion and thread-lock compounds should also be considered a lubricant.

As one would expect, all Wheeler bits fit the FAT, so this handy wrench is a perfect addition to any of the Wheeler screwdriver sets. With an MSRP of $59.99, it ain't cheap, but neither was my guided Ibex hunt. If you do a lot of hunting and have several different firearms, we recommend that you pick up this handy tool; it just might prevent you from missing that once-in-a-lifetime trophy. It comes with a plastic case, so you don't misplace the bits.