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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 17,726
Campfire Ranger
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OP
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 17,726 |
Hi anyone have a #3 shooter thinking about a 375 win. but might go with another big bore.
Deer Camp! about as good as it gets!
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 32,044
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 32,044 |
If was to buy a Number 3 it would be in the 375 Win or 30-40 Krag
A Doe walks out of the woods today and says, that is the last time I'm going to do that for Two Bucks.
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 4,016
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2008
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If I were to get a #3, it would be in .223. The #3 doesn't handle recoil too comfortably.
Democracy is not freedom. Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to eat for lunch. Freedom comes from the recognition of certain rights which may not be taken, not even by a 99% vote. *Marvin Simkin* L.A. Times (1992)
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 6,549
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 6,549 |
If I were to get a #3, it would be in .223. The #3 doesn't handle recoil too comfortably. Especially with the trigger guard shape. Knuckles will pay for it. I had a .223 that shot really well, but I traded it because of the clunkiness and the odd trigger guard shape. I wish I had kept it and replaced the wood with #1 wood and had a smith to reshape the trigger guard. Then I would have called it a Ruger #2.
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,670
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,670 |
I fired one in .45-70 with normal pressure factory rounds, it didn't kick too hard; I wouldn't care to touch off any of the higher pressure stuff in one.
Mine is a .22 Hornet btw.
'Four legs good, two legs baaaad." ---------------------------------------------- "Jimmy, some of it's magic, Some of it's tragic, But I had a good life all the way." (Jimmy Buffett)
SotG
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 10,873
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 10,873 |
The Ruger # 3 in 30.40 is the cat's ass for deer. Recoil with 150 grain bullets is no problem.
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 17,726
Campfire Ranger
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OP
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 17,726 |
Iv had 2 in 45-70 one shot great the other not so good, and have gotten rid of all my 45-70 stuff, looking for something new to fool with 375 or the 30-40
Deer Camp! about as good as it gets!
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,776
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,776 |
Once in awhile I use a No. 3 .45-70 out of a tree stand for whitetail deer. I like it and the recoil with trapdoor pressure loads is fine. Heavier loads are okay but you don't see much improvement in killing power at short range, say out to 100 yards.
Never had an issue with the trigger guard cocking lever shape as I am usually wearing a glove and just put three fingers over the rear part of the guard.
Your choice of the .375 would be a good one but I think the .30-40 would be even better.
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 155
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 155 |
I have one in the .375 Win, excellent accuracy, and recoil is no problem, ......has taken both deer and moose!
A stranger is a friend we haven't met.
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 32,220
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 32,220 |
I had a #3 in 30-40 Krag and thought that the shape of the stock and lever made it uncomfortable to shoot.
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 3,676
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 3,676 |
My local gun shop had a Quaker Oatmeal can sitting in the corner and the shop owner told me that it had Ruger #3 parts in it. Someone had attempted to build a 1.5 inch .308 and ovaled the barrel chambering which was also sitting separately in the corner with some hacked up aftermarket wood. We dumped all the parts the counter and counted them. I went home and looked up the number of parts on a schematic. Looked like they were all there so I bought parts, barrel, wood, and the Oatmeal box.
Spent about five years whittling stock into Number One style and forend into my own design, rechambering to 30-284 to swallow up the oval, assembling, mounting Kepplinger single set trigger, and a few other things. Later I sent it to Pac Nor and had them install a 24 inch stainless 6.5X55 barrel Ruger of 1A contour. LOVE IT!
The 30-284 was a bit sassy to shoot when loaded to the max but the 6.5X55 is a dream to shoot.
It's more accurate than I and felt recoil very light. 6.8 pounds with carry strap, Leupold Vari-X III 2.5-8x-36mm mounted in Leupold Dovetail rings, home made bases, one Lapua brass loaded with 47gr H4350 and 120 Barnes TTSX.
Deadly Deer Dumper!
Rug3...
Last edited by Rug3; 11/24/15.
BE STRONG IN THE LORD, AND IN HIS MIGHTY POWER. ~ Ephesians 6:10
Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery. --Winston Churchill
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 17,726
Campfire Ranger
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OP
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 17,726 |
NICE! Im a fan of the 6.5x55 im thinking you have a real Deer killing Machine!
Deer Camp! about as good as it gets!
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Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,404
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,404 |
I have a Number 3 in 44 magnum, have only shot about 100 rounds through it, so far it a great shooter. im thinking it make a nice woods gun with the leupold 1-4 on it.
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,698
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,698 |
I had a 45-70 and with heavy loads it would knock your ball cap off your head. The butt plate was not much help. Smaller caliber would be much more fun.
I like to do my hunting BEFORE I pull the trigger! There is only one kind of dead, but there are many different kinds of wounded.
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 4,999
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 4,999 |
My #3 shooter is a .45-70 Govt. When I was looking for a pre-owned #3, there seemed to be a few more #3s in .45-70 Govts (hands on 5-6) than in .375 Win (none). Probably a good reason for that. Since I handload, I can make .45-70G ammo to any level of power I feel comfortable shooting in an itty-bitty carbine-ish rifle. It has worked out for me.
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,611
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,611 |
My #3 shooter is a .45-70 Govt. When I was looking for a pre-owned #3, there seemed to be a few more #3s in .45-70 Govts (hands on 5-6) than in .375 Win (none). Probably a good reason for that. Since I handload, I can make .45-70G ammo to any level of power I feel comfortable shooting in an itty-bitty carbine-ish rifle. It has worked out for me. I like the enhancement of the wood.
Shew me thy ways, O LORD: teach me thy paths. "there are few better cartridges on Earth than the 7 x 57mm Mauser" "the .30 Springfield is light, accurate, penetrating, and has surprising stopping power"
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 8,458 Likes: 2
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 8,458 Likes: 2 |
I had a 45-70 and with heavy loads it would knock your ball cap off your head. Yeah, that was my experience. Someone .. Choate maybe? .. made an inch and a quarter or inch and a half thick stock extension / recoil pad thing for a 10/22 which also fit the #3. I had one. Helped but not enough. Of the factory offerings my first choice for deer would be .30-40. Load it with Nosler 170 grain round nose .30-30 partitions and rock on. .375 would be good though I think I'd probably download to warmish .38-55 level. A 7x57 or .257 Roberts conversion would probably be manageable. For sheer fun, I'd like to find one in .22 Hornet. If it didn't shoot really well it would become a .25-20 WCF fairly quickly. Tom
Anyone who thinks there's two sides to everything hasn't met a M�bius strip.
Here be dragons ...
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 4,999
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2005
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Thanks. Me too.
Hated the barrel band carbine fore-arm tip. One day, got motivated and slid the fore-arm under the cut-off saw and whacked off the tip.
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Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 3,788
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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I've got a 30-40 Krag #3 I bought from Mule deer and it's an accurate and fun rifle. I take it hunting sometimes and have accounted for a few deer with it. I mainly shoot 150s but MD's 180 grain load with H4350 is the most consistently accurate I have tried. I have to say that metal carbine butt plate with a 180 and a stout charge gets my attention though.
They are neat rifles, pick one up and you will enjoy it, I bet
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 488
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 488 |
My #3 in .375 was more pleasant to shoot after installing the Choate recoil pad - never terrible. Try putting finger #2 on top of the lever, helps a lot.
Quite accurate and with Sierra 200s killed well. Never loaded to max pressures but 2300 fps sure worked well on deer. I suspect that max loads with 250s would be a lot less fun....
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