Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Last No1 for me

Sadly he never killed anything with it. When he got it, he didn't like the sight set up. Folding rear leaf. He asked me if I could put a peep on it. The only one he could find was this Williams that fit dove tail grooves. He still wanted me to do it, so we saved the original sight base and bought a new one in the white. I machined dovetails on each side and fitted the Williams to it. Then had it blued and mounted it.. It turned out to be dead on at 100 yards. Sometimes even I get lucky.

I have a bunch of Ruger no.1`s I really like no 1`s a lot, just a well made rifle and very unique and some are very accurate.i did get a 460 smith no.1 this spring with real nice wood a was very surprised how nice this no.1 was.i have now hunted over 10 years exclusively with a Ruger no.1 for deer and always a one shot kill !

I have always liked the No 1's and have often considered one. Then I read threads about poor trigger, poor accuracy, poor fit and finish and back away. My thought is that if one spends upward of $1000 on a rifle those issues should not exist. Maybe someday I'll find a deal on one and actually try it, but for now - not worth the gamble. I'm not a Ruger hater - I own a Red Label, 77/22 and have owned several Ruger handguns as well. Just spooked by the No. 1.

I bought a Ruger 1-A (30/06) in 1971 and a 1-B (6mm) in 1972. Both were very nice as far as fit and finish was concerned but neither was technically perfect. Another 1-B I bought in 1980 was noticeably worse as far as fit and finish was concerned but was very accurate. The last one I acquired, about six years a go, was a rifle kit; it required a lot of remedial work. I still like the Rugers but there is no doubt that quality control has suffered somewhat. GD

I wonder if quality of the early guns had anything to do with Bill Ruger walking the factory floor...

After all, the #1 was dear to his heart. I don't think he'd approve of the fit and finish they're turning out.

Although current production in house barrels will probably outshoot some of the earlier contract barrels.

DF

I have one No. 3 and six No. 1's (one older red pad model and five newer black pad models). The two most recent No. 1 purchases were last year (30-06 No.1S w/ 24" barrel) and then several years ago (375 H&H No.1H). I'll agree the wood on the newer models isn't as nicely figured as the older ones, but these last two purchases are easily the best shooting No. 1's I've ever owned and they will out shoot most of my bolt action rifles. The newest one from last year does have machining marks on the outside of the barrel right below the barrel band sling stud that didn't get polished out - about the size of a thumb nail. I didn't notice it until after I bought it and had it home and was pretty disappointed until I shot it. It shoots so damn good I think now it may go to Doug Turnbull for a CCH treatment on the action and a refinish on the barrel. I don't want to send it back to Ruger for fear they may re-barrel it.

This is typical of the 375 H&H and the 30-06 shoots every bit as good (100 yds):

My last #1 that I've purchased, not the last one I'm going to purchase.

I've owned 40 some #1's since 1976, The majority shot well, some great , a couple were a struggle .

Wood quality and the cost of a new #1 has discouraged me from purchasing new, though I do have a new stainless 30-30 on order .

Lyman Commemorative Edition II






F

That is a good shooting rifle. Had a .375 H&H 1H in the early 2000's that wasn't quite that accurate but close. A recently purchased .30-06 1S is pretty accurate as well although the wood is less than desirable. I'm wondering if there was some secret specification for trade offs in the original design of the No. 1?

1960's: "Let's give them really beautiful wood, but they have to shoot really crappy."

2015: "We're all out of nice wood! All we have left are these baby crap brown blanks." "Okay, then, time to make them shoot really great..."



They do shoot pretty well but since the street price has climbed up well over the $1000 range and mostly touching $1300 or more for new ones I'd just as soon spend that much money on a Japanese Winchester 1885 that is pretty much guaranteed to shoot great. Plus the ones I've seen still have really nice wood on them, some of it is truly great for a factory rifle.

Only reason I got the new .30-06 No. 1 last fall was because they were on closeout at Cabela's so with a military discount I picked it up for just over $800 out the door.

I guess i must like the Ruger #1's. I have something like 19 or 20 of the damn things. Some are real tack drivers and a few would still have me tearing my hair out by the roots, that is I still had any hair long enough to get hold of. For the curious, they range from .22 Hornet to .416 Rigby. The two worst shooters are #1B models in 30-06. One was the first one I ever got way back in 1972 IIRC. Two of the most accurate are in .300 Win. mag., one a B model the other an S. Groups run from .375" to .50" running the 200 gr. Speer Hot Core at almost 2900 FPS. Some have very nice wood and some are flat out plain Jane as hell.

Until a few years ago mine got hunted. The ranch I do elk hunts on forbids the use of single shot rifles so now they're range queens. Kind of torques my jaws on that deal but their ranch, their rules.

