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

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.