The Ruger #1 (or: You know you want to look.)

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pwrtool45

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I'd like to open some dialog on the Ruger #1. I've used the search function and it doesn't seem to respect the "#" and "." characters, yielding few options for searching for something more specific than "ruger" or maybe "ruger single shot." I did wade through the threads from my most fruitful search and people (in general) seem to be happy with theirs.

So, how about it #1 owners? Thoughts? Comments? Pics are also encouraged.

(I finally did it. I found a rifle forum topic that in no way, shape or form can hold a legitimate "get an AR-15" reply! Do I win? What do I get?)
 
This is a rifle I too have given much thought to. I currently enjoy 45-70 thru my BFR but certainly would like a #1 to fully exploit the top-end loadings that are possible.

Hopefully we'll hear from some owner/shooters.
 
I have a #1A in 270 , #1S in 45-70 and a #1B in 22-250. all three will shoot an inch or less at 100 yards. the #1B in 22-250 is a little on the heavy side to carry a lot. I also had a #1A in 7 x 57 which I sure should have kept. I also had a #1B in 270 and while it shot good I didn't see any reason to carry the extra weight and 4 inches of barrel of a rifle that only got 50 fps more than the #1A in 270. I have never had to do anything to them to get them to shoot but sometimes they can require a little work. I wish Ruger would make the #1A in 6.5 X 55
 
have but one of these fine rifles. A "V" model in .22-250. Really enjoy it. :cool: I WILL have one in .45-70 and possibly another in .a mid-calibr as well. While I like the laminate, I just gotta say, a stainless one just loses too much of the nostalgia in the design. although...(in a whisper) a 45-70 in ss/lam wouldn't be farfetched from being found in this residance this year. ;)
 
Thinking about gettting me a #1 tropical in 375 HH.

My dealer back in Indiana quoted me $710 for a Blued and Walnut model.
 
I bought the #1A in 270 in 1979 for $287 ( I should have bought a truck load of them back then). I think that full list is close to $1,000 now. I think that for a new one it would be in the $600 to $700 range. I don't think the sst/lam looks right. the Ruger #1 is a very nice rifle
 
I have a Ruger #1 in blue/BEAUTIFUL walnut stock in 45-70. I REALLY enjoy shooting that big hole sucker! It is a great 'fun gun' for shooting light loads with big ole 405 gr lead bullets. Big ole BOOM and ---wait---wait---THUMP on the target. It is superbly accurate with these loads.

Then, crank her up to maybe mid-level loads with 300 gr Rem JHP's and go deer or hog hunting. A nice gun in the thickets or a box stand as the short action keeps the gun very short and handy. I have taken both deer and hog with that load and it is VERY decisive! If they do not drop RIGHT THERE, they WILL NOT go far and there WILL be a blood trail!

I even made up some REAL loads to shoot. Kick quite some! Still accurate and will