Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Ruger #1 accuracy expectations?

I've heard for a long time that the accuracy/precision of a Ruger #1 can be iffy. I'd like to hear from you guys about how your #1 rifles shoot. Post pics if need be. Thanks!!

The No. 1s made before 1990 were iffy, partly because of the barrels Ruger primarily used before they started hammer-forging their own barrels. The very early No. 1s featured Douglas barrels, and usually grouped well--but then Ruger switched to another barrel company where quality varied widely.

The was partly due to the often very long throats Ruger rifles often had back then--and not just in No. 1s but the 77 bolt rifles. My first No. 1 was a 7x57 with a throat so long that lead-cored 160-grain bullets had to be seated so long to come close to the rifling that they were barely held in the case.

But after 1990 the barrels not only improved considerably, but the chambering reamers had more normal throats. Since then I've owned a bunch of 'em that shot well out of the box--or if not, when I epoxy-bedded the tip of the forend.

Thanks for the info JB. Funny thing regarding the Ruger #1. A guy I know back in Oregon asked if I knew anything about accurizing a Ruger #1. I told him I never had one and he asked if I’ve heard of John Barsness. I said sure, and he went on about some of your accurizing tips regarding the #1. I told him you generally know your schidt, yet he struggled with his 25-06. One day he’d come to the shop waving a piece of paper in his hand with a 1” 5 shot group on it, saying I think I finally got this thing figured out. Then the next day he’d look like you kicked his dog. He’d show me some 3” groups from his temperamental 25-06. Now that I own one, I wonder if maybe his shooting style was a direct reflection of his group size? IE: put too much pressure on the forend and maybe it will string shots? Maybe the trigger was a little too heavy? I’m not overly happy about a 4.5 pound pull on my new rifle, but it’s pretty crisp, so I’m leaving well enough alone. I’m wondering if a Ruger #1 that shoots 1” 5 shot groups consistently at 100 yards, if that is average, or better than average with these rifles? Thanks

I’ve owned five #1s, and sold all of them. Yes slow learner. One of those I would call a 1” gun, the other four not even close to 1”. Two were 22ppc heavy varmint barreled guns.
I spent a lot on forend floating, pressure schemes and triggers, to no avail.

Thanks for your post dale. It’s because of reports like this that caused me to be overly cautious about buying a Ruger #1. Now the next guy is going to say he’s had 5 that all shot under an inch. One reason I started this thread. The Ruger #1 has an alluring side though. Probably why you kept buying them.

1973 Ruger #1 in 270 Winchester




130gr Nosler BT and IMR 4320 (4 shots on the left) at 100 yards




140gr Hornady SST and IMR 4350 at 100 yards




i killed quite a few deer with it, including 12 feet to 365+/- yards. it is just a plain rifle and it shoots great. i bought it at a gun show used for $300 (2007 or 08).

Very nice! Thanks for sharing. You did quite well. A great investment for sure. Now probably worth 4 times what you paid for it!! Looks like it shoots quite well too.

Not a lot of contributors to this thread. Thought there were more guys that loved these things. Here are the preliminary results of the new to me Ruger #1 that I started a thread on before I bought it. I had some questions regarding the rifle and you guys were very helpful. Much appreciated!! I wanted to thank you for helping me with this rifle. It turned out that the barrel had been replaced. Thus, as some of you guys suggested it may be even better than a factory barreled Ruger #1. From what I can garner from it's first couple range sessions, it is very consistent shooting. I'm running/loading a now discontinued Hornady bullet because that is all I could find locally. Besides some very light (80gr) TTSX. While it's not a 1/2 moa rifle, it's showing some very good promise with the small amount of load work up I've done so far:

I didn't adjust the scope. As you can see, the poi is pretty consistent. I'll take it:





Those first groups were shot on the 11th. I then retested a few of the best loads from that bunch yesterday and zeroed the scope. This was the last group fired yesterday, after zeroing the scope:


I'll keep working on loads, as soon as I find some different bullets. I think it's a keeper though.

Man, I can't see anything wrong with how it's printing those 120's at all.

I'd bet with a little seating depth adjusting you may do a little better, but if it's keeping 5 shots around MOA I'd hunt it all.

Great lookin rifle!

I have never had any accuracy issues with the #1. One I foolishly let go was a #1AB in 7X57 when I was having a 7X57AI built. My stable of #1's range from a 250 Savage to a 450/400 NE.
Try some 110gr Accubonds if you can find them.

I judge the accuracy of any rifle on how repeatably the groups are over time.

This was a Prairie Dog killer right out of the box and it's repeatable accuracy has been shown in the P dog towns

I would call all of the #1's I owned 1.2-2" guns. I had on old 06 that would usually shoot 1" but some days a bit more. Also a 7x57 that I could get some 1" groups. My expectations in general would be most loads will shoot 1.5-2" but you can tinker with loads to reduce that a bit.