One of my biggest gripes about Ruger's rifle, and this included the M77 as well as the #1, they do not seal the wood on the inside or under the butt plate and grip cap. I learned this the hard way. One an elk hunt in Oregon quite a few years ago, I got caught in the rainstorm to end all rainstorms. I had to get behind a large tree to get away from some of the strongest winds I ever saw. The Airport at John Day recorded a wind gust around 120 MHP IIRC. Well we saw no elk that trip so on the way home we stopped at a ranch owned by friends. We did a bit of pheasant hunting and while hunting saw a coyote running off with a bird. My #1B .300 Win. Mag. was in the truck and the rancher said to shoot him. Four shots later with no hit, me puzzled as all hell and no one could even spot where my bullets went.
Long story short, when I got home and rested up for a few days I took the rifle to the range. From the bench the bullets were hitting just at the top of the berm. A couple of inches higher and I'd never have known where they were going. On examination the butt stock where it joined the receiver has swollen up considerably as did the forearm. When I looked inside, I could see why, no sealing. I stored that rifle out in my shed without A/C and it took six years before that rifle came close to hitting where it should. The air is mighty dry here in Arizona most of the year. I've since sealed the wood on the ones I like to hunt with. I've done the same on the few M77's I have as well. Just something #1 owners should look at. Otherwise they might only be fair weather rifles.
Paul B.

The best accuracy I ever got from a #1 was from a stainless / laminated .375 H&H. It'd do 0.7" or better for 3 shots at 100 yards with 260 grain accubonds and RL15. It bit me hard, crunched a tendon by my collar bone one day, had me on the ground near puking. I sold it. BIG mistake. I've had 3 dozen medium game rifles since and none would keep up with it ... well, fingers crossed the next does. Gun loony has to be an optimist, not a realist.

Most have been so-so accurate. I've had 2 problem guns. One was a #1V in .300 Win Mag which had a stringing problem as the barrel heated. 12 MOA difference (vertical climb) from cold to hot barrel. Kept screaming hot it'd shoot around 3/8" groups but other than shootin' p-dogs with a win mag, how do you keep it hot? The heating between dead cold and the 2nd shot was about 2 inches, then 1.5 inches more for shot #3 .. etc. I wonder if it was the barrel steel or if a set screw in the forend would have fixed it. Decades too late now! The other problem gun had a small chunk of the barrel which was either bulged or missing rifling from the factory. .220 Swift #1V ... I did the forend hanger, trimmed wood between forend and action, bedded the forend .. finally one day when I was cleaning I noticed a tight patch jumping about 2 inches mid-barrel. Sinking feeling.

I was a big fan of the Moyer trigger ... made the #1s shootable, not as good as a 700 aftermarket trigger, but decent. With them gone, I've stopped buying #1s. I would get another if the right combination came along and hope I got a good trigger. I'm not exactly sure what the right combination is.

You can actually notice 30 thousands difference there?

I sure wish I would have taken Photo's of the Rifle before I sent it back to Factory but I already had it packed to return. Yes I could easily see the 30 thousands difference in the Checkering Pattern on the Pistol Grip & I'm going to have Lasik surgery for Cataracts this month.
Its been back a week & a half so I hope it will be returned soon.

I have owned more than 200 No1's in my lifetime but only 60 at one time. Sold my collection years ago and now most of them will be at a popular auction in the coming months. I'm anxious to see the prices they bring.

I wanted one for a long time but never found the right one. And then one day I found this Krag sitting on a shelf. I had to have it. It is likely the only one I will ever own. But it is sweet. Looks good, good trigger and shoots good enough for me.

Never understood the 'attraction'

Not just No.1s for me; it's falling blocks, especially Winchester High and Low Walls. And good bolt guns, especially Mausers.

Never been crazy about lever guns myself, though I appreciate their virtues. ARs leave me cold.

Whatever floats your boat. It's all good.

Single shot rifles aren't for everyone......only a few of us like them and appreciate them and fewer yet can afford them.

What I don't understand is why, after owning four unacceptable Rugers in a row, anyone buys from them again.

It's fairly obvious that us rifle loonies have different standards of acceptability.

Buying a good No. 1 is simple. Buy only red pads. If anyone has a red pad that will not shoot, I'll relieve you of your problem.

So you're saying that if I buy this gun https://www.gunbroker.com/item/768112006 and it don't shoot, you'll buy it from me at the price I paid for it?

Maybe it's the challenge knowing you have that one good shot and that a super fast reload from a magazine ain't there. Or, it could be the esthetics of the single shot rifle. I dunno. It could be all the above and then some. I've hunted enough with one to know it's no handicap. You do have to be a bit choosy on the shots you take but that's no big deal. As far is them being too slow for a second shot, you'd be surprised just how fast one can be reloaded with only a little practice. Funny thing though, after my first shot on game I do the fast reload just in case and have never needed it.
Due to being somewhat handicapped, I only hunt elk on a private ranch which sadly will not allow hunters to use single shot rifles. Their ranch their rules.
The late Al Miller wrote an article on speed loading the single shot rifle. I always enjoyed his ending of the article where he describes bringing in a deer and another hunter looked at his Ruger #1 45-70 (IIRC) and said, "You got him with that?" I've had that happen a time or two and it's a good feeling. You really should try it sometime.
Paul B.

You can just load one round in a magazine if knowing having only one flips your skirt. If you're gonna carry a single shot, you should only bring one round of ammo with you.

If you are going to carry more than one round of ammo with you, a magazine is a great storage area.