Manual says to use drill bits as gauge but numbers?

You gotta be kidding me. Any tool store that does not stock common number-sized drill bits is not a real "tool store".

Well around here none of the industrial supply house's like Granger or National Concrete stock them , they will of course order them in but that's a different story now isn't ? The same can be said for Homo Depot , Lowes , Cambodian Tire and all the local Lumber Yards which takes care of all the "Tool Stores" in this city .