It varies wildly. Roughly in the order I kinda sorta remember owning them ...

#1H .375 H&H blued 3 moa.

#1B .25-06 2-3 moa

#1V .300 Win Mag (bought used) .. would shoot near quarter MOA for a group of cold bore first shots, similar for second shots, similar for third shots, etc, however that group of second shots would be 2 MOA above the group of first shots, the group of third shots 1.5 moa higher yet, and so on 'til when it was hot, it would settle in and shoot quarter to half inch groups which were about 12 MOA above the cold bore point of impact. Let it cool completely and it would return to original point of impact.

#1V .220 Swift .. MOA. I had to do a lot of work to get it there. Pushing patches or cleaning rod down the barrel, there was a loose spot about 2 inches long mid-barrel where stuff would jump with almost no resistance.

Somewhere in there I had a brief "encounter" with a #3 in .45-70. It was minute of watermellon, no better, no matter what I fed it.

The last one was a stainless / laminated .375 H&H. After doing the fore-end hanger tension screw trick it stopped stringing vertically and because a very reliable 3/4 inch shooter with 260 grain accubonds and RL 15.

I don't care how good a rifle looks, it has to shoot accurately. MOA is about my break point .. ok on a game rifle, not good enough on a varmint rig. 3/4 MOA makes me pretty happy.

I don't have any #1s at the moment.

Thanks TOM and others. Very informative post TOM, I appreciate it! As for MicinColo, your post of you "judge the accuracy of any rifle on how repeatably the groups are over time.", that works well, but generally I can take a rifle out a couple times and know if it's a keeper. Group dispersion is not hard to read, nor is consistency. I look at POI as closely as I do group size. The cold bore group tells me a lot about a rifle, as does the first shot. If that first shot is out of the group by any discernable amount, I'm suspect of the true accuracy of the rifle. Generally there is a mechanical issue going on. Most times that can be corrected, but sometimes it can not.
Also group dispersion will tell you if your OAL is good. Like beretzs said, a little tweaking of that, may render better/smaller groups. On the targets I posted, the 54gr charge that I'm going with, shows a pretty round group with minimal 3 in 2 out, so I may not even mess with OAL.
Regarding POI: When you can lay a target over another one and the group covers the last one, that is a good sign. This new rifle is showing very promising results. Nothing wonky going on that I can see. Also, anytime you can take a new rifle out and it prints multiple 5 shot groups into less than an inch, that is a keeper in my book. The other day I shot 8 groups. I'll walk down to the target after each group, to help the barrel cool a little bit. Even on a 93 degree day, it helps just slightly. Doing this, it also tells me how the rifle/barrel reacts to heating up.
I'm glad guys like TOM and JB and others gave their input on these #1's because I've read some of JB's stuff regarding the #1. That was quite a while ago though, and like I said, I've heard many reports like TOM's to make me a little nervous about buying my first #1. It's funny because I've always admired the looks of the #1, as it seems many of you do as well.

I will admit, that it looks like I got extremely lucky on this one. Also, for those of you that don't know, the reason the price went down to $600 on this one was because the shop that had it could not get the trigger to work. It was not cocking. The shop owner and I get along very well and he knows I work on my own guns. I told him I'd risk it and buy parts if need be. As it turned out, it was a very simple fix that did not require parts. All in all, a very good deal on what looks like a decent shooting rifle. When I first looked at the rifle, I thought it would shoot well, considering the bore looked perfect and the crown is perfectly machined. In my mind, there was no reason this rifle would not shoot well. Unless there was some other reason Ruger #1's were inherently inaccurate. Such is not the case, from what I can see. I'm thinking the iffy accuracy/precision issues may actually be the Ruger barrels used. Not the platform.

Others that know more about them, please correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks!!

BSA, I forget what Ruger's stated accuracy guarantee is now but early on id was something like 2" at 50 or 100 yards. Sorry, I don't remember which. Of the many #1s I own, most will do one inch or slightly better A couple won't do better than 3.5" but I'll work on them when I find time. Except for the last few hunts I've done, all my hunts from 1975 to date were with a Ruger#1 in some shape or form. My last five elk hunts were on private ground and the ranch didn't allow single shot rifles. I got an elk on every one of those hunts with one shot from my custom Mausers, yet no one shooters allowed. They did cater to handicapped hunters for some hunts so I qualified there. Probably my favorite #1 is the "A" in 7x57 but there are 4 #1s chambered to the .300 Win. Mag. that shoot under a half inch with 200 gr. Speer Hot Core and stay near half inch with 200 gr. Nosler Partitions. Looks like your rifle is a decent shooter so I won't offer any suggestions other that what others have said about playing with the seating depth.

