Sidewinder

R_Bert...will do, but probably need a Philadelphia lawyer to interpret them for me so I can understand what they're saying! I think part of it is no rimfire after deer season opens.

They are hard to find on the shelves. I have picked up a few bricks by being number one in line at Wally World...but almost feel guilty when I shoot them! Can you hunt squirrels with a rimfire on the WMAs?

I like that pic! A Hunter at a reasonable price... now that may be a challenge! Hunting may be better (easier) after the leaves fall.

Just got my Ruger MK lll Hunter, and haven't had a chance to do any "hunting" with it. Just curious about those of you that have had one for awhile...what have you hunted with it... and did it do the job you expected it to do? We all know it will punch holes in paper... but, will it put the meat on the table? Tell us your "hunting" stories...the successful ones, and the not so successful ones...sometimes there's a bit of humor in these! We've all heard fish stories about the big one that got away. how about the Ruger MK lll stories... let's hear 'em.

Latest Update to the Update. Ruger mailed me the proper scope base and screws for the gun, and I received them yesterday. Ruger customer service has been very courteous, helpful, and they did what they said they would do. I don't guess it gets much better than that. I'm a satisfied customer, and I highly recommend Ruger's service after the sale.

I've got have a set of grips like these for my MK lll Hunter!

Kschneider... thanks for the pic. Beautiful gun and beautiful grips. Two questions... where did you get the grips, and how much did they cost?

I'll say this and leave it at that. I have no ill will toward Academy Sports in Smyrna. Mistakes are made, and until they remove erasers from the end of pencils, we'll all probably continue to make them. I feel sure Academy Sports is a fine commercial operation, and we all appreciate them providing us with the products we want and need. After all, I had searched endlessly for this particular Ruger MK lll version far and wide, with no luck. The store was big, attractive, well stocked, and everyone seemed friendly and eager to assist customers. The price was obviously what I considered a reasonable price... otherwise, I wouldn't have bought it. I do remember half way kidding them about the box having a big orange DISPLAY sticker on the end, shouldn't there be a 10% discount. They were friendly and polite in telling me NO, and I had to chuckle for trying anyway.   With the exception that there were a few customers patiently waiting behind me, the experience was pleasant and without any pressure to buy. When I showed up at the front door, I told the lady who I was and that Dillon had put this gun on hold for me. I told her that I was a day early, as I was told they would hold it until Friday by Dillon. She made a call, presumably to the gun section, and sent me back to where the guns were, after telling me that the gun was actually back in the showcase. When I got back to the gun counter, Mark greeted me with the gun laying on the shelf behind him. He handed it to me, and I looked it over. When I said I wanted it, I was sent up front to pay the $10 background check fee. And, the search was on to find the box. It took a second person, but the box was found and put on the counter. I was given plenty of time to inspect the contents of the box, but it just didn't register with me that the scope rail and screws wasn't there. My paperwork was checked with the plastic overlays, and I made a couple of corrections. Another man was called back to look everything over, and Bill escorted me to the register. He was admonished by the cashier, for cutting the line, when there was no line at that register. The line was at the register beside that one. I showed my sales receipt to the same lady that had greeted me when I came in, and I was out the door. When I got home, things settled down and I was admiring my new gun. It was then that I realized the scope rail was missing, and called back to Academy. I made two calls back, and was told first by Ferris and later by Dillon that my gun did not come with a scope rail and screws. Dillon explained the model number indicated that it did not come with a scope rail and screws. Ruger says that it does, that it left the factory with them, and that they are sending me the scope rail and screws. Problem solved.   For some that seemed defensive over the issue, here's my reason for posting it on this forum.   1. I was told by Dillon that the gun would be held for me until Friday. It was not, and was on the shelf for sale to anyone on Thursday. Luckily, for me, I showed up one day early, and was able to buy the gun before it was sold to someone else.   2. I was told by Ferris and by Dillon, on two separate phone calls, that my model did not come with scope rail and screws. According to Ruger it does.   Broken promise to hold the gun for me, and a lot of BS about it not coming with accessories that it does come with.   It all has ended well...as Ruger is sending me the scope rail and screws...and I got there before the gun was sold to someone else. Thanks to all who voiced their opinions one way or the other. Don't we live in a great country where we're free to do that? God bless America!

