Ruger No 1 rifles
- Thread starter Wishbone
- Start date
Redfrog
Moderator
Wishbone, I have 3 Ruger #1's. 7mm mag in a 1B and a 25.06 and.223in a 1V. the ..223 makes shots to 350-400 yds. regularly. Mine are not fussy and will shoot moa or better at 100. If the truth were known they shoot better than I do. I,ve had them for years and really like them. With practice the second shot comes quickly if needed. I have missed doubles but not because I couldn't reload fast enough. These guns are also easy on the eyes.
Some people say they have had to dink around with them to get them to shoot well. I've been lucky, I've only had to load them and squeeze the trigger. Which by the way shouldbe reworked or replaced. My .223 is a real shooter with about a 10 lb. trigger, I can only guess how it will shoot if I can ever find a smith to change it.
Some people say they have had to dink around with them to get them to shoot well. I've been lucky, I've only had to load them and squeeze the trigger. Which by the way shouldbe reworked or replaced. My .223 is a real shooter with about a 10 lb. trigger, I can only guess how it will shoot if I can ever find a smith to change it.
dogcatcher223
New member
Don't throw the dice on one. I bought a #1A and it would not shoot! It was shooting patterns, not groups. I tried 3 different scopes, and every brand of factory ammo i could find and it literally would shoot 4" groups at 100. Biggest piece of junk i have ever owned. I even wrote Ruger a letter cause i could never get through on the phone. They send my no response. I finally sold it for $400 to some guy whose buddy was a gunsmith. I went out and bought a bolt action and could not be happier. I still think about the hours i wasted shooting that piece of crap! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif
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Michael J. McCasland
New member
I've got two Ruger single shots and here are my thoughts [hey that rhymes].
One of them is a box stock #1 in 22-250 with a 3-10 simmons 44mag on top. This rifle was my main coyote shootin' rig for several years. I never did much target work with it but I know it will go 10 out of 10 on steel chickens at 200 meters and it will kill a runnning coyote from 20 to 200 yards. the trigger is not what an after market Moyers (~$45.00 from Midway) unit could be but you can get used to it. With a cartridge sleve on the but stock follow-up shots are not a problem. It is a real kick to go out with a diehard semi-auto shooter and take a double with a singel shot right in front of their eyes (I supposes that makes me sound like an elitist snob, I'm not, ya gotta find fun where it can be found).
I've written about this rifle before. I got a hankerin' for a more fur friendly single shot and took one look at the price of a new #1 in 223. It scared me to death so I started lookin' around and found an old butchered #3 (a carbine version of the #1, mostly the same action with a different trigger housing/lever arangement, smaller forend and little more than a block of wood 10/22-mini14 style butt stock). The price was right so I bought it. Midway had CM Shilen barrels #5 contour, the 223 extractor was from Gun Parts Corp., the gunsnmith put in a nice tight stock 223 chamber and installed the barrel and a #1 site base rail, cut it to a handy 22" and put in a 10 degree target crown, I installed a Moyer trigger, and placed a 3-9 B&L Elite 3000 scope on top and did a bunch of stock work. Accuracy wise it will regularly break 4.5" balloons at 300 meters, thatsgood enough for me. This little coyote/fox/bobcat killer turned out better than expected and it is my Go-To weapon right now.
I have several other predator rifles but the Ruger Singleshots are my very favorite field guns.
One of them is a box stock #1 in 22-250 with a 3-10 simmons 44mag on top. This rifle was my main coyote shootin' rig for several years. I never did much target work with it but I know it will go 10 out of 10 on steel chickens at 200 meters and it will kill a runnning coyote from 20 to 200 yards. the trigger is not what an after market Moyers (~$45.00 from Midway) unit could be but you can get used to it. With a cartridge sleve on the but stock follow-up shots are not a problem. It is a real kick to go out with a diehard semi-auto shooter and take a double with a singel shot right in front of their eyes (I supposes that makes me sound like an elitist snob, I'm not, ya gotta find fun where it can be found).