One thing I will say is remember that it basically a good weather rifle. Dunno how snow might affect the rifle but I got caught in a nasty rainstorm in Oregon on an elk hunt. I was hunting with my #1B in .300 Win. Mag. The rifle and I were thoroughly soaked and U had to take the rifle apart to dry out the insides. Never saw an elk. On the way home we stopped and a ranch up at King's River Nevada for some pheasant hunting before going on home to Tucson. While bird hunting we saw a coyote running off with a pheasant in it's mouth. I had a deer tag for the area so my .300 was in the truck. I shot several time, no hits and my buddies couldn't see where the bullets were hitting. Brother yote made a clean getaway. When I got home, the foreare was difficult to remove due to a lot of swelling. Took the rifle to the ranges and it was shooting at least six feet or more high. I removed the wood, tore the gun down again for another drying just in case and stared the wood in my shed. Get real hot in the simmer, roughly 120 and sometimes higher. Once a year I took that wood and put it back on the rifle, sighted in and checked things out. It took a bit over 6 years to get back to normal. This does lead me to wonder how changing humidity condition may affect Ruger rifles, especially in places with wide swings. Southern Arizona is pretty dry all year round and when I lived in Winnemucca humidity didn't seem to bother the two #1s I owned back then, a 30-06 and a .300 Win. mag. That .300 was the one caught in the storm.
PJ

I love the story buddy. Thanks!! If I were still in Oregon, I'd definitely not hunt this one during elk season. You know from experience that it gets wet there. Sometimes the elk even look miserable when they are soaked. I swear I ran into a group of cows one year and they were so drenched that they just looked at me as if to say put me out of my misery!!! That same year, I ended up shooting a spike and it looked like a wet dog.
Well, I have a story to share with you. I was just at the range. One of my favorite places to hang out:

That thing just looks sweet, doesn't it? I'm glad you appreciate Ruger #1's. Its probably been a long time since you were in Winnemucca, but here it is:

Rifle pointed at the 400 yard berm^^^

Got lucky today, as it felt too windy to be shooting. You know how it is here. But I managed a 1.5" group. Can't complain about this custom barreled #1!!!


That is a flat based hollow point interlock, which I have never seen before. My book says the bullet is "discontinued". Maybe it blew up on game or something??? They shoot pretty damn good for a flat base.. That was a lucky group though. The others I shot were more in the moa range:



Not the best scope for shooting at 400 yards, but it is what it is... Zeiss 3-9x42 with RZ6 reticle. I look forward to trying some more stream lined bullets in this thing.

For what it's worth the biggest mule deer I ever shot 30 1/4) was with an 06 #1. The biggest bodied elk I ever shot was with a #1 in 7x57.

I have owned exactly 3 of them all made after 1990 and they all shot extremely well with no tinkering 2 1B's 280 rem and 30-06 and a 1A in 270. I wish I had the 1A back.

Have a 1B in 7mmRM, late 70's red pad. Awful trigger, then I installed a "speed" hammer. Now a nice, crisp but heavy 4lb trigger. Free floated the forend, and now will shoot 139gr Hornadys into a tight little cluster. With almost 1600 rounds fired, it's about ready for a new tube. Maybe a 6BR??

I have a #1 in 338wm that will shoot factory Barnes TTSX right at 1" at 100 yards, and Winchester PowerPoints at about 1.5" at 100 yards. Problem is, I can't get handloads to shoot for crap in that rifle. Once I switched from Federal primers to Remington, the groups tightened up a bit, but still not there.

I have a #3 in 223 that will shoot some ammo right at 1", but it is picky. It shoots 65 grain Sierra Game Kings well enough that I will use it for deer.

I have a #1 that has a 6mm CM barrel. I have a Jard trigger and a speed hammer. The forearm is bedded and the hanger drilled and tapped with a screw to maintain constant tension between the barrel and hanger.

This is one group at 100 yards. 1" target



Then out to 300 yards. I think this was a 3" target



But again, somedays, it will shoot like this, and some days not. Been trying factory Nosler 95 grain Ballistic Tip ammo, only shot half a box so far and not excited yet.

Nice shooting rifle Scoony. Gotta love the 6cm.

My only example is a SS 1B in 7mm STW. It was a 3 moa rifle with everything I threw at it from 140 gr to 175 gr bullets seated as close to the lands as I could put them. Floating the barrel did not help.

Installation of a "Hick's Accurizer" cured all my problems. I settled on two loads, a 160 gr Sierra spbt, or the Hornady 162 btsp, either over the same charge of H 1000. I set the accurizer screw to contact the barrel, and then turned it in about another 3/4 of a turn. It turned the rifle into a .75 moa shooter with either bullet.

