Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Ruger #1 vs Win 1885 (current production)

From an accuracy standpoint, which of these are better and do they both need modifications, for end mods and trigger work to get them to be highly accurate.
Any other comments about the differences from the two?

Thanks

IMO, there is no comparison. The 1885 far exceeds the Ruger 1. A simple trigger job is all the 1885 will need. I don't believe a more stylish rifle exists. You'll not have near the trouble with an 1885 to get it to shoot accurately. Accuracy with a Ruger #1 is a sometimes thing.

My experience as well. I should say same experience with accuracy.

I had difficulty mounting a scope on the 1885 and I dont like the appearance of the standard mounts.Those std mounts did not match my barrel contour.The Ruger looks good and mounting a scope is easy even though some use offset rings. Easy. And looks good with or without a scope.

The question was accuracy and "no comparison" says it all.

I've had several of each; I'd go with the 1885.

1885.....

My 1885, in 38/55 didn’t need a trigger job; it’s just fine as it is. I’ve got a Ruger #3 and I like its trigger too. I like the way the actions of both of them lock up solidly.

Talley makes a gorgeous one piece very low profile base. I can get you a picture if you want to see it.

I too have owned both the Winchester 1885 and the Ruger #1, I have had the accuracy highs and lows of both, I would much rather hunt with a Ruger #1,the Ruger #1 is more collectable because of the wide range of different calibers and configuration of different styles.safety system on the Ruger is superior too. both types of guns are very special and are just great to own. the 1885 Winchester is more old time look some may like that,i like the racer look of the Ruger with no hammer. but to each there own both are great guns, one more thing Rugers are all made in the great U.S.A. I want to keep my money in America !

I did a google.These do look good:

http://www.talleymanufacturing.com/Products/Scope-Ring-Bases-Peep-Sight/Winchester/Winchester-1885-(High-Wall).aspx


I was working with a 26 medium wt. round barrel. Drilled and tapped for bases unknown.I forget what the official catalog name is.

IMHO, the best 1885s for hunting are the Low Walls. The High Walls, like many of the Rugers, are pretty beefy. The Hunter series rifles in .30/30 and .38/55 should have been Low Walls, not High Walls. Thus configured, they'd be even more impossible to find than they are now (I look pretty often, and have yet to see one). Another miscue was not tapping the pistol-cartridge mdels for scope mounts, something I'm going to have corrected one of these days on my .44.

I've owned at least five Rugers, and of the four that were fired, all have shot well except a 7x57 that simply wouldn't put three shots, in any order, into a group, even with the forend off. That was long ago, before I knew about the rib "issue". I like them a lot, especially the 1V I have now, but the action of the 1885 seems smoother and tighter to me, more precise.

Don't know how many more, if any, rifles I'll be buying, but I probably look at these two the most.

You CAN get an American-made 1885, lowall or hiwall. C. Sharps in Montana makes beautiful ones. You will pay for the "American option," but IMO everybody should have one of them (Actually you should one of EACH of the guns mentioned here--C.Sharps lowall, Miroku lowall, and Ruger 1A! Mine are a .44-40 C. Sharps, a .243 Miroku, and a .243 Ruger.).

Thanks guys
Found that Davidson’s is selling a win 1885, pistol grip, and upgraded walnut, in 6.5 Creedmoor. I have one ordered.

I own both Browning std and BPCR models. I also own both Ruger #1 and #3 rifles.
Neither are the greatest thing to put a scope on though with some planning both will work ok.

I like to shoot single shots with tang sights. The Rugers are pretty much a loser without a lot of expensive gunsmithing.
The tanged models of the Browning are ready to mount for tang sights.

Unlike some shooters I have fired both rifle types far more than any hunter. I shot rifles with both metallic sights and scopes.
The one modern caliber rifle is a Ruger #1S in 7mm Rem Mag. Though I used Wilson benchrest dies and techniques accuracy was never much better than 1 1/8" to 1 1/4" at 100 yards. This was using both a 2X7 Burris and a 12X Weaver.
By contrast I shot similar groups with cast bullets using a Browning BPCR IN 40-65 using a tang sight.