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

I've owned 1/2 a dozen #1s ranging from .223 Rem. to 375 H&H and they all shot well to outstanding without any tinkering, just my handloads. My current #1 will do about an inch at 100 yards with 5 different bullet weights. Sometimes it's a tad more than an inch, sometimes it's a tad less. Every other #1 I've owned has done better if not half that group size at 100. A former Ruger #1 RSI was very finicky with almost everything, but eventually I found what it liked and it would shoot clover leaves at times. Unless you are a competition shooter, I would not let accuracy concerns sway your decision to buy a #1.

Good discussion here.

When buying a No. 1... look used, or a new one just as good of a buy?

Does a stainless steel #1 have any issue with galling?

Not a Number One in this case but the 77 in the RSI configuration. It's a .308 Win. and I got it for the sum of $250 which included a decent scope, dies, shell holder, brass, bullets and a couple of boxes of factory ammo. I asked the guy why so cheap? he said it was the most inaccurate rifle he'd ever played with. He wasn't kidding.On a good day I might get a 4" group but most 5 to 6" was the norm. It took two years to find a load that was a consistent 1.5" day in and day out. Used that for a while and go the bright idea to relieve the fit on that metal muzzle cap. Groups now run a more consistent 1.25" which I consider an improvement. Funny thing is I ran into two mare 77 RSIs in .308; all ridiculously cheap because their owners couldn't make them shoot decent groups. I told them what I did but they couldn't be bothered so I bought them cheap. What worked on the first one worked with both of those as well. So far though they're a one load deal, a top load of W760 and the 165 gr. Speer Hot Core. Works in all three rifles. i haven't tried much with anything else mainly because nothing else worked in the fist one. Since I did the work on the muzzle cap though, I'm thinking of seeing whether or not other bullets might now work.

One of these days I might get lucky and find a #1 RSI to round off my collection. A 7x57 woulf be perfect.
Paul B.

I have a 1a Bicentennial in 6mm Rem. Forget about factory loads unless 2.5" @ 100 yards is ok.
Load development was very tricky. I was working upwards in 0.3 gr powder increments. I noticed a slight dip in group sizes. I went back and bracketed the best charge in 0.1gr increments. I found a very repeatable load that give good 1/2" 5 shot accuracy.
I do put a clocking mark on the head of each shell case, so it goes in the rifle consistantly.
The foreend of my #1 is resonant and groups open up when using a bipod. Therefore I use my backpack as a rest.
There are little details that must be attended to when taking a #1 to the field.
Just my $.02, VR,

My experience mirrors most here. After leaving a trail of #1's behind me in my shooting life I can't complain about accuracy one bit. My current two are prime examples. The 6.5x55 1A (a Lipsey's gun) consistently drops three into a sub-nickel sized group at 100 yards, 4th and 5th shots climb a tic into the 3/4" vicinity. I can easily live with that, especially since its POI doesn't change month-after-month. The custom .250-3000 1A with Douglas barrel was the red-headed stepchild of the whole bunch. Free floating the forearm to a fare-thee-well, bedding the hanger, and installing a set screw in the hanger to bear on the barrel (and tweaking the screw's pressure until satisfied- a trick John Barsness recommended to me) cured its recalcitrance.

Had a B and an RSI in .243.
Both shot well.
Have not shot the .280 oldie yet.
Maybe this weekend.

My Ruger No. 1 is absolute garbage.

I have four Ruger #1 rifles that I enjoy hunting with. As a right-handed person who shoots left-handed, I appreciate their ambidextrous design. The last deer I shot from a stand I hit exactly where I was aiming at 150 meters shooting off my "wrong" (right) shoulder. The deer was at an awkward angle off to my left with a branch in the way so shooting right was the better option. While I might not enter a target competition with one, for deer hunting, I have found my Ruger #1's to be more than adequate. The vast majority of my hunting is sub 200 meters because of the woods I'm in. I like their simplicity and the design of falling block single shots (including 1885's) appeals to me.

Ruger #1-A - 6.5x55 SE
Ruger RSI - 275 Rigby
Ruger #1-A - 303 British
Ruger #1-A - 9.3x74r

Not that I have seen.

Kind of in between on them.

1975 Ruger 1B in .25-06. It would consistently group 3 shots into 3/4" but also very consistently strung them from 7 o'clock to 1 o'clock. Subsequent shots in a string would continue that pattern up and right but further out. But those first three were close together.

1982ish No. 3 in .223. Absolute best it would do is 1 1/2" groups and only with Sierra 52 grain match hollow points. Every other bullet tried would scatter into 2-3".

Mid 2000's .375 1S. Very accurate, could be counted on to put three or four shots sub-MOA with a couple of different bullets. Beat the snot out of me so about 20 shots in a day was all I could stand.

Late-mid 2000's 1A in 7x57. Gorgeous wood, shot raggedy hole groups. I took the forend off one day and after putting it back on it never shot that well again no matter how much I played with screw tension.

2018 No. 1S in .30-06. Meh. It would put 3-4 shots into maybe 1.25" or 1.5" but never under that. First one I got with a loose lever that rattled.

2018 No. 1A in .250 Savage. Another one with a loose lever. But accurate enough, it will shade MOA.


My bottom line, you don't buy a Ruger No. 1 for the ultimate in accuracy but for the panache. That said, they generally have adequate accuracy for hunting. Their best period was after Ruger started making their own barrels in the 90's up to maybe 2016, give or take a couple years, that's around when Ruger quality control starting going downhill across the board.