TankerHC, I'm not exactly sure exactly what you're saying... or implying. At $25 for a scope rail and screws, I'd hardly sell my soul to the devil for a free one. Nor, would I say there was not one in the box, if there had been one in the box. It would take one sorry POS to try to pull a low down scam to get a free scope rail! I feel very proud of my honesty and integrity...it took me 72 years to keep it intact... because that was the way I was raised. I welcome the pulling of any and all taped film to show me and my gun...and the absence of any scope rail in the box. I don't care if you have bought 400 guns from Academy Sports, sir. If you're implying what it sounds like you're implying...I'll challenge you to a gentleman's wager. Have them pull the tapes with me and my gun box on it. If there's a scope rail in the box, I'll give you $1,000.00. If not, you give me $1,000.00 and write an apology on this forum. Sir, you can take away everything I own, except my integrity... that, I have to give away freely. And, I wouldn't do it for $26,000.00 when offered once. Why in the world would I do it for a measly $25 scope rail???? I wouldn't, and I resent any implication that I would.

Thanks to everyone for your honest suggestions about some sort of scope on my Ruger MK lll Hunter.   PackinMama...Sounds like you do pretty well with the BSA. I'm also worried about winding up with too much "stuff" on top of my gun. But, I can't pull the load on that $250 Burris FastFire lll, even though it looks like it would be the cat's meow.   Cannoncocker...I'll probably try your method of no scope for a while. Not sure if I'll be able to do head shots on tree rats at the top of tall trees! That Primary Arms @ $80 might work for me.   Hipower...I can see where the crosshair would be hard to get settled down in a reasonable time. The inexpensive red dot seems like the way to go. I may have a couple in a drawer. I'll try open sights for a while...may even try those light-pipes on the rear sight for the woods.   Jonnin...I will probably go with your red dot suggestion, with no magnification. Hope I can hit a 1" to 2" targer @ 50 yards.   Jeff43... The Millet SP-1 red dot @ $50 - $60 with a tiny 3 moa dot just might be doable for me. I'm thinking I might want something where I can go back and forth to the open sights for fun plinking.   Spikehunter... I don't think I have a Tasco red dot. But knocking around golf balls @ 25 yards sounds fun to me. I hope you find one for your Contender, and bag a monster buck! Those Contenders are a lot of fun aren't they? I like the idea of change out barrels for different calibers.

TennJed, not really "bad mouthing" Academy. Merely stating what happened to me there. 1. I was assured the gun was "on hold" for me until last Friday. I showed up on Thursday and it was back on display. 2. I was told the gun was not supposed to come with a scope rail and screws, according to it's  model number. Ruger said that according to that model number it does, and they're sending me one.   I suppose these circumstances could show up at any retail store. The place I hold them accountable is that they said they checked, and that the gun did not come with a scope rail and screws...according to my model number. At the very least, I expected them to call Ruger to verify this... but they didn't. They just tried to bamboozle me and didn't think I'd know any better...which I didn't.   I don't fault anyone for making mistakes. We all make them. It's those that make it right afterwards, that earn my trust and business.

Update on the scope rail and mounting screws debacle. Called Ruger today and they are sending me a scope rail and mounting screws. Just for the record...Matt, at Ruger in Prescott Arizona took my S/N and looked up my gun. He said it was a model 10118, and that it left the factory with a scope rail and mounting screws.   Thanks to everyone that offered words of encouragement. Ruger is making it right...and that's a class act. +1 for Ruger, -1 for Academy Sports.   Also see the specifics that I posted under "BUYER BEWARE". Thanks to all.

I doubt that is the case, TennJed. Probably more like it got misplaced, and then everyone had to CTA! Makes it a PITA for the customer though.

I'm not saying Academy did anything slimy, like purposefully removing and reselling my scope mount. From the get go... I could have lost the gun, due to it being put back on display after Academy's agreement to "hold" it for me for a specified time. Fortunately, I went in to pick it up one day early... otherwise, it would probably have been sold as these are very hard to find right now. Then, there was the scope rail and screw issue.   Dillon cleared the "hold" for me, and Mark was the one that sold me the gun. Ferris was the one that denied my gun was supposed to have a scopr rail and screws with it. Dillon re-confirmed what Ferris had told me about the gun not coming with a scope rail and screws. Bill was the guy that escorted me to the cashier for me to pay for it.   At the very least, there was some incompetence going on here. And... if they knew the gun was supposed to have a scope mount and screws included with it...then they lied to me, a customer. I'll eventually get a scope rail and screws for the gun, as the Ruger factory is stepping up and making it good. But, what does it say about Academy Sports in Smyrna? As I said at the very beginning of this thread... "BUYER BEWARE"!

