Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Ruger No 1 450/.400

My #1 450-400 is a Tropical. With 400 grain bullets going 2400 FPS it's a handful for sure but as there is a shortage of DG in the lower 48 there's no reason to load it to those levels.

This is a classic!

Did someone say Ruger#1 Recoil

i had a real nice 458 Win. mag. for 10 years then the original owner died and his family wanted to buy it back for his son ,so i made a couple bucks and sold it back to them. i still have my 458 Lott Ruger #1 in a s.s. Laminate also i still have a 450/400 , 416 Ruger , 416 Rigby and a 375 H&H so i still got plenty fire power yet.

i watched the video was a very fun to watch , i don`t think i could shoot every one of those rifles the same day anymore . i may not flinch when i shoot but if i shot all those Big cartridge caliber Ruger #1`s i probably would start . thanks for posting the video,Pete53

To that end has anybody here experimented with greatly reduced loads? I see no reason to shoot any large bore/magnum cartridge with full power loads - I have no need or desire to impress other people or myself with how much punishment I can inflict when I pull a trigger. With the paucity of big/dangerous game to be encountered anywhere I will ever set foot there's no practical need for me either.

On the other hand, and the reason for my butting in, I've stumbled onto a gorgeous Swiss Martini in 10.3x60R (the twin, and metric equivalent, to the .450/.400) that has a lot going for it - pretty wood, case coloring, etc., and best of all its price (about half of what a Ruger .450/400 would go for). Much to consider, chief of which is cost and practicality of shooting it with loads built to around half of its full potential - which would make for a fun gun to shoot and still be plenty viable for 100+ pound whitetails and paper targets.

I have used the load described earlier in my 450-400 and it has proven to be accurate and friendly on the shoulder. JB has a good chapter on reduced loads in one of his Gun Gack books. I also have a #1 in 375 H&H and shoot a reduced load with IMR 4227 and a 225 grain pistol bullet. It will flatted a deer and once again you can eat right up to the hole.
Reduced loads make these big bores fun to shoot and hunt with.

I have brass, dies, custom labeled aluminum loading blocks and a partial box of Hornady ammunition available. PM if interested.

EdM check your PM's

Ed sent a pm. The rifle is now mine!

Congrats. I was interested in the componets. I love my rifle. It a conversation starter at deer camp

I think it's accurate powder 5744 that is excellent for reduced loads in big bores and can be loaded 3 levels.
1-mild
2-mid moderate
3-near max to max loads

Here is a good thread on the 450/400, including info on reduced loads with Trail Boss and 5744:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/2902561/1

Thanks! Anyone use cast bullets in one? Wondering what diameter would be appropriate? I still have a few molds around I used for a .40-70 straight and a .40-70 SBN

This is what I bought to try in mine. I've only tried one load with Trail Boss (around 30 gr as I recall), and it shot well. Essentially trying to duplicate blackpowder velocities (1100-1300 fps). I used info in the thread I linked to arrive at this. It's been a few years so my memory isn't very good on details.



I cast my own for my Shiloh Sharps and Ballard BPCR's, and will probably do the same for this one when I get back to working with it. Hell, I may even load blackpowder - I have a lot more of that than Trail Boss and 5744.

I believe the bore on these is .410, so a mold that drops at .410-.412 should work, I'd think. I'm thinking your 40-70 molds are likely .403-.408?

The 404 Jeffery Ruger No. 1 is a real collectors' item, congrats to Wildcatter264.
I wonder how many of those were made ?

Avi got the date on the 450/400 NE 3" origin wrong.
It actually came out in 1897 as a Farquharson falling block with cartridge at that time being called the ".400 S Jeffery."
The "S" being for either "Smokeless" or "Special."
It was actually the first of the class that would eventually be called "Nitro Express."
John Rigby's "450 S Rigby" first survived proof in Nov. 1897 as a double rifle. Extra points for that.
Eventually it would be called the 450 NE 3-1/4".
They would be the two earliest chamberings of the Nitro Express clan, when that naming convention got established.

The 404 Jeffery came along as a bolt action in 1904-1905.

I used my Ruger No. 1 450/400 NE 3" ...



... to fire-form 404 Jeffery brass for a .410/404 Jeffery Rimless Nitro Express wildcat.
That was one of the silliest wildcats I ever played with.

The 450/400 NE 3" single shot is what actually started the Nitro Express line.
It deserves great respect for that.
Its beefed up brass with thicker rim and head was modified into 404 Jeffery brass by 1904.
The 404 Jeffery rifle became the first truly great bolt-action DGR on sale in 1905.
Two milestones set by W. Jackman Jeffery.
A sportsman could do no better than that until 1956 when the .458 Winchester Magnum raised the bar.

I have a Baker's dozen of Ruger No. 1 rifles, trying to swear off of them.

6.5 Creedmoor 1-B
.375 H&H 1-H Stainless Laminate
400/.395 Nitro Express (wildcat, re-barreled 9.3x74R 1-S)
.395 Tatanka (wildcat, re-barreled .416 Rigby 1-H)
450/400 NE 3" 1-H
405 WCF 1-S
.416 Ruger 1-H Stainless Laminate
.45-70 Elko Magnum Stainless Laminate (CIP .45-2.6" re-chambered .45-70 Gov't. 1-S)
.45-70 Elko Magnum (CIP .45-2.6" re-barreled 9.3x74R 1-S)
450 NE 3-1/4" 1-H Stainless Laminate (re-chambered .458 Lott)
.458 Winchester Magnum 1-H
.475 Linebaugh 1-S
.500 A-Square 1-H (re-barreled .416 Rigby)

I only regret the couple of Ruger No. 1 rifles I traded off in the 1990s.
Wish I still had them, a .338 WM and a .458 WM.

My smallest bore Ruger No. 1:





First 3 shots it fired with factory ammo at 100 yards, from its 28" barrel:





My biggest bore Ruger No. 1, McGowen 10" twist is 27" long without brake, 29" with brake:

As H4895 is unatainable I'll try some Trail Boss when I run out. Has anybody tried TB with a jacketed bullet?

Yep on the smaller diameter for the Shiloh. Oh well another excuse to go mold shopping!

My last no 1 is a 450/400. I was curious about the barrel contour, mine measures .750 in front of the sight band, rifle weighs around 8.5 pounds.
Would this be the C weight?
Are all the 450/400 this weight?
What is diameter of a D weight?
I started loading 400 grain Woodleigh
and got up to an average of 2170 for 3 shots and said
“Uncle”. Thats enough snap for me.
It is unscoped, but have peep sight.