Solomonson
Member
For those of you with experience with these two rifles, does this article sound correct? Thanks.
https://www.chuckhawks.com/compared_browning1885_rugerNo1.htm
https://www.chuckhawks.com/compared_browning1885_rugerNo1.htm
Winchester 1885 vs. Ruger No. 1
- Thread starter Solomonson
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I have a Ruger No.1-B in .223 and a Browning 1885 in .223. My experience tracks pretty close to what he wrote in the article. The 1885 seems to be a little more accurate. I also like the trigger on the 1885 alittle more than the Ruger. They are both nice rifles but I come to the same conclusion as he did.
Gordon
Member
I have had a few of each. The ejection on the 1885 is a bit more vigorous, the Browning Miroku has a stop you can turn to cut that down, but I like strong ejection on a field gun, so I like it better than the Ruger No1 dribble ejection whih is still positive . I like the hammer and no safety better too. I have had great accuracy with the B78 .22-250 I still own and the 7mm mag B78 was good also . The 1885 I had was in 45-70 and it was a classic Buffloe type, I sold it as I was not using it and they were selling well. I had too man Ruger #1s to name, the 25-06 and 375 H&H Tropical were the favorites of the bunch and I still have them . Both are accurate , for what they are.
SwampWolf
Member
I have both too, but their purposes make the comparisons more of an orange or tangerine proposition. My low-wall, Browning (Miroku) is chambered in .223 Remington; is fitted with a Burris 3x9 Compact scope and is used as a walking/stalking varmint rifle while the much heavier No.1 (Varmint V1 variant) is chambered in .220 Swift; wears a B&L 4x12 "Elite" scope and is used mostly for hunting chucks in a stationary mode.
The Ruger is the more accurate of the two but the Browning is the more useful, in terms of how I usually hunt varmints.
The Ruger is the more accurate of the two but the Browning is the more useful, in terms of how I usually hunt varmints.
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Chuck Hawks is another writer who makes accuracy conclusions over three shot groups. Three shot groups are meaningless as an accuracy indicator. He is also one who claims better accuracy after installing a set screw in the fore end. My Ruger #1 shot better after I removed the set screw.
There are three, 3 shot groups, plus an extra round tossed in, in this ten shot group. I can, as would a gunwriter, make all sorts of claims of sub MOA accuracy by measuring the clusters.
I have not shot my 45/70 BPCR enough to really test its accuracy.
And I only have used iron sights with the thing. But based on what I read about BPCR shooters and their experiences with these things, they shoot well. One of my bud's is a guy who shot a ten shot or 20 shot group at 300 yards that was just under three inches, with a black powder 45/70, and that sort of blew my misconceptions about BP being inaccurate.
I don't own an M1885 in a smaller caliber, it would be an interesting rifle.
My Ruger ejects powerfully and I ground the safety tang so ejected cartridges would not hit the thing and rebound back into the chamber. Which has happened to me. Now, extracted rounds have plugged me squarely in the forehead or eyeglasses when I did not get my head out of the way! That's the price of progress!!! Can't say there is much difference in the triggers, and I would not want a hair trigger on a hunting rifle. I have tripped pound and a half match rifle triggers in rapid fire, and bumped off ounce triggers in Smallbore Prone. In cold weather, I want to feel the trigger before I fire the action! So I suppose it depends on what you are going to do with the rifle. This weekend I shot my BSA MKII International Martini 22lr in competition and its 1.5 pound trigger felt like a huge deadweight when I was building up pressure, trying to get the thing to break! The sequence was, the wind looks right, build up pressure, nothing happens, build up more pressure, nothing happens, build up pressure and bang! Now, if I was shooting my Anschutz, the sequence would have been, the wind looks right, think about firing, bang!
One thing I do not like about the 1885 is the trigger bow. It is something that only an octopus can love. It is not comfortable, my fingers don't fit any of the geometric choices given. And the pistol grip is too shallow. It is a heck of an action. I like the manual hammer, I like a positive indication of a cocked action. I have not done the P.O Ackley thing and blown the action all to pieces, so I don't know if the 1885 protects the shooter from gas release straight back. Ruger made sure that gas would vent up and down and not back into the shooter's face. His action is both strong and safe.
There are three, 3 shot groups, plus an extra round tossed in, in this ten shot group. I can, as would a gunwriter, make all sorts of claims of sub MOA accuracy by measuring the clusters.
I have not shot my 45/70 BPCR enough to really test its accuracy.
And I only have used iron sights with the thing. But based on what I read about BPCR shooters and their experiences with these things, they shoot well. One of my bud's is a guy who shot a ten shot or 20 shot group at 300 yards that was just under three inches, with a black powder 45/70, and that sort of blew my misconceptions about BP being inaccurate.
I don't own an M1885 in a smaller caliber, it would be an interesting rifle.
My Ruger ejects powerfully and I ground the safety tang so ejected cartridges would not hit the thing and rebound back into the chamber. Which has happened to me. Now, extracted rounds have plugged me squarely in the forehead or eyeglasses when I did not get my head out of the way! That's the price of progress!!! Can't say there is much difference in the triggers, and I would not want a hair trigger on a hunting rifle. I have tripped pound and a half match rifle triggers in rapid fire, and bumped off ounce triggers in Smallbore Prone. In cold weather, I want to feel the trigger before I fire the action! So I suppose it depends on what you are going to do with the rifle. This weekend I shot my BSA MKII International Martini 22lr in competition and its 1.5 pound trigger felt like a huge deadweight when I was building up pressure, trying to get the thing to break! The sequence was, the wind looks right, build up pressure, nothing happens, build up more pressure, nothing happens, build up pressure and bang! Now, if I was shooting my Anschutz, the sequence would have been, the wind looks right, think about firing, bang!
One thing I do not like about the 1885 is the trigger bow. It is something that only an octopus can love. It is not comfortable, my fingers don't fit any of the geometric choices given. And the pistol grip is too shallow. It is a heck of an action. I like the manual hammer, I like a positive indication of a cocked action. I have not done the P.O Ackley thing and blown the action all to pieces, so I don't know if the 1885 protects the shooter from gas release straight back. Ruger made sure that gas would vent up and down and not back into the shooter's face. His action is both strong and safe.
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