Today I received a package from Midway which I placed an order for Saturday. Included 10 boxes of Browning branded .223 ammo that was on clearance, a SOG knife that looked like a good deal for its price range, and a Leupold VX Freedom 1.5X4X20mm scope I had ordered for a Ruger Hawkeye International in .223 that I've owned for approx. 3 years and have never shot.
I had done some prep work on the rifle in anticipation of eventually mounting the scope. I posted that under gunsmithing although its stretch to say any 'smithing' took place.
Anyway, my experience is sometimes Ruger rings need a little help aligning. I'll recap quickly. Case in point. Here they are mounted and with alignment points in place.
So I put the 1 inch diameter lapping bar on them as a jig so to speak. Tightened up the ring tops and then torqued the base screws to spec.
Took ring tops off and dropped alignment points into ring bases again. Much better results.
Then cut the clear shrink wrap off and I unbox the scope and noticed this.
Looking at it the coating had been scuffed and almost rubbed off. One would think it had been mounted although no visible ring marks are present. I was a little disappointed because now I had to weigh if it bothered me enough that I planned to return it. I was more concerned that it was possible the scope was sent back, was re shrink wrapped and put back in the inventory. So I started a live text chat and discussed the issue with a service rep at Midway. He apologized and offered to take the scope back. I told him I just wanted a documented history of the issue as I planned to keep the scope and if there were issues at the range (unable to hold zero) I would have something to support me. He stated they have a 90-day return policy and the scope had a lifetime warranty via Leupold. I thanked him. Took a screen shot of the discussion and logged off.
After adjusting the focus the scuff is now on the bottom of the scope and I can live with that if everything else works out.
The scope went on pretty quick. I had the rifle leveled via a clamped-on barrel level as well as two other scope levels in play and a plumb line on the wall to help with alignment. I torqued the ring screws to spec with a Fat Wrench and then did a quick bore sight check. Windage required no adjustment and was dead on from the git-go and scope cross hairs are 2 inches low at a hundred yards. I didn't adjust anything and if no one messed with the turrets the sight-in at the range should be relatively quick.
Bolt easily clears the scope in the apex of its movement range.
I played around with the scope a little before it went in the rings. Glass is clear, I'm happy with the effort it takes to adjust magnification. I really like the design of the thin reticle. The scope compliments the classic contours of the international stock. For its price range I'm satisfied.
It's a tidy little package and I'm glad I resisted my propensity of putting large glass on more compact rifles.
.. Comes with a rail on it and I already have a scope for it.
. Picked up some 209 primers for it today and still need to get powder & bullets. Has a fluted, 26 inch, Bergara barrel with a threaded muzzle and I'm gonna wait until I put a few rounds through it before deciding on a muzzle brake. Feeling like a 10 year old who just got a new BB gun for Christmas.
