Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots 4-digit Ruger #1 fills the freezer!

I thought of dropping this in Deer Hunting or Hunting Rifles, but nah!!! Carrying my favorite deer rifle, my 1968 Ruger #1 S26M, was as much a part of the hunt as everything else, so figured I would drop it here in Single Shots. This rifle has enough attached to it (4-digit serial number, no warning, good wood, I think Douglas barrel, etc. etc.), to perhaps make one want to stick it in the safe to appreciate in value over time, but it was built to hunt and it handles and shoots like a dream, so we hunt!

I was lucky enough to draw AZ's Kaibab hunt this year, but my hunting partner's health wasn't good enough to go, and others had to bail on me, so when a co-worker offered to go, I decided to take him. He figured out on Saturday night he had to leave by Monday night, so I knew it would be good to get it done on Sunday if I could.

We were heading to a new area on Sunday morning, so were still on the road at first shooting light instead of out glassing. When it was just light enough to see, I spotted a couple of does feeding up on a hillside. That's all we could see, then out of nowhere this buck just appeared standing broadside at 200 yards. It was light enough for a shot, but still too dark to judge antlers very well. I stepped out of the passenger side of the truck, then slid an '06 shell down the tube as I snuck around the bed. I side-stepped the road and right there in front of me appeared a rock that made for an almost perfect platform for a semi-prone uphill shot. I've said this before, but when the hunting gods decide to line up the stars and present me with a gift, I accept it with gratitude and don't worry about how many inches of antlers are attached to it. I laid on that rock, the rifle raised as naturally as putting on a favorite hat, I found the buck - then boom!!

As we stood over that deer, we were then treated to a show of the sun coming up over some spectacular Kaibab landscape. Here's that Ruger with its fall harvest before the sun came up, then a couple after.

Awesome!

Thanks, nice story and nice buck.

congrats!

Nice Buck and a Great Rifle!

Nice deer.

Bill Ruger would be happy since he wasn't "making guns for collectors" as he liked to say, but that non-prefix 30-06 is not all that common, relatively speaking, so you got the best of both worlds.

Great story, nice rifle.

I once had a 4-digit, .243 #1.

But, traded it for something I thought I needed more. Can't remember what that was, but I do still remember the 4-digit Ruger...

DF

there's a 6mm 4-digit I see occasionally. Sure is tempting.

nice deer....caliber?

Thank you all for the kind words. I appreciate it! It's funny - when I'm hunting I'm looking for critters 90% of the time, but the other 10% is taken up mostly by looking at nature, but partly by looking at the #1!

At Fotis...I've had #1's chambered in .223, 25/06, 7x57, .338 Win. Mag., and .375 H&H. I liked them all for various reasons. The .223, 25/06 and .338 all shot like competition rifles. The 7x57 and .375 shot well, but were less bulky and handled the best, plus had much cool factor attached to them. This S26M takes the aspects of all of those and rolls them up into one sweet, middle-of-the-road, but best-of-all-worlds type package. So the fact this this rifle is chambered for 30/06 seems fitting. When I found it on the rack many years ago I didn't want an '06, but now I wouldn't have it any other way.

Most excellent!!

Nice rifle glad to see it being used.

Boy, can I relate to that.

I wonder how many critters have slipped past me over the years - unscathed because I was too busy appreciating the lines on a No. 1!



Tim

I bought this 5 digit 243 new in 1970 and still own it.
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AZ Southpaw,

Thanks for sharing your hunt with us. Dandy buck, and congrats on drawing the tag.

Mind telling us what your '06 ammunition was?

Nice pics too,

Geno

Sorry this is late Valsdad...haven't logged in for a while.

I'm lucky...with my loads, this rifle will do an inch or better with 150's, 165's and 180's. I've only played with 190s and 200 grain bullets once, but getting 1 1/4" groups was no biggie. I'm sure if I played some more with those I could break an inch with them as well.

In the end, I settled with 165gr bullets. Hornady, Nosler, Speer, it really doesn't matter - same recipe, same results. For this hunt, I decided to do that Kaibab "no lead" thing. The G&F gave me a free box of components, and if I can save a condor, I figured why not. I used the 165gr TSX.

I ordered the #1A when they were first announced in the early 60's in 30-06 and when it came it was a 7mm RM with a low four digit SN!

The dealer said to take it or leave it as others would buy it.

I kept the 22" bbl. 7mm RM and shot a buck up north with it.

Over the years the barrel wore and I asked Ruger to re barrel it. When they got the rifle they did not have a 7mm RM barrel any longer and said I could have what I wanted so it's a 30-06 now. They sent back my old 7mm barrel too.

I am happy to see all the hunting use with the early non-prefix rifles but it would be more informative if you told the actual SN so we can get more info for Data to determine the rarity of these rifles.
If you don't want to post it here send me a PM and I will add the info to the Data.

5 digit #1's ???

Since they made about 9500 of them.

Please share your 5 digit. (100XX)??

Not trying to be a smart arse, really do not know of anything 5 digit.

Mitch

I have a four digit in .270. 1969 vintage.

Tony Rumore
Tromix