Of course, by then I had about 2000 rounds down the tube, and it needs a trip to PacNor.

https://eabco.com/hicks-1-accurizer/

Is that the range in Winnemucca? Looks good. I haven't been there on any kind od long or short term basis in years Left due to job transfer 31 August 1979 to Tucson AZ. Nice pay raise and wife was happy but I didn't care for it. Been back a few times to hook up with my hunting partner for trips to Washington and Oregon to hunt elk. Most of out elk hunts were in the John Day area. My hunt buddy still puts in for a cow elk hunt out of Ely as his family has property there. My other buddy lived in battle Mountain and his family owned or managed the local airport. There was an abandoned FAA building we called, "the Facility" that my WMC buddy and I used as a place to sleep. I do miss those those days. I'd take a road trip back up there if I could get away from all the damn dr. appointments and PT I have to endure.
PJ

I have a Ruger No. 1A in 7x57 long throat Red pad that shoots most loads under 1.5" bullets seated short of throat shoot well also, neat rifle.

BSA, looks like you are on the road to perfection. Keep at it.

Thanks buddy. I just loaded up some 120gr Sierra gamekings. Heard some of you guys like those in your 25-06's. Found a stash of them and bought 3 boxes, as well as 20 boxes of those discontinued Hornady 120gr H.P Interlocks. Only bought 4 boxes of those, since they seem to shoot decent in this rifle. The lady at the gunshop I rarely go to said everything was 10% off too, so $25-10% on the Hornady pills, $31-10% on the SGK, $33-10% on the box of 100 gr Nosler partitions was a score. By todays standards.


That's a beauty. Looks a lot like mine. Sounds like it's a good shooter too.

Yep, that's the range there. They are working on extending that 400 yard range out to 1000 right now. The sad part is we will not be able to drive out to the 1000 yard steel, for safety reasons I guess. I have other ranges where I can shoot past 1000 though. This place has changed a lot since you lived here. I know it's even changed a lot since I moved back. I was away for 30 years!! If you ever do swing by, look me up. I know the areas in Oregon you mention as well. I know some guys that have property on the john day. Decent elk hunting over there, but they move from one property to the next pretty quickly. I hunt the hell out of them in the national forest, where the hunters success rate is low. Just my preference though, since I know the area and usually get a bull every other year there. Cows are a gimme, but still fun to hunt.

My mid-70s #1V shot consistent 5/8 inch 5 shot groups with preferred loads. That barrel had a very long throat. I couldn't reach the lands with a 55 grain bullet. My #3 shot 3/4 inch 5 shot groups consistently.

I shot my 300 H&H yesterday working up a load with the 200 grain Accubond. 63 1/2 gr of IMR 4350 and Federal 215 Magnum primers put three into one ragged hole. I believe I'm minute of Gemsbuck LOL.

That sounds like something I need to try in mine GSP.

Most folks should figure on getting MOA out of a #1. Ruger says they only guarantee that their rifles shoot 4" at 100. Can not imagine a 4" shooting single shot at 100 yards being what I need.

I have four Ruger single shot rifles, 218 Bee, 22 Hornet, 7mm RM, 300 WM, they all shoot well under 1" at 100, but all have barrels free floated, scope ribs removed and cut so as not to be touching the receiver, glass bedded, etc.

I would shoot a new purchase for group, if used I would strip the bore to brite steel, a new rifle,I would throughly clean, do a break in, if it does not hold as I would accept I would redo it.

You might send your Ruger, if you have a problem, to Eben Arthur Brown, EBCO , he makes the BF single shot actions, pistols and rifles, so, he can and does do a good job on single shots.

"Most folks should figure on getting MOA out of a #1. Ruger says they only guarantee that their rifles shoot 4" at 100. Can not imagine a 4" shooting single shot at 100 yards being what I need."

I concur. More than several years back when I had a #1A in 7x57 that was a lousy shooter, I called Ruger to send it back At that time I asked what their accuracy was for #1s and they said two inches. I forget if it was at 50 or 100 yards though. This was back abound 1980 or 81.
I've been hunting with #1s since my first one, a B model in 30-06 came my way. I looked for one ever since I saw the ads but never saw one. Ordered one many times and the various LGS I dealt with said they couldn't get one in any caliber. Finally in 1975, I found that one in 30-06 and bought it. It took a while to fine out what it liked but worked fine after that. Around 1981 or so I ordered a .300 Win. mag. in the "S" model and was sent a "B". My KGS raised hell with the distributor and was told that was the only one they could get, take it or send it back. I took it. It took years for me to even find one in the "S" configuration and it was in .300 Win. Mag. And a liberty model to boot. Since then I hav gotten two more "S" version, all in .300 Win. Mag. They all like the same load, a max charge of WMR powder with the 200 gr. Speer Hot core. I've found more than a few #1s for sale, A's, B's, V's and the RSI's but the "S" versions are scarcer than hen's teeth. I did see one more, another .300 Win. that was so beat up with gouges in the wood, plenty of rust on the barrel and action and looked like it was rode hard and put away wet. I might have bought it if the price had been right to save my four nice ones and use the beater in hunts but Cabelas and I couldn't come to an agreement on what was a fair price. I wasn't gonna go $1,800 on a beater and they wouldn't budge. I also wonder why so few of the "S" models have never seems to get west of the Rocky Mountains? Just glad I do have what I have.
PJ

Good info guys. It looks like most of the ones that are shooting sub moa have also had some work done to them. I checked my rib and there is about .015-.020" clearance between it and the receiver. I didn't measure it with a feeler gauge, just looks like about that much. The forend does not appear to be freefloated though and it is not bedded. I shot a few groups yesterday for some more load development with the new Sierra's I found. Here are the best 2 groups:



That load is still fairly dialed in, and closely matches the 120gr Hornady H.P interlock for POI. I may try a different powder and take it out again. See if I can get something a bit more consistent.

