Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Ruger No. 1 potential

I know nothing about the quirks of Ruger No.1's, but I know that I want one. Not sure on chambering, maybe 25-06 or 6.5x55.

What dies it take to make them accurate? Voodoo? Nothing at all?


Let's hear it no.1 experts.


Thanks in advance.

In my experience with 8 different #1's consisting of A, AB, B, S and V models, the issue of poor accuracy is often over exaggerated. I have been able to find loads that have shot MOA pretty easily. On a couple of occasions, I have lucked into load combinations that have done 0.75 or 0.5 MOA.

Some era's are better than others...red pad era vs black pad era used to be a common delineation mark but some of the new runs also use red pads.

On some of my newer guns, I have found that bedding the front of the fore stock helped with consistency. Most of them have shot fine "as is" from the factory though.

Generally, the triggers are heavier than I like and it is easier to get triggers worked on or replaced with bolt guns than these rifles, but there are options out there.

Do you know what version of the rifle you have in mind? Alex Henry style (A), Standard (B), International (RSI), Varmint (V)...I ask because the two chamberings you mention are common to just a couple of configurations.

The .25-06 is most commonly seen in the standard and varmint configurations...but there are also some AB (light sporter barrel, standard fore stock, no sights) and AH (light sporter barrel, Alex Henry fore stock, no sights) around. The AB and AH are much less common though.

The 6.5x55 had a few runs in the A and RSI configurations. I believe Lipsey's ran both of these several years apart. Not a lot of either made if I remember correctly, but you can still catch them on Gunbroker or elsewhere pretty regularly.

There may be one or two configurations that I am not remembering that hopefully El Numero Uno or one of the other more well versed members can chime in on.

Thanks for the info. I'm honestly not tied to a specific model, but I do like the model with iron sights. A 303 brit might be cool too.

I’ve had a bunch of them, find the #1S with 26” barrel feels the best to me. I might feel warmer toward the #1A if the barrel was 24+”. I’ve had several, tried to like them, but all were butt heavy.

They are great actions, even to the point of the safety. It doesn’t just lock the trigger, a little bar actually prevents the hammer from falling with the safety on.

Bill Ruger’s crowning achievement.

you will really like hunting and shooting a #1 good luck with your choice ,Ruger #1 `s are just a super neat rifle.

My last one was one of the currently-available fast-twist .243 Varmint models. It shot okay, but not great. I bought it for stand-hunting and varmints on a nearby farm, but I lost access so let it go for something about 3 pounds lighter, and more accurate.

They are kinda compelling, but I'm learning restraint. At some point, I may pick up another, but I really prefer 1885s, and have two Low Walls to help keep my SS lust under control. The stainless .30/30s are the ones that present the greatest threat to my self-control; just about perfect for an old fat man.

I’ve had four of them. Two were 22ppc heavy barrel, one a 223 heavy barrel, and one 22 hornet sporter. After various so called enhancements to the forend hanger system, a couple of expensive trigger replacements, and other things, I gave up on them. Never got a thing close to a consistent 1” group.
Neat guns, but not accurate guns.
I know what you are thinking, but I have many a Rem 700s, Sakos, and Anschutz rifles that shoot half inch to 1” groups. If they don’t, they’re sold.

Bunch of bull. A No.1 is easily accurate enough for hunting use or recreational use. They are fantastic rifles and the myth that they're terribly inaccurate is in itself an inaccurate claim. For those who think they have to have incredible accuracy afield to take game or hunt thats just not true. In many field conditions and positions theres times when its impossible to extract that kind of accuracy.

The truth is nobody can shoot sub MOA accuracy with a rifle without some form of support so the claims for certain rifles are just bogus. The reality is people shoot at shooting ranges with seats and benches and maybe prone. Few bring rifles afield and practice in field conditions and in the terrain they hunt in. Most of this is because folks don't have access to areas to do so and because of this the measure of a sport hunting rifle is measured in how accurate it'll throw 3 shots downrange, which really is a shame and tells us nothing.

> let`s just keep it a secret Ruger #1 `s shoot well and are a great rifle maybe we can buy these # 1`s from them cheaper then ? GRIN

1) Free float the fore end from the barrel and bed it to the fore end hanger.

2) Buy a Jard trigger and install. (Trust me on this one.)

3) If you cannot buy a speed hammer, get a gunsmith or buy some cobalt drill bits and make your own speed hammer, It's not the speed of the hammer that helps most, its that the heavy stock hammers sudden stop shakes the whole rifle at the wrong time (ignition).

After the first mod, my Swede was a consistent 1.5" er. After the other 2 mods, it consistently shoots under M.O.A. The pic was taken before the Jard trigger was installed.

My 42 year #1 shoots just fine. Like any rifle it shoots better with something it likes. This target was shot with Hunter powder when trying it because I needed IMR4350. Have not even got to max load yet because of Covid and now the fires here. Admittedly every rifle is different but I have never seen a #1 that couldn’t be worked with to get at least hunting accuracy.

I'm afraid I have to disagree with you. I collect Ruger #1s and have quite a few that are good shooters. However, I have several that over a period of years have yet to find something that comes close to reasonable hunting accuracy. One is a 25-05 and two are 30-06, all in the "B" configuration. Another, an "A" in 7x57 was so bad that I have my gunsmith check it out. A chamber cast showed a throat in excess of two inches. That one went back to Ruger and came back with a new barrel.Some of the most accurate seem to be the ones with the smaller bores used in the "B" models, .22Hornet, 6MM REM. one 25-05, there's a story on that one and four .300 Win. Mags, a "B" and three "S" models Two do from .375" to .50" from the bench. FWIW, currently I have Ruger #1s running from .22 Hornet to .416 Rigby. I like the rifles and I like to hunt with them. I consider 1.50" or less to be good hunting accuracy.
Paul B.

