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

I was out yesterday shooting the 6mm CM and noticed something that may actually be common with No 1’s. Using a front rest and rear bag. I had the front rest positioned around the rear half of the forearm. If I kept my left hand on the rear bag, I was shooing nice tight groups. If I held on the the rear of the forearm with the left hand, I was seeing a lot of vertical stringing. Both positions seemed stable to me.

Next trip to the range will include field positions with shooting sticks and backpacks to see how it shoots in those positions.

I’ve only messed around with a couple. I bought one in 22 hornet and it has shot extremely well with H110 and 40gr vmax or BT and now lil’gun and the same bullets. It usually shoots 5 shots into 5/8-3/4” and is one of my favorite pdog rifles. My cousin shot it and had to have one. We found him the same gun in 222 and it shoots 50gr blitz or TNT’s into really tiny groups but for some reason often flicks one out and “ruins” the group to about 1”. Both rifles are bone stock.

Seems a lot of your rifles are very accurate.

Reckon it’s something to do with attention to detail and shooting technique.

DF

Back in the early t mid 90's I worked part time in the LGS (mostly to support my firearms habit) and I had a saying, " 90% of the guns in this store shoot 100% better than the person pulling the trigger".

WTBS my RSI 7x57 has had all the stuff done to it and it's a decent shooter with one load. 50 gr. H414 and a 145 Speer GS. Hot load. Nickle cases and neck sized only. Chrono'ed 2850 the only time I've ever checked it.

My #1 medium sporter in 45-70, I don't know how it shoots yet. No time to mess with it right now.

TTT

Number 1s that have been plenty accurate for any hunting I care to do (as if I am an eyeball hunter)!

Hornet #1B (Jacketed and cast loads)
243 #1B
270 #1A probably the most abused, but least fussy
7X57 #1A fussy with most, but shoots 139 GMX very well.
9.3 x 74R #1S 286 Hornady especially
45-70 #1S tackdrives 300s...pounds tacks with 500 Hornadys

A 218 #1B has never been as great as I'd like, though head shots on bunnies @75 yds haven't been a struggle.

And a 7mm Rem Mag #1S while not a highly consistent grouper, can't be blamed for missing the meat bundles it is intended for.

I had a newer International in .257 Rbts that I couldn't get to shoot for love or money. It now lives in a new home of a guy that wanted a challenge.

I've had two others that shot well.

Dale, you got it right, some say the early (4 digit serial ) shot pretty well, but they are not bench shooters, neat guns, probably bought at least 8 or 9 never had one shoot better than 1.5, which is alright for a lot of folks, Ken

I had a 4 digit #1 in .243. It probably had the Douglas barrel as an early gun, was accurate enough. I traded it.

DF

I'm not surprised. Ruger #1s can be quite finicky on they way the forearm is positioned at the bench. One method that seems to work is have the front bag up against the receiver. A bit awkward but it does work.
PJ

Only accurate rifle are interesting and kept. Never owned a #1 that met that criteria.

Obviously did not know how to handload.

i have never had factory ammo shoot as well as my ammo that i reload for my rifles including my Ruger #1`s . i have a lot of trust in my Ruger #1`s that i hunt with these Ruger #1`s never jam , never freeze up ,have a great safety and are very accurate . this year i let my 10 year old grandson try a bolt action ,AR-15 and a Ruger #1 , i let Alex decide what rifle he wanted to use he told me he preferred my Ruger #1 220 Swift with a grin . this kid`s got some taste and it also had a Nightforce scope on this Ruger #1 . so if you don`t like your Ruger #1 how much ? what cartridge ?

My only No.1 is a .308 1B which easily hangs right around an inch with good loads. All I have ever done to it is relieve the forend pressure on the front of the receiver with sand paper wrapped around a 12 gauge shell. That settled it right down. The trigger is a slight bit heavier than I would find ideal, but it’s okay, it’s a hunting rifle. The hammer fall is noticeable, but it’s okay, it’s a hunting rifle. I have no doubt accuracy could be improved with a better trigger and lighter hammer. Hell, a little load development and more effort shooting off the bench would improve it but, after all, it’s just a hunting rifle.

I have skimmed this thread, and so far I haven't seen anybody mention the quality of barrels used on No. 1's over the years. (Have owned No. 1s from the earliest to the latest.)

The first models used Douglas barrels, and tended to shoot very well.

Then Ruger started using cheaper barrels, and some were pretty good, and some were awful. Plus, for some reason many of those had extremely long chamber throats, far longer than SAAMI--which generally didn't help.

In the early 1990s Ruger started hammer-forging their own barrels, which immediately improved accuracy not only in No. 1s, but other Ruger rifles. I have yet to encounter one of those that didn't shoot well, and some VERY well--often right out of the box.

I have owned 3. All 45-70. Each shot a solid 1 1/2" group using my standard load of 53 gr of Re7 and a 300 jhp
I would start with a real good cleaning. Remove all copper fouling. Invest in a good product and don't be afraid to do it several times.

yep Mule Deer your right about the different barrels over many years good and poor barrels ,the ones i hunt with all have custom barrels . but oh how i still like these great American made single shots to own and hunt with . thanks for posting the barrel facts , Pete53

I bought a used one over the weekend . 1982 model 1B in that inadequate 30-06. Took it to the range today and man does it shoot well. I hope I don't need another one anytime soon

Like i said before, my dads .22-250 B which dates to '74 shoots decent, but it was sent back by prev owner who bought it new and it shot like crap. Ruger rebarreled it.

Starting to wonder if a lot of this is the Indian and not the gun.