I've written about this rifle before. I got a hankerin' for a more fur friendly single shot and took one look at the price of a new #1 in 223. It scared me to death so I started lookin' around and found an old butchered #3 (a carbine version of the #1, mostly the same action with a different trigger housing/lever arangement, smaller forend and little more than a block of wood 10/22-mini14 style butt stock). The price was right so I bought it. Midway had CM Shilen barrels #5 contour, the 223 extractor was from Gun Parts Corp., the gunsnmith put in a nice tight stock 223 chamber and installed the barrel and a #1 site base rail, cut it to a handy 22" and put in a 10 degree target crown, I installed a Moyer trigger, and placed a 3-9 B&L Elite 3000 scope on top and did a bunch of stock work. Accuracy wise it will regularly break 4.5" balloons at 300 meters, thatsgood enough for me. This little coyote/fox/bobcat killer turned out better than expected and it is my Go-To weapon right now.
I have several other predator rifles but the Ruger Singleshots are my very favorite field guns.
Jack Roberts
Moderator - Deceased
Michael, if that rhymes, even I could be a poet. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Jack
Jack
Howard Nguyen
New member
The Ruger No.1 is one very challenging rifle for those who have taste for challenge and also got a thick wad.
I had one No.1B in .257 and a friend has a 1V with heavy barrel in 7mmMag. We both bought our No.1's at the same time. We both grew grey hair with them.
We tried different handloads of varied seating depth. That did not work. We tried free floating barrel and glass bedding forearm. That did not do much improvement. We added Moyer triggers, lapped barrels and recrowned them. No improvement noted.
Well, it must be the recoil, we thought. So, my friend sent his off to Magnaport. After four cute slots were cut on the end of his barrel plus a re-crown job and a recoil reducer added to the buttstock, it still did not do any better than 4" groups at 100 yards on a good day. Most of the time it could only place six rounds out of ten on a piece of 8x11 paper at 100 yards. My Chinese AK47 did better than that.
After spending a year with all sort of tricks on these two Rugers, we both had it and took our to a known gunsmith in town. He listened to what we did and looked over the jobs done on them. The man suggested a rebarreling job..... for $450 each. He said Ruger production barrels were junk obtained from lowest bidders....meaning rejects and seconds.
I don't know how true that was, but I sure did not want to sink another $450 into that loser.
My friend and I took our No.1s to the gunshows and dumped them for $380 each. We paid $600 for it new, that did not count all the work added to them.
I coughed up another $300 and bought a Sako TRG-S. I have been one happy camper ever since.
My friend took his $380 and bought a Howa. That thing shot like a house on fire. He too is one happy camper nowadays.
No more Rugers from here on for both of us. They look good but they do not shoot well.
I had one No.1B in .257 and a friend has a 1V with heavy barrel in 7mmMag. We both bought our No.1's at the same time. We both grew grey hair with them.
We tried different handloads of varied seating depth. That did not work. We tried free floating barrel and glass bedding forearm. That did not do much improvement. We added Moyer triggers, lapped barrels and recrowned them. No improvement noted.
Well, it must be the recoil, we thought. So, my friend sent his off to Magnaport. After four cute slots were cut on the end of his barrel plus a re-crown job and a recoil reducer added to the buttstock, it still did not do any better than 4" groups at 100 yards on a good day. Most of the time it could only place six rounds out of ten on a piece of 8x11 paper at 100 yards. My Chinese AK47 did better than that.
After spending a year with all sort of tricks on these two Rugers, we both had it and took our to a known gunsmith in town. He listened to what we did and looked over the jobs done on them. The man suggested a rebarreling job..... for $450 each. He said Ruger production barrels were junk obtained from lowest bidders....meaning rejects and seconds.
I don't know how true that was, but I sure did not want to sink another $450 into that loser.
My friend and I took our No.1s to the gunshows and dumped them for $380 each. We paid $600 for it new, that did not count all the work added to them.
I coughed up another $300 and bought a Sako TRG-S. I have been one happy camper ever since.
My friend took his $380 and bought a Howa. That thing shot like a house on fire. He too is one happy camper nowadays.
No more Rugers from here on for both of us. They look good but they do not shoot well.
dogcatcher223
New member
Howard, your gun sounded exactly like mine! No one could figure it out. I lost $200 on it also when i sold it. Funny thing is i own 3 other Ruger bolt actions and they all shoot great. I am still pissed off about that crappy gun. Here is a story for you. I went antelope hunting one year and it was the only gun i had in a midrange caliber so i thought it would shoot good enough. Well...I shot at a buck and heard a "whack", my buddy proclaimed "you got him!", that is until he ran away. Then we saw something flopping in the grass behind and off to the side from where he was. Yep, i smoked a doe, and all i had was a buck tag. Piece of crap gun. i almost left it laying out in the prarie.