Agree. He's making excuses to try to turn unacceptable into acceptable.

I'm not like some of ya'll here who have had a lot of #1s. I've had 5-6 maybe. Only 1 was a good shooter, good enough I didn't have to make excuses for it, and it didn't come that way out of the box, it required some gunsmith work. In the end, though, it was sweet ... a stainless / laminate #1H in .375 H&H that'd put 3 accubonds into 3/4ths of an inch reliably. The others were mostly 2.5 to 4 MOA rifles with one that was about a 12 MOA rifle .. which sucks for a heavy varmint config. Most of mine were in relatively high velocity cartridges. .220 Swift, .25-'06. Stop 'n' think .. what the hell good is a high velocity cartridge if it only gives you 2.5 MOA? Can't hit a squirrel beyond 75 yards, so what good is 4000 fps? Can't make a clean kill on a deer past 200, so what good is a 120 grain bullet over 3000 fps? If the rifle won't shoot better than that, there's no point in anything faster than a .22 Hornet or .30-30.

Tom

Haven’t seen anyone say the #1 isn’t accurate enough for recreation shooting. Basically any gun will work for that. Is it accurate enough for hunting, depends what you’re hunting and the length of the shot. If you like them, more power to you. I’ll pass.

I have a handful of No. 1s and all shoot well enough and a couple are exceptional. Several will group 2 together and string 1 vertically with 100 yard groups in the 1" to 1.5" range. Those probably need some forend bedding work as mentioned above. The 2 that really stand out are a 1H in 375 H&H and a 1S in 30-06, both with 24" barrels and haven't been touched out of the box. Here is a sample of the 375 H&H and the 30-06 is very similar. I have numerous 100 yard targets for both rifles that are very similar to this.

I've probably had 10 over the years, and currently have two.

Maybe I've just been really lucky, but all of mine would shoot. I never messed with the forend, never handloaded. Just bought Hornady or Federal Premium ammo and went shooting. I can't even remember having to try multiple types of ammo or bullet weights. More often than not I shoot Hornady ammo in most of my guns, and it has generally produced 1" groups in any of the No. 1s I've owned.

I will add that most (maybe all) of the No. 1s I've had were either very early guns (first few years of production), or recent guns (last 10 years production). I think a lot of the No. 1's reputation for questionable accuracy came from the guns produced from the mid-70s to the mid-80s. But before or after that you are likely to get a gun with a decent barrel that will shoot well.

SR

I have a #1V in .223 REM. It shoots 1/2” three shot groups easily. The only thing I had done was some trigger work.

I don’t reload and when I first had it I couldn’t find a load that would shoot even MOA. Then I went to a gun show and a guy was selling his own proprietary ammo. I complained to him about the accuracy of my rifle. He handed me a hundred rounds of ammo and said”try these”. Sub MOA immediately. I’ve never looked back. This is my non rim fire varmint rifle and it will do the deed. I’ve had this gun since 2002.

I’ve bought two recently and the triggers seem much better. I have a .308 that shoots MOA,but so far only tried one load. My 6.5 Creedmore is too new to have been to the range yet. Still waiting for my scope to arrive.

I have owned several and I have one now.

Accuracy is all over, depending on which one. Some were so-so and some were good with 2 being VERY good

I had 2 different 270s. One with a 26" barrel and standard forend and one with a 22" and Alex Henry forend. The 26" rifle shot about 1-3/4" at 100 yards, but the 22" shot half MOA.
I had a 22" 243 which I gave to a dear friend. That gun shot just a bit over MOA.
I has a 30-06 that would shoot some 180 grain handloads (Noslers and IMR 4064 powder) to about 1-1/4" but was finicky and didn't like 150 or 165s, At least none of the loads I tried. with many loads it shot about 2.5"
I had a 7MM Rem mag and it was the worst. It only shot 4"-5" at 100 yards and I never got anything better, so I re-barreled it to 300 H&H and with the new barrel I got Sub MOA. I sold it to a friend who still hunts with it.
My 375H&H shot about 1-1/8" to 1-1/4" at 100.
My Current 9.3X74R is one of the best. With Horandy and Nosler 286 grain bullets I get about .800" at 100 yards and with the Speer 270 grain (which I don't like to hunt with because of the fact it breaks up so easily) it shoots a ragged hole.
Between the 9.3X74R and my shorter 270 I can't say which is best, but both are VERY good.

I know a man in Rawlins Wyo that has one in 30-30 Winchester and I was very impressed at his accuracy too. He is getting ragged hole groups too with it.

My first #1 was purchased in 1975, a "B" in 30-06. I still have it and am still, off and on trying to find something the will group tighter than 4". I bought my second one a year later, another "B" although the order was for the "S" model my dealer was sent the "B". When I complained my LGS called the distributor and was told that's ass there is take it or send it back. So I took it and it's a tack driver with the 200 gr. Speer Hot core or Nosler 200 gr. Rartition. Just the luck o the draw I guess.

A few years back I bought another "B" at a gun show that I got into rather cheaply as it looked like it was rode hard and put away wet. I wanted it to build a .35 Whelen. They say never shoot the donor. I'd never shot a 25-06 so bought a couple boxes of ammo and slapped a scope on it and WOW! It may look like hell but shoots like an angel. I later picked up another "B" in 25-06 that was purely minty and had beautiful wood. Of course, this one shoot all over hell and gone except where I want them to go. Again, just the luck of the draw.
Paul B.

Ruger #1S 300 H&H Mag