Ruger No. 1 - Accuracy?

[Posit]

What's the consensus on accuracy of a Ruger No. 1 in 25-06, up to 500 yards plus?

Have a chance to buy one at a good price, and they seem fairly common, but I've never heard much about their accuracy potential. I've also heard some older models, manufactured during a period when Ruger oustsourced their barrel production, are poor. I handload, which helps rifle, but...?

 

[fdshuster]

Posit: I bought a used Ruger #1, mfg. 1985), in 25-06 last Summer with the idea of re-barreling to 223. Most experienced I talked to refused to re-barrel, saying there were too many built-in problems with the #1. Contacted Ruger & was told they would only re-barrel to the original cartridge. Contacted E.A.Brown, Minnesota?), and they said "we stopped re-barreling #1s' 2 yrs ago, too many problems". Persisted, and a local gunsmith reluctantly agreed to rebarrel with a new Shilen 1-9 chrome-moly. He put a lot of blood, sweat & tears into the job, but it turned out very good: better than I expected. Not bench-rest category, but easily "minute-of-groundhog" out to 250 yds. Vertical stringing is a problem when/if the barrel heats up to any degree. Still can't beat a good bolt-action, Rem 700/Savage, etc) if you want consistant, dependable accuracy. Just my experience/opinion.

 

[butchlambert]

Marlee Parks out of Wash. state does miracles with the #1. Probably the best that I know of.
Butch

 

[TresMon]

No one believes me except my shooting/competing buddy that witnessed it, But I had a Factory #1 in .243 that would shoot .2", three shot groups,light barrel) @ 100 all day long, and ONCE shot three in .098."

 

[Posit]

Did a lot of reading today - various forums - and think I'm going to let this opportunity go by.

It appears that a small minority of users get a "good one" out of the box, but most are mediocre and difficult to improve,as stated above). Too bad; Ruger has been making them for a long time, so someone is buying them, and everyone likes the look and design - they just can't be counted on to be accurate.

Think I'll put some more pennies together and opt for a Sendero in 25-06; that should give me minute of groundhog at 500 plus.

Thanks for the input--

 

[tenring]

The #1's are beautiful. I have had several, and had accuracy problems with them. However, many owners claim fantastic accuracy. Problem is in the method Ruger uses to hang the fore end. Drawing the screw up presses the wood against the barrel, kills accuracy. I still own a 1-V in 25-06 which shoots fairly well i.e. 3/4th" average groups with the Speer 87 gr. TNT and IMR 7828. Other bullets shoot poorly. I installed a Moyers trigger and had a smith in upstate Pennsylvania alter the fore end. Before that groups were 1 1/2" to 3".

 

[Clark]

I have bought 4 of the #1s over the last 5 years:

223 standard, will shoot less than 1.0 inch
7mm mag, will shoot less than 1.0 inch
223 Varmint, will shoot less than 0.5 inch
270Win, will shoot less than 2.0 inches

I bought them all to re barrel, and by the 4th one, I finally found one that needs rebarrelling.

I am going to convert the 270 to 6mmBR.


Relieve the fore stock so it does not touch the barrel, and put a rubber washer under the screw.

The Rem700 may shoot gas in my eye, so I would need to hunt with safety glasses.
The hammer and firing pin is all enclosed on the #1.
I can overload until the primer pocket is twice as big and the flash hole is 10 times as big. No gas hits my face.

 

[treeman]

clark, just keep adding powder you'll eventually get an eye full. if you run out of room just move to pistol powder. naw just kidding_______treeman

 

[Clark]

Here is a picture of shooting Blue Dot pistol powder in a Ruger #1 .223.

The bullet is a 33 gr Vmax.
a) The normal load I use is 15 gr 3550 fps.
b) The threshold overload is 18 gr 4050 fps ok, 18 gr 4150 fps pressure sign.
c) The pic is of 19 gr and 20 gr and it did not spray any gas on me.



My hunting buddy got eye damage Wednesday, when a 15 gr Blue Dot 33 gr case head pulled off inside a Rem700 .223.