If I'm shooting "4" groups" with anything, it better be open sights, a muzzle loader or a slug from a shotgun. Just sayin..

I bought a new 1V in 22-250 in 1982 primarily for shooting groundhogs. I am happy with the accuracy I get with handloads ( a bit under an inch). Other than a trigger job the rifle is as it came from the factory.

After owning and shooting a couple dozen of them, from .218 Bee to .475 Turnbull, I think I'd be annoyed with one that wouldn't do 1½ MOA or better with its best handloads. One like that was a 4 digit 1968 model in 6mm Remington. The barrel was burned to a crisp. Another is a .44mag, which I suspect just needs the right load.

The .22-250 in my avatar frustrated me for years, putting 3 in one hole, then tossing the next one an inch away. I finally fire lapped it, and it immediately settled down, and became a reliable 1/2" rifle.

Thanks Tex. That looks like a beauty! Shoots damn well too. Hard to beat that.

Nice, whose barrel?

Had a factory 270 1B, 2 - 2.5" out the box, bedded, trigger work, came down to 1.5. Shot 7/8" with factory 25-06 in another 1B, a 243 1 RSI shot 5/8 - 3/4" and a 1a did 3/8 first group. All 3 shot groups. My custom 1V - 26" Pac-Nor 8t, in 6BR shot sub 1/2" at 330 yds....105 Amax.

They can and will shoot, but not if they have a bad barrel. That BR I had was glassed by PN to the barrel, not floating. Kepplinger trigger.

PacNor

I own 6 (.280 Rem, .338 WSM, .257 Rob, .35 Whelen, .338-06, .30-06). ALL are sub MOA. Several have had crappy triggers that were upgraded. The .257 and the .30-.6 remain "factory. The others began life as something else. These were customized out of desire not necessity. They were bought strictly as project guns and never intended to be shot as purchased. So, my sample size for factory spec guns is small, but one can say that over several platforms the gun is capable of very good accuracy. Many here are aware, but OP or others may not be, hanger bolt torque is important. Many people over torque that bolt and blame the gun for poor accuracy.

Thanks Doc. I was thinking that hanger bolt torque may be critical. I tightened it like I normally would any other bolt on my guns. She's shooting pretty well IMHO. I have been having fun with the old girl. I probably won't mess with anything on the rifle. It's shooting well enough for my needs. Just curious about other's experiences regarding accuracy on these #1 rifles. As I said earlier, I've always heard they can be finicky and have witnessed it on a couple occasions. Glad mine doesn't seem to be finicky at all and that is without any mods, except for an aftermarket barrel. Thanks for all the comments guys. much appreciated!!

I had six Number One rifles over the past 40 years or so, and all have been good shooters, some exceptionally.

Two of the exceptional ones were a .300 H&H 1S from the Boddington series, and an early ‘80s vintage 1B 7mm Rem Mag. Both of these routinely are .75 MOA, with the 7 Mag often pushing .5. On both, just snug up the fore arm screw and have at it.

A couple of the 1As, these in .270 and 30-06, shot right at MOA with a rubber washer under the fore end screw. The rest involved no tinkering.

If your rifle shoots, thank the gods and leave it alone.

my most accurate out of the box Ruger #1 shot under 1/2 inch 5 shot groups with my handloads off a cement bench ,now i have had others i rebarreled and they now shoot excellent too . last winter i purchased a used decent 257 Roberts Ruger #1 - 1B it shot 1 - 1 1/4 inch groups so i glass bedded about 3 inches of the forearm and cleaned out and floated the rest of the barrel , recorowned barrel and now with my handloads it shoots 1/2 -5/8 inch 3 shot groups at 100 yds. using a 75 gr. Hammer hunter bullets in my handloads. this is a hunting rifle so i could care less anymore how well it would do with 5 shot groups , i have some bench rifles to worry about better 5 shot groups . Pete53

Of course they are not benchrest guns pete. That's not what this thread is about. I appreciate everyone's input on how their Ruger #1 rifles shoot. Like I thought, though, we can see some rifles shoot well and others not so much. I always appreciate a good shooting rifle though. Hunting rifle or otherwise, does not make any difference to me. The ones I really like are the lightweight rifles that shoot lights out. Ones you can lay down 10 shots in a row and keep them inside 1 moa or less consistently. Tikka's tend to be like this because they have superb barrels and very rigid actions. These Ruger #1 rifles also have very rigid and strong actions, but may be lacking in other areas which may be why they do not always shoot lights out. The mechanical difference and beauty of these rifles have always interested me. Sounds like you may have them figured out, with the glass bedding and re-barreling of some of these rifles to make them shoot well. Hopefully those rifles do not shift groups though, or they are pretty much worthless in my book. Or limits how far your range would be. Just fine for a 100 yard rifle, but not so much if you have to shoot 4-500 yards.