Update... Just got off the phone with Ruger in Prescott Arizona. Matt checked my serial number, and model number, and said it left the factory with a scope rail and screws. He took my address, and said they were sending me the scope rail and screws. My wait time on the phone was zilch. I think the secret to getting right through is to not press any of the numbers, and let their operator come on. She heard my brief story and sent me immediately over to customer service and Matt. Excellent resolution to my problem...absolutely a first class operation.   Now...about Academy Sports... I had not one but at least two people that told me the scope rail did not come with the gun. Shame on Academy Sports! Yes, they are big and an attractive store... but honesty and integrity means far more to me than the furnishings and shinny trappings. +1 for Ruger, - 1 for Academy Sports.

Wow! You mean there is any of Shelby Forrest left for hunting! I hunted there in the late 60s, and figured it was all housed over by now! Yes, I realize I'm responding to a post from '08... who knows. Maybe there are some current Shelby County hunters reading this. Used to hunt quail, dove, squirrel, rabbits and deer all over the area around Millington. Caught some nice bass/trout in the area in those days too. Hope there's still some left.

I have a Ruger MK lll Hunter, and am considering a scope for hunting small game with it. I'd like to hear from those of you who have used this gun with optics. Did you install a red dot or crosshairs? Why did you choose the one that you chose? Is one better than the other on a Ruger Hunter, and if so, why? Makes and models and their advantages would be good too. The scope I choose needs to be inexpensive... I don't want to spend as much on the scope as I did on the gun. Details...Details...Details! Thanks for your help.

I did some checking on "Snopes". Turns out they are a husband and wife team... not some massive clearing house... that more than likely will give a liberal bias to most political subjects. Not exactly "objective", IMHO!

Shawn,   Do you harvest the hides in the summer months? I've heard they can be pretty mangy. I have an e-caller and decoys...and would like to do some coyote hunting this fall and winter, in the Murfreesboro- Rutherford County area. I've been a couple of times, with no success. Need some afield tutoring by someone that has been successful.

It's a rifle, that I paid almost $70 ( what would $70 in 1968 dollars be in 2013 dollars?) for back in the late 60s...brand new, at a Western Auto, I believe. I've had to reseal it once, but it shoots hard. Obviously, I think it is a good one. I also own a Gamo that is scoped. The Gamo is a break barrel action type, and shoots well also. Both "make noise" when reloading for the next shot.

I appreciate the heads up information on the dot type scopes. I will probably shoot it for a while using the open iron sights. Any experience with the traditional cross-hair type scopes on the Ruger MK series pistols?

My Sheridan "Blue Streak" does well with the Benjamin Sheridan 5mm (.20 cal) 14.3 grain pellets.

Dolomite, thanks for the information about Ruger's customer service call in service. I'm a cheapskate and have only 450 minutes per month on my plan. I didn't want to burn a big chunk of them "on hold" with Ruger customer service. But, if you're saying it only takes 4 to 5 minutes to get through, I'll give it another shot. Thanks.

Got one too. Problem is finding a place to hunt...a safe place to hunt. The hunting woods are not the same as when I was a youngster hunting with a single barrel, and five shells to my name... if I was lucky. I do appreciate my senior lifetime license though, and it's just great to be able to get into the woods with a gun.

Bird hunting... being an old cuss, that brings up memories of my teen aged years. The gun of choice was the only one you had in those days. No one could afford a gun for every type of hunt. It had to work for quail, dove, rabbits, squirrel, ducks, and even deer (why do you think they call them "buck shot". As many have said here, a good bird gun is light with a fast swing. The choke has a big role in bird hunting as well. Take a full choke, get a fast close in shot, and you're going to tear the bird up so bad you won't have anything to put on the plate. Improved cylinder choke is best for close in...and a modified choke for the longer shots, if you get an OU. Don't want to tear the birds up too much. Wild quail, done in a black iron skillet, on top of the stove...cooked like southern fried chicken, will be mighty tasty.   Good luck on the gun shopping...good luck on the bird hunting... and good eating on the table!