Customer Support for second hand items...

[David4516]

Feeling a little frustrated, need to vent...

So my Dad gave me one of his rifles, it's a Ruger No.1 in .223, made sometime in the late 90s or early 2000s. My Friend gave me a 5-15X40 Bushnell "Legend" scope which I plan to put on the rifle. So I'm pretty pleased seems like a nice setup especially considering I didn't have to pay for any of it

However neither item came to me with any of the original documentation or manuals or boxes or anything. So I'm trying to gather some info on them and not having much luck with google searches. Decided to contact the manufactures (Ruger and Bushnell) directly.

Started by asking both for the manuals, which both were happy to send me. So far so good. However neither manual answered my questions. On the rifle, I am trying to figure out what the rifling twist rate is so I know what kind of bullets to buy. On the scope, I'm trying to figure out if it's first or second focal plane. I am 99% sure that it's a second focal plane because the reticle looks the same on all power levels as far as I can tell. So my follow up question is, at what power setting to I need to have it so that I can use the mil-dots? I think the max power is probably correct but I'd like confirmation. I'd also like to know how big the dots are, how far apart, etc, because I don't believe that all mil dot reticles are the same (maybe you guys know?).

Anyway I email back to both companies saying basically "thanks for the manuals but they didn't help what I really want to know is ______". This was about 24 hours ago and I haven't gotten any kind reply yet. I would think that these would be super easy questions for them to answer, I'm not sure what the hold up is. I even gave them the serial numbers thinking that would help speed things up. I guess I just need to be more patient

Have any of you had trouble getting information on a firearm or related item that you got second hand?

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Guesses and questions:

I'd guess 1:12 right for the twist but you can check it yourself of course.

Mil-dot?
Round or oval dots is the first to discern... Army or U.S.M.C.?

Focal plane?
Pick a distant object the nearest possible thickness to the thickest item in the "reticle"... span the magnification and watch fro a relationship change in the object and reticle.

24 hours is no time at all in a third party - non-warranty - query, especially this close to the end of the week. Give 'em a bit more time. Paying customers would likely and rightly chafe at them attending to strap-hangers's calls over them.


Todd.

 

[Jackal]

24hrs isnt long enough to wait. Lots of companies take days-week to get back to you. Patience is a virtue....

 

[David4516]

Patience indeed. About 30 seconds after I posted this thread Bushnell got back to me and said their reticle is the same as the US Army Mil-dot reticle, whatever that means. I need to do some searching on this... I am a total mil-dot noob all my other optics are just a regular duplex reticle. Heck I'm on optic noob in general I do most my shooting with iron sights...

They also said that I should turn the scope up to max power (which is what I had assumed but it's nice to know for sure now).

Paying customers would likely and rightly chafe at them attending to strap-hangers's calls over them.

I'm a paying customer too, I've bought many products from both Ruger and Bushnell in the past and will again in the future I'm sure.

24 hours just seemed like a long time when it's a very direct question that they should be able to answer quickly in a single sentence. Also I'm very eager to get this thing out to the range (hopefully this weekend) so the sooner I can figure this stuff out better...

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Army...

Math is different, dots are different and values vary over Marine Corps.

Stay away from Marine specific sites as they will lure you with their slightly more logical calculations though they won't apply.

Here's a look at why it matters:

http://mildot.com/reticle.htm

Todd.

 

[beatcop]

You're not going to get the kind of service you expect.

 

[jeep608]

Ruger has a page for determining the year a gun was manufactured. Go to www.ruger.com , at bottom of screen hit Customer Service . Then hit Serial number history and Instruction manuals. You have a choice of rifle, shotgun, pistol, revolver, suppressor. This will give you beginning serial number for each year made. Also on each page is a link to a PDF of the owners manual.
A good way to determine rate of twist is using a cleaning rod with swivel handle. Put the cleaning rod down the barrel, attach a patch or something that will follow the twist. Start to pull cleaning rod out of bore until you see rod is turning. Mark the exposed cleaning rod at the front of the muzzle with a mark on the barrel, such as the front sight or a piece of marked tape on the barrel. Continue pulling the rod out until the cleaning rod mark lines up with the the mark on the barrel again. The length of cleaning rod pulled out of the barrel is the rate of twist for 1 rotation .
I hope this was of help and not an insult to everyone that already knew the trick.

 

[BigBore45]

Just run a cleaning rod down the barrel patched with a mark on it, as soon as the mark start s to turn stop and measure from insert point to end of handle on cleaning rod. Then slowly push the rod down the barrel until the mark makes one revolution then measure the distance again. Walla you have your twist rate 1-your measurement differential here


Jeep608 beat me too it..:banghead:

Welcome to the forum jeep608

 

[Bullseye]

A good link for rifle barrel twist rates in pdf
http://www.exteriorballistics.com/reference/pdf/Twist Tables_Rifle.pdf

 

[Speedo66]

Computer Age Instant Gratifiation?

You didn't get an answer in 24 hours? Chill, that's very little time for the tens or hundreds of inquiries they may get every day.

In addition to answering non revenue producing questions they have a business to run. They'll get back to you, just give them a little time.

 

[joem1945]

Bigbore45 gave good advice to determine twist rate. I use a pretty new bore brass bore brush. Just maek the rod when the brush is just pulled into the rifeling and another mark on the length of the rod. Pull it slowly throught the bore until the mark rotates one rev.and marh the rod again. measure the distance between the marks and that's your twist rate. Odds are 1/12 or 1/14.

 

[HammsBeer]

Just give Ruger some time. They have some knowledgeable people to answer questions, but it can take a little bit of time to get to yours. I once contacted them and they were able to inform me about the twist rate and type of stainless steel used in the barrel.

 

[AnselHazen]

Straphanger?