Of course they are not benchrest guns pete. That's not what this thread is about. I appreciate everyone's input on how their Ruger #1 rifles shoot. Like I thought, though, we can see some rifles shoot well and others not so much. I always appreciate a good shooting rifle though. Hunting rifle or otherwise, does not make any difference to me. The ones I really like are the lightweight rifles that shoot lights out. Ones you can lay down 10 shots in a row and keep them inside 1 moa or less consistently. Tikka's tend to be like this because they have superb barrels and very rigid actions. These Ruger #1 rifles also have very rigid and strong actions, but may be lacking in other areas which may be why they do not always shoot lights out. The mechanical difference and beauty of these rifles have always interested me. Sounds like you may have them figured out, with the glass bedding and re-barreling of some of these rifles to make them shoot well. Hopefully those rifles do not shift groups though, or they are pretty much worthless in my book. Or limits how far your range would be. Just fine for a 100 yard rifle, but not so much if you have to shoot 4-500 yards.[/quote some

some handloaders have better skills at reloading precision ammo , shooting ability ,better scopes and use bench equipment off a cement bench ,so when you talk accuracy a sand bag off a old wood bench won`t give that good of accuracy , there is more to it than just pulling the trigger. i can figure out how to make a Ruger #1 too shoot well somehow even if i need to put a new Brux barrell or Krieger barrel on the rifle , then glass bed / float the forearm . Ruger #1 actions are a very strong action Federal Cartridge uses these actions for pressure testing that my hunting /fishing partner Jonny Bell designed at Federal Cartridge many years ago. i do have some Ruger #1`s that will shoot like a bench rifle with my equipment and my handloads .

Mine were all older guns...a 1B in .270 I bought used. Two 1Vs in .223 and .22-250, along with a !H in .375 H&H I bought new. I got nice tight groups with all of them, but not consistently. The .375 held a zero, not perfectly, but better than the others.

Best looking hunting rifle ever, but I'd never buy another. Got rid of my #1s and miss none of them. Gunwriter C.E. Harris, one of the best from years ago worked for Ruger, in the '80s (I thinK). He said back then if you had a #1 that would consistently shoot groups of 1.5", you had a good one. I must agree.

i will stick up for Ruger #1`s i can make most #1`s shoot well some with a 5 shot 1/2 - 3/4 inch groups at 100 yds. with my handloads and my equipment . but for a deer - antelope rifle with certain cartridges like a 257 Weatherby mag. i have shot large bucks from 30 feet to a measured 700 yards in one shot , this Ruger #1 257 Weatherby mag. shoots under 3/4 inch at 100 yards all day long with a speed of around 3700 FPS i don`t think i need to ask much more out this rifle for hunting. > accuracy is kinda of a person`s ability too i have also helped people to learn to shoot better with many different types of actions.

Thanks lotech. I appreciate your comment. This reminds me of the guy I was talking about back in Oregon. I just didn’t want to be that guy. That rifle was never consistent, even after the accurizing tricks he read about and tried.

I've always looked at the #1s as if they were British sports cars or motorcycles. If you like to tinker and work on stuff, they are the certainly the best.

In that case you definitely want a good back up rifle or 3. At one time I was driving and maintaining both an XKE and Triumph. The only transportation I could rely on was my Honda CB900F...

in rugged ruff cold wet freezing country but have never had trouble with my Ruger #1`s , Ruger 77 or my Winchester model 70`s with the claw , but i have had some trouble with Remington model 700`s freezing up and the bolt falling open too. no need for a back up rifles with the 1st 3 brand rifles i listed but yes bring different brand rifle with if your using a 700 unless you hunt close to your pickup as many do. you might feel butt hurt a little now but changing to a different brand rifle might save your life in big bear country , i learned my lessons with 700`s .

I recently picked up this 280 AI but have yet to shoot and won't until September. A special run with a 25" A weight barrel. I had a 45-70 a number of years ago that I swapped to a guy when I lived in Calgary. It was a 2" rifle with the 350 gr Hornady.

Nice! Is it a Leupold offset rear ring? is it a 30mm ring?

someday i might have to play with 280 AI in a Ruger#1 just finished with a 257 Roberts waiting for a new toy to glass bed , reload and shoot a 35 Whelen Ruger #1 rebore from Jess now. wish me luck ,Pete53

Yes and no. I do not believe anyone makes an offset 30mm ring.

Geesh - other than the ones I mentioned on page 2......