He says his corrective action is to use only new brass or brass he has resized and to always wear eye protection.

I think the corrective action should also include getting a Ruger #1.

 

[GermanS1]

I have a #1 in .22 Hornet which I really enjoy shooting. I have no idea what it's ultimate accuracy level is, since its not a competition rifle for me, I just load some basic "book loads" and shoot it for fun, mostly standing. It has a Unertl 20X which looks perfect on it and is a great scope.

The article about the #1 in the August, 2008 Precision Shooting has a few sources and some ideas. I bought this rifle as a Hornet because I really wanted to shoot that cartridge and it's fun. However, I know that at some point I'll rebarrel it just to try something else. I'm undecided between .225 Win. and 30-30, I have a ton of new brass for both, and both are classic cartridges that would work nicely in this type of rifle. I'm leaning towards the 30-30 since my use for the rifle will continue to be informal, fun shooting and I like .30 caliber. I shoot prone Highpower matches almost every weekend of the year, accuracy is crucial there; but for me, the #1 is a break from having to squeeze out every last drop, it's a "shooting rifle" that's enjoyable on its own merits,beauty, classic lines, nostalgic air). It's no Benchrest rifle, but I don't ask it to be one either.

 

[flatlander]

Last winter I agreed to re-barrel a friend's #3, which is basically a #1 with a Winchester-style underlever in a carbine-style stock. When I'd finished the job, I swore I'd never do another one, and I'm sticking to that promise.

The owner has never gotten back to me with a report on how it shoots - I chambered a nice PacNor sporter bbl. for 6BR, and have been wondering how he got along with it.

 

[GermanS1]

Dennis, do you have a tight neck 30-30 reamer? ;^)

 

[SongdogHunter]

As much as I love #1's I wish more people would learn how to barrel them. They are a real nice classic rifle. I had one go south on me a few years ago. This is what happens when you use the wrong speed powder for the given bullet weight. It vented everything forward and I receiver barely a scratch. Though the action was toast and the the block locked it. Mark Stratten in OR thinks it was probably in the 70-75K PSI range. Even though it destroyed my custom rifle, I will build another.

SDH

 

[flatlander]

German,
I'm perverse enough to enjoy casting bullets for use in a match grade bbl. chambered for 30-30, but not perverse enough to volunteer to do another barreling job on a Ruger single shot!

Seriously, the 30-30 is a great cartridge for cast bullet accuracy, with practically ideal case capacity and that long neck. I'd love to have an original Winchester 1885 hi-wall in 30-30 - most of those old Winchester barrels are so good with cast bullets that I wouldn't feel the need to rebarrel to get the kind of accuracy that would surprise most modern shooters.

 

[fdshuster]

flatlander: You're "hands-on" experience mirrors what my gumsmith went through when he re-barreled my #1. As mentioned above, he did an outstanding job, as with all his other work for me, just re-barreled a Sako L-46 w/ a Hart), but said, after completing the #1, " It will probably be another 4 years before I agree to do another one of those". Had he charged me for the actual hours spent on the re-barrel, the cost would have been out-of-sight.

 

[Clark]

I put an expensive Kepplinger set trigger in one of my #1s, but a huge improvement resulted without using the "set" feature of the Kepplinger, but jut that it pushed up on the sear bar further back for more leverage.

Here is how I would modify the trigger.

 

[Badlands]

I shoot 1,000 yd. BR, and last year I bought my first No.1V in 25-06 to try at 1,000 yds. The gun seems to be accurate enough however, even with a death grip pulling it down onto the front bag, the narrow round
fore stock torque rolls to the right too much for me to get back to my clay bird sighter in time to see my hits. And, I need to see my dirt hits in order to adjust my scope for the paper score shoot. I don't think I will use the Ruger for LD BR any more, but it's a beautiful gun and I will be using it for other events. It's a hunting gun, but I plan on using mine for small local short range events, and having a lot of fun with it.
"Badlands"