Thanks for the input guys! Seems like the same old Ruger saga. Love 'em or hate 'em. I have a Ruger M77R in .22-250 that shoots "very" well and I bought it used, although it looks like it was made yesterday! I guess Redfrog got lucky with his No.1's three times. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif There's only one way to find out if the one I'm interested in is a "shooter" or not!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Decision time.
Thanks again -Wishbone
Thanks again -Wishbone
dogcatcher223
New member
To me there is only one reason to own a singleshot, and that is price. And the Ruger does not fit the bill there, they charge more than for a bolt action! If i wanted a singleshot, i would go with a NEF, they are cheap atleast. otherwise give me a bolt with 5 shots and accuracy anyday. Number 1's have no real point in my opinion, there is zero advantage to only having one shot, and they kick harder.
Pickaway Mick
New member
I like my .243win #1....didn`t at first with factory ammo.After learning how to load my own I can easily shoot quarters at 100 yds off a rest.Fireformed cases, neck sized with with the collet die system is my method for loading.It`s easy and works well.All you have to do is play with overall length to get the barrel harmonics working in your favor.Whatever you get, a bolt action, or a single shot rifle, I recommend this system.
I can load a box of 20 tipped with 70gr Nosler Ballistic Tips for $5.40 where factory ammo with the same bullet is near $20 a box.And the bullet is seated where I want it.
As far as reliability,when I go varmint hunting I grab the #1.It shoots better with a fouled bore and I can live with that.From outing to outing all it gets is the brass brush thru the bore a few times.It gets no special treatment.
I can load a box of 20 tipped with 70gr Nosler Ballistic Tips for $5.40 where factory ammo with the same bullet is near $20 a box.And the bullet is seated where I want it.
As far as reliability,when I go varmint hunting I grab the #1.It shoots better with a fouled bore and I can live with that.From outing to outing all it gets is the brass brush thru the bore a few times.It gets no special treatment.
dogcatcher223
New member
Brad, all i can say is atleast it wasn't an elk. Ever try to hide and elk qaurter in your vehicle? Hahaaa
Ridge Runner
New member
Here's the deal on #1's I have 2 one a #1B in 270 wea mag and a #1V in 22-250.
90% of the accuracy problems in the #1's are attributed to forend pressure on the lighter barrels, thats why most #1V's shoot good, My 270 wouldn't break 2" when new. I talked to a guy who shoots benchrest comp. with a #1 in 6mm PPC he told me how to float the forend on them. My 1B will now shoot sub 1" groups. My #1V would do 1/2" any day with H380 and a 55 gr V-Max, I decided to float it, now its an honest to goodness sub 1/4" varmint rifle. cost for floating is maybe 2 dollars if you do it yourself.
RR
90% of the accuracy problems in the #1's are attributed to forend pressure on the lighter barrels, thats why most #1V's shoot good, My 270 wouldn't break 2" when new. I talked to a guy who shoots benchrest comp. with a #1 in 6mm PPC he told me how to float the forend on them. My 1B will now shoot sub 1" groups. My #1V would do 1/2" any day with H380 and a 55 gr V-Max, I decided to float it, now its an honest to goodness sub 1/4" varmint rifle. cost for floating is maybe 2 dollars if you do it yourself.
RR
dogcatcher223
New member
ridge, no offense, but every smith i talked to told me "oh, you have to..." about 30 different things. Bottom line is, why is Ruger selling a piece of crap for $650 when they know it will not shoot, and that the forearm design is flawed? I am willing to bet you could take off the forearm and it would still shoot like junk.
Quackerbox
New member
I have two #1's one in 25-06 and one in 22-250. Have two number 3's one in 7x57 and one in .223. I would like to buy everyone I can get my hands on but thats not possible for me. I love them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
dogcatcher223
New member
But Quack, do you think they are worth $200 more than a Ruger bolt action? Not sure how Ruger could justify that even if they did shoot good.
Howard Nguyen
New member
Dogcatcher,
That $200 extra is for the look. Ruger No.1 does look very elegant. If only look can kill...!!!!!
That $200 extra is for the look. Ruger No.1 does look very elegant. If only look can kill...!!!!!
quarterbore
New member
Hey Quakerbox, I got an old #1 for sale. It is 280 Rem. Barrel is marked 280 Rem or 7mm express. Wood is awsome. It will shoot under an inch with factory loads. Make an offer.