Had a K-1A, 6.5x55 SS, shot 1.1" at 200 yds, 3 shots, out the box, 130 ABs in Lapua brass.......so there's that one. Wood was phenomenal....
Someone else has it now........I know, I know...SMH.

I actually emailed Ruger today, and asked them to make 30mm offset rings. Told them I'd buy several pairs. Ya'll feel free to follow suit

[quote=tex_n_cal]I actually emailed Ruger today, and asked them to make 30mm offset rings. Told them I'd buy several pairs. Ya'll feel free to follow suit :


^^ this is a great ideal ^^ i would buy a few pairs too !

Anybody shooting their Ruger model #1's lately? A friend of mine sent me some old Noslers to try. He only had 25 pills in this old box, so I shot them up:



I should have used better/newer powder, but this discontinued AA3100 was cheap:




Just messing around, but I think it proves this rifle is not one that has any issues. If you are not out shooting, don't make any excuses. Grab a rifle and head out to the range. Don't want to be getting rusty..


From the other day with some 120gr SGK's I found:


And then the 120gr Hornady H.P Interlock that is a discontinued bullet I didn't think I'd find more of:



I'm glad I found more of those things!!!

i bet the groups would get even better if you glass bed 3 inches of the back of the forearm and then open up the rest of the channel some so the barrel is floated ,seal that part of the wood channel you floated with Tru-oil or something . it can make a difference with better groups ,use the jel type glass bedding. your Ruger #1 is a great shooter , i have always had good luck myself with my handloads with groups / accuracy with my #1`s when i glass bed the back of the forearm and float the rest of the barrel. if you look real close at the wood barrel channel many rifles are not cut the well and barrel leans towards one side more thats why they need to be inspected in all brands new and used. i purchsed a Tikka with a laminated wood stock that barrel was touching one side right out of the new box. i glass bedded this Tikka rifle and floated the barrel right away and the rifle does shoot well .

I've had 3 #1's and a #3. With work they all shot sub MOA. Out of the box, not so good. The fix was found in modification of the forend hanger and a touch of bedding.

A rifle that purdy gets a pass at 2 MOA.

👍

Thanks buddy.

I basically have a 1 moa (for 5 shots) rifle. Rather than disturb what's left of its originality, I'm leaving it as is. I appreciate everyone's input on how to bed them and stuff. I could see doing that, if it was shooting 2+" groups. However, with that being said, if someone wants to post pics of how their bedding jobs look and how it's done, I'd love to see them. Pete53, that means you buddy. Thanks guys!!

BSA,

I fitted a synthetic stock set to a #1 and had to bed all contact surfaces. For the forearm, that entails prepping. I used modeling clay, then had a gunsmith point out that plumber's putty does the same thing, but removal is much easier. The main point of fitting is the front of the hanger. I used Apoxie Sculpt as it is easy to work with, and will not run.

This is the prep I did since I was doing the entire bedding operation.



After the hanger area was bedded, I used the Apoxie Sculpt at the junction of the receiver front - rear of forearm. One layer of tape ensures a slight gap to prevent binding.



I used Marine Tex to finish the bedding job. The forearm makes contact with the hanger, but the barrel and front of receiver is free floated,

As a side note, the forearm needed some work before I could even start to fit it. I had to build up some fiberglass on the left side, then hog out material on the inside to where I had a nice fit to the receiver. You can see on the left, the dark area is the original material, and the lighter, is the material I added.

Nice work scoony. I appreciate that!! I can see doing that with a plastic stock, but I don't think I want to mess with my wood stock set. Now, if it shot 3" groups, hell yes I'd probably be trying something. Never been afraid to mess with epoxy, as long as a good release agent is used. Thanks for the pics

BSA,
Nice find on that No.1. I've had a yearning for a No.1 in 25-06 for a while just haven't scratched that itch yet.

i put in some bids on a gun auction was lucky i got the bid on a used custom 6 Br ss with real nice wood Ruger #1 once i glass bed part of the forearm i will see how well this new to me rifle shoots ?

Keep us posted pete. Thanks!

Thanks buddy. I kind of lucked into this one. Glad it fell into my lap though. It's been a fun rifle to mess around with. I was a little worried at first, before I shot it. The reason I started the thread: Have heard some stories about the ones that don't shoot well. I'm pretty happy this one is not like the one in Oregon. That poor guy was ready to pull his hair out over that rifle.

I always like posts like this. I asked pretty much the same question after I had bought two #1's on sale at Cabelas. Read it here: https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...er-1-accuraccy-expectations#Post12054042

Thanks for posting the link. Pretty interesting read there.