I never pass up an opportunity to show this off , but here's one example of what a 1A can be made into. This is the .250 Savage, it runs about 6 pounds and change as shown. Love this little rifle, rattley lever and all.

You still looking?

How about an unmodified 1A in .275 Rigby (7x57)?

Ive had four #1's. Three of them Pre '79. One an '85

The best one was my first, a '78 B in .243. Itd cloverleaf w handloads. Purchased used, as a known good shooter.

My '74 B in .22-250 was a dud, original owner sent it back to Ruger and had it rebarreled. 2nd owner shot it a lot (my dad). Its well worn and puts Norma factory stuff (in old wooden looking cardboard box) into .75 at 100. Not great but not horrible. Prefer half incher for chucks. Have the handload data for it.....supposedly cloverleafs. Not gonna use Sierras so will start from scratch. Dunno how the throat looks.

RSI from '95 was a .243 and it made a ragged hole at 75 yards w a 4x scope. Initially I forgot where I rough zeroed it so set a target up months later and shot 4 times and wondered WTH was going on, no holes. Nope, they were all together in the center of my Sharpie marker dot.
Yeah, shot one deer, and sold it. Blast was annoying. Proly shoulda kept it. Wood was beyond boring. An RSI in .35 rem woulda been sweet.

Had a '67 Pre B in .280 rem. It did just over an inch at 100 w Federal Premium (think 140gr). Used, not perfect, but still too nice to risk bashing about in the woods. Heavy too. And recoil was like any other #1B in that type of deer cartridge ('06 class), not horrible but not pleasant either. For as much as they weigh, a #1 w a red pad kinda sucks. I won't run another #1 w a red pad unless varmint cartridge.

Buddy had a .25-06 #1B, it was a PITA to get it to shoot tolerable. He of some knowledge and had enough money to play the game.
Said #1's for him in big bore or varmint did OK, the middle stuff was 50/50. This all back in 90s or before.

He and I had no experience w black pad #1s.

Not been impressed w #3s in .22 Hornet or .223.

NOTE: my groups for #1s were 3 or 4 shots w a little time to cool.
Hell I don't think Ive ever shot a #1 for group w 5 shots.
My 700s I did. They are ugly in comparison, but shoot better and aren't as picky.

Like said upstream by another.........ya shoot a #1 because they are cool and if so, good enough for the application.
Dedicated varmint rig????..........Id be lookin at a #1 rebarrel and tune up by Penrod.

Might get a B thats great, might not. Hefty roll of the dice IMHO. Find one w good wood and see what it does. If it sucks, then have it redone.
You gotta really love a #1 to risk that much time, effort and money.
I fight myself off and on, having a B .243 built. Nostalgia and reality clash in my wallet.

Lots of comments saying “hunting accuracy” or something similar. I don’t disagree.
I’ve owned five of them, a 1B in 22h, two 1V in 22 ppc, and a 1V in 223 and a 1B in 218 bee. The first four were 1.5” guns on a good day, and that’s after various forend pressure or floating schemes, custom triggers, load development, and other so called accuracy enhancements. I sold all of them.
The 218 bee has the forend floated and a Jard trigger. It’s a 1” gun with one specific load.
My Sako, Anschutz and Rem 700 rifles are far more accurate. But “hunting accuracy” can be achieved in a Ruger #1.

Love the look and feel of a #1.
Hate Ruger rings ....and how the quarter rib doesn't allow for more rearward position.
An offset ring at rear helps, aint exactly pretty.

Might get a good shooter, might not. May or may not respond to tweaks.

Thats why my current .243 chuck and yote rig is a Rem 700 in an HS stock. 700s are ugly but dang they shoot good, without much work.

Right or wrong, I think of a chuck rig as a .5" at 100. if it goes .75 at 100 then thats a yote rig.
Deer Id like 1" but am cool w sub 1.5".

Nowadays you can get 1" guarantees on many rifles. My Steyr did it, w cheap WW ammo (.30-06).
With lesser cost, more comfort and less felt recoil...........why roll the dice on a #1?

Oh yeah, they look wonderful

That said...............I'll keep a #1 around, just because.
Anything else is proly gonna be a plastic stocked repeater.

This .275 seems to do okay at 200 yards:

I have a #3 in 223 that will group right at an inch with some handloads. It really likes the factory Federal 50 grain red tip varmint loads.

Have a #1 in 338wm that will shoot factory Barnes ammo just under an inch consistently, but handloads are a crap shoot. Still haven’t figured that one out and too lazy or cheap to buy Barnes bullets. This may get rebarreled or sent down the road as I have really have no need for a 338wm. May be a good candidate for a 7 PRC project.

Have a #1 in 6mm CM. Was a 7mm mag, but had PacNor put a new barrel on it. It will consistently shoot 1/2” groups. This has a local gunsmith made speed hammer and Jard Trigger. I have not had the hanger drilled and tapped yet for a set screw, but considering it.

i have many Ruger #1 `s and have give`n my son,daughter,son-in-law and grandson all Ruger #1`s to hunt with. for the last 15 - 20 some years i have hunted deer with my Ruger #1 257 Weatherby mag. and it has always done its job. this custom Ruger #1 shoots 3 shot 100 yard groups 1/2 inch or less at 3700 FPS . never underestimate how well you can make or have in accuracy with a Ruger #1 plus this type of rifle sure has a great easy safety to use also.

TTT

well then how much ? what cartridge is it ?