determineing rate of twist

[Ruger No. 1]

I got a savage model 12 LRPV 22-250 from my grandpa a few weeks ago. its the older model of the LRPV's and does not have the 6 oz. trigger. I looked on savages website and it lists 2 rates of twists for the 22-250 (1in12 and 1in9) Im not sure when they started offering the differant rates of twist, but is there any way I can check the rate of twist on my gun?

[Rick in Oregon]

No.1: I'm not a Savage fan, but most 22-250's come with either a 12 or 14 twist barrel from most of the makers.

It's easy to determine twist though......put a patch on your cleaning rod jag (bore guide always), use a felt tip marker and put a hash mark on the rod at the top, right next to the handle of the rod so you can see it turn when pushed down the barrel.

Get a measuring tape, extend it out from the end of the receiver, hold it with your left hand against the end of the action (assuming you're right handed). Hold the other end of the tape with the rod in your right hand and slowly push the patch down the barrel, making note of when the hash mark returns to the same position it started out from. The measuring tape will tick off the inches as you run the patch down the barrel, and after one complete turn, you'll know exactly how many inches it took to make one turn in the barrel, which is the twist rate of that particular barrel.

Easier than it sounds, and takes less time than it took to type this response. Savage has always done things a bit different, so you may be surprised at the twist rate you come up with for that rifle.