Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots How accurate are your Ruger #1's?

Looking at a Light sporter. Don't like the feel of the trigger right out the gate but love the rifle. I haven't owned a #1 in 15 yrs.

Anyway, how are yours working out for you right off the shelf and what are some of the things you've done to help improve accuracy.

Never hand loaded for one and I feel confident that hand loads will get me to MOA. But It is on my mind.. Trigger right off the bat..

Thanks guys

I think a book could be written on the subject

Describe the rifle you are considering. Caliber? Black or Red Pad? If you know the s/n you can look it up for date of manufacture.

Brand new. Not in my hands yet,

#1 Light sporter in .280rem

http://www.ruger.com/products/no1LightSporter/models.html

Brand new, it will likely be MOA-ish, from what I've seen with mine, and heard from others.

Ruger has realized that good barrels sell, and for the past 20 years or so, since they started making their own, their barrels are usually very good. If you like the rifle, jump on it.

To elaborate, I don't think the 1A's are quite as accurate as the B's or V's, on average. But I'd only worked with a A in .30-40, and a #1S in .45-70, both black pad, Ruger-made barrels. Both of them are around 1 to 1.5 MOA with selected loads, and that's what others have reported for similar rifles. Several of my B's or V's are sub-MOA with their best loads. And I have a 1S in .475 Turnbull that is about the most accurate big bore rifle, of any style, that I've ever seen.

I have bought (4) Ruger #1s, all of them thinking I would rebarrel them.

All were too accurate to rebarrel.



I got this #1V 223 made in 1999 used of an on line auction in 2007 for $500.
I was full of Copper fouling.
I cleaned it out and sighted it in with mixed brass handloads 15 gr Blue Dot 35 gr Vmax.

It shot real well at 100 yards.

I give up. None can be rebarreled. They all shoot too well.

I have 3 light barrels. They're fine (less than 1.5") until the barrel heats up. If I allow the barrel to cool completely between shots, 5-shot 1.5" or less groups are the norm. Definitely not a target rifle, but for the first 3 shots, it's OK.
Bob

I have a few No. 1's but my most recent is a 375 H&H that out shoots them all.

As is out out of the box with 4x magnification at 100 yds:

Last time on paper and final sight in...


Other load work...

.475 Turnbull

Ruger in .303 British

I only have 1, but it is a #1B in 280. Half MOA with the right load.




JGray, that rifle is a "Keeper"!!

Can you tell me about the scope, rings, bases?

Thanks

My 1A in .35 Whelen could put three in about .750" with loads she liked (especially fond of full power Hornady 250 SP).

My 1H (.375 BERNIE) is a consistent Sub-MOA with most bullets and could get darn near 1/2 MOA with a couple of loads.

Both were bone stock with Vortex Viper 2-7 scopes.

Have owned 3. The first shot excellent patterns with all loads. New barrel fixed that. 7x57

The other two were consistently in the .7-.8 range at 100 yards with a variety of loads though the .257 flat refused to shoot anything longer than a 85 gr. BT. (.22 Hornet/.257 Roberts.) Both required the fore end hanger mod and trigger work to get there. The Hornet was so boring I put 21-22 shots into .77" one morning. Bob put 9 in a 1.5" group one day. Offhand. Then I shot the last round and made it just over 3". Lucky me.

A #3 in .22 Hornet with new wood would shoot any load, any bullet into .7", any day of the week.

They are good guns, probably better with more recent production. I do wish Ruger would put proper twists in their barrels.

Would I be thought a smart aleck if I just said "Accurate enough"?




Seriously, the 1A is a bit over 1", the 1V will do 3/4" when I'm on my game and the No. 3 is finicky but capable of 1".

I think I'm a bigger detriment to the groups than the rifles.

The scope is a VX-3 1.5-5x20. Rings are Ruger offset, 1" medium height - which is pretty much what I prefer on #1's, unless I have a long enough scope to use standard rings.

And most important, gloss finish to match the rifle

This is the .270 Liberty, which I mentioned in another thread.



Last weekend I was just double checking zero with it, and at 50 yards it put 3 into one hole. And I mean one hole; with the 3.5-10 scope at 10x, the group looked like one bullet hole.

BD,

IIRC, Mule Deer had a 1V in .22 Hornet that was superbly accurate. Ruger might have been onto something there!

I'm with SOTG. I didn't buy No.1's for BR.....

As long as they were minute of animal I was happy. I was actually pleasantly surprised at the accuracy of mine, especially without any tinkering. One of these days I got to get me a nicely figured RSI in 757. Been on my bucket list for awhile...

Were not ever any 1V Hornets; it was a 1B.

Love my restocked #3 with reshaped lever and new barrel (22 K-Hornet).



10 and 5 shot groups at 100 yds

Thanks! I think I agree with you - it's a standard #1 with "Boddington" series wood, apparently left over from that run.