My #1, a 7x57 from the late 70’s. It isn’t bedded, it’s always shot very well. But I believe the load I’m using now is a good one.
I think it is load that BSA posted for his 7-08 with Hunter powder. My rifle likes it and is very consistent with it.
It is my only #1 but of a sample of one it is a very good one.

not sure if i posted this but one of the Ruger #1`s i got off the auction was a 6BR s.s. ,trigger was change , has a HIcks forearm screw system and completely glass bedded forearm , varmint s.s. match grade target barrel slow twist , so it shoots 70 gr. bullets in a hole. i did change scope put a big target Nightforce scope on this rifle . i need to shoot it much more yet had a deer season interruption. but this Ruger #1 6 BR shoots under 3/8 groups at 100 yds. 5 shot groups i expect this rifle too shoot 2`s and 3`s this winter this 6 BR #1 is impressive to shoot . i always wanted one these 6 BR rifles ! Pete53 " paid $1300.00 total "

For some reason I'm not seeing the pictures. Would love to see it though. A good shooting ruger #1 7x57 would be damn cool. I'm glad I saw this thread yesterday after meddybemp bumped it to the first page again. I was out and about looking at some gunshops and ran across one a week ago for $749 and another yesterday for $850. The one yesterday was a nice looking red pad 30-06. The stock was nicely figured, but I think the LOP was shortened. The original recoil pad base was ground on, making me think it was altered. It had irons, a schnabel forend tip like my rifle has and a skinny barrel. Appeared to be about 22" long. I was thinking yesterday that it may not shoot well, configured as such, but I may be wrong???

My late hunting partner nigh obsessed over a Ruger #1 for about 5 years going the whole nine yards - swapping barrels, re-chamberings, bedding, free floating, a new trigger and a couple more professional adjustments before he realized his dream of a genuine "one-holer" rifle, in the end chambered in 22 PPC.

The target with which he was most pleased were three successive 3 shot groups of 25, 50, and 100 thou. groups at 100 yards at the Twin City Rifle Club. When viewed by the reserved "Alfie" Janzer, formerly of Northland Firearms in Waterloo he stated, "Hey - that's pretty good."

I'll need to bother his daughter for the load data and targets.

That was the most accurate Ruger #1 I ever shot.

Sounds like your buddy knew how to tune them. That is pretty damn good.

No. 1H 375 H&H, 1-4x scope at 100 yds:





Last time shot on paper:



No. 1S 24" 30-06, 1-4x scope at 100 yds:



No. 3 22 K-Hornet, 4.5-14x scope at 100 yds, (5 &10 shot groups):

Man, nothing wrong with them 1's!

Ruger #1`s not accurate ? i think the guys that can`t shoot a Ruger #1 accurate probably can`t shoot any rifle very accurate ?

My only experience with the No. 1 was a stainless/laminate version in 25-06 that I had for my extremely left eye dominant wife. I taught her to shoot lefty w/ it and she shot it great. I ultimately sold it here as she didn’t want to hunt.

That particular rifle shot roughly 1.25 MOA. More importantly it landed the first cold bore shot centered and 1.75” high every single time w/ Fed Premium 115 Partitions. I used the gun on 3 hunts that I recall and it was a buck magnet! On all three trips I had a buck run in front of me inside of 20 yards. 2 of them met the criteria of the day and got a ride in my truck.

It is one gun I regret selling from time to time.

Sounds like an awesome rifle. I bet you regret selling it!!

I've had three Ruger No.1's, all were red pads (in the 1980's into the early 1990's).

1.) A No. 1A in 7X57. It was a nice trim rifle in a round that was ever so pleasant to shoot. The best I could get it to do was a load with Nosler 160 grainers that would shoot into 1 1/2 inches. I loaded a 160 grain Nosler spitzer 'barely' in the case neck... and they never touched the lands due to the freebore - which I blamed for the 'inaccuracy'... If a rifle wouldn't shoot an inch or less it went down the road. Sold it to a friend for his left handed wife... In spite of the poor showing from the bench - somehow she managed to kill several deer with it.

2.) A Ruger No. 1S in 45-70. I shot nothing but paper patched 400 grain pure lead bullets (that I cast), put several hundred through the gun. This rifle, with my maximum handloads would shoot into an inch (often less), but I would sometimes get fliers that would bring it out to 1 1/2 inches (2 would be touching and the third would be out)... Not sure but I felt this might be from (internal) casting irregularities. However it was brutal off the bench... which may have accounted for some of the flyers.

3.) Another trim and handy little No.1A in 30-06. As I recall it shot pretty much everything into an inch. In a moment of stupidity I traded it for another gun. Why oh why did I let this one go?

I've read of accuracy issues with the No.1's, read articles by Ross Seyfreid and others on cures... forearm hangers, forearm bedding, etc. But except for the 7X57, never had an issue... and I still believe that was due to the excessive freebore.

Jerry

Here’s one I KNOW is super accurate…

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1024571142

I Know a couple good shooters that had verified Ruger #1 problems. They also had other good #1s.
Also know of one rifle, new, that shot poorly, but was good after Ruger rebarreled it.

Stuff happens.

Ruger’s were never known for being accurate, I’ve owned a few 77’s and moved them on down the line quickly, no more for me.