Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints Groundhogs & Coyotes

Guys,
I've come into 2 Ruger No.1 rifles.
One is a Varmint in .22-250 the other a 1a Sporter in .243.
The .243 shoots 65 V Maxs into less than an inch-COLD. The .22-250 is a MOA rifle with 52 & 53 grain bullets, also cold.
Does anyone use a No.1 to hunt coyotes or groundhogs? I'm here in NJ and PA not very many 300-yard shots, but some.
Thank you in advance for you time and help.
Soup

I haven't used a #1 for coyotes and groundhog but have killed a few deer with one.

That said I do use a number of combo guns and drillings with single rifle barrels and they are some of my favorites for under 300 yard country. I do have the shotgun barrels for the under 40 yard stuff but you could pack a shotgun along a lot of guys do that.

For groundhog it would be a very nice rig.

Soup: I have shot about a "ton" of Rock Chucks, Prairie Dogs, Badgers and Coyotes with Ruger #1 Rifles in caliber 22-250 Remington and many other calibers.
Be patient when after Coyotes with the Ruger #1's as a missed shot and the time it takes to reload will give the Coyote time enough to go super-sonic and put way more distance between you and it before the follow-up shot.
Sadly I sold my first Ruger #1-B in caliber 6m/m Remington it was a first year manufactured gun with serial number 1,300!
I currently have #1's in:
204 Ruger
22 Hornet
218 Bee
223 Remington
22-250 Remington
220 Swift
243 Winchester
6m/m Remington
I have both a #1-B and a #1-V in caliber 22-250 Remington - love'em both and hope you grow to like your #1-V in 22-250 as much as I do.
Good luck.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Thank you all for your prompt replies.
Do you think the 1V is a little heavy to coyote hunt?
Soup

Saw a 1B in .222 at Cabela's in Hamburg today. It had a 4-digit serial number.

Killed chucks w an old 1B in .243 for over a decade.
B is heavy enough, plus its 26".
V are heavier and 24".

Currently have a B in .22 250.
Good enough.

Might get a custom stainless done in .35 rem if i get silly.
Or a reg production B in .25 -06.

#1A is a nice config for a deer rig.
Wouldn't run one as a varminter

I had an RSI that shot 95 and 100 gr factory .243 stuff very well. Blasty though.

IMHO a B model is a classic varminter on its own.
Run it off bags or a bipod.


If a clean B w good wood came along in 243 or 25 06 Id slap a gloss Leupold 12x on it and call it done.

Have a #3 redone in .219 and a 1B in .22 250 and havent been out chucking yet this yr. Weather, work, and health made me miss the short soybean time frame.

Have a#1 V 25/06 it is pretty heavy to carry as a calling rifle.Have used it a few times coyote calling 90 gr GMX bullets a bit much a couple 250-300 yd shots.Not fur friendly.

When I was a young man, one friend loaned me his ruger #1V in 22-250 (using his handloaded 50 Blitz) and another friend loaned me his Johnny Stewart Cassette Caller. I used the "Fighting Crows and Hawk" tape wads of crows! I called on the edges of clear-cuts. I would pop one or two up close, then they would fly out to 200-250 and perch, I had a ball! You can do it!!

When I first started calling coyotes my only rifle was a Ruger 1A in .243...worked fine but was tough on the hides. For coyotes AND groundhogs, that .22-250 is your Huckleberry...

the .243 works great for me on coyotes, down here in S.Texas the hides aren't good enough to save,gave both of 22-250s away, .243 with light bullets will do any thing a 22-250 will.. YMMV Rio7

have always had a 223 and a 243. Never saw the need for a 22-250

[quote=RIO7]the .243 works great for me on coyotes,

How light do you go Rio? I have some Hornady 87 HPBT and some Sierra 85 HPBT on hand. That are supposed to be more for Game than Predators, "I think". I am also a "shoot em, take a picture, sling em" kind of coyote hunter.

Jim, I have use the 70 gr. Speer, it's plenty fast and works well for me, my .243s are 8 twist, once deer season starts i switch to 105 gr. Scenars, Rio7

Thanks Rio, mine is a Tikka, 10" twist (supposed to be) I shot some Nosler 70 Varmeggedon ammo that was really accurate.

My only #1 is a 22 hornet and it shoots 40gr vmax and BT into about 5/8” groups. LOVE that little rifle for p dogs!

My cousin has it’s twin in 222 and it shoots almost as well.

I’d try some 50gr BT’s in that 22-250 and go shoot stuff.

.22-250 for the last almost 60 years. A 22-250 or Swift are great also. If I couldn't get it done with these due to wind or what have you, my next step would be .270 to the .30s.

#3 22 K-Hornet has accounted for many prairie dogs, and a few coyotes.
#1 220 Swift has accounted for a few prairie dogs, and many coyotes (including a triple, out of 4 called).
#3 223 is giving me fits in the accuracy dept - may wind up re-barreling it.

Happy birthday Mark!