My CS settled at a shade over 8ft lb when the seal had bedded in, I could go for more power but it's superbly accurate, nice to cock and little recoil, as already mentioned the seals need sizing when new and should slide down the compression tube with very little resistance, never had to use a compressor on any of my BSA's, At the end of the day no one is likely to hunt with one of these now so accuracy and a nice action are far more important than power. Supporting at the butt/action joint will prevent the wood cracking along the pin location, very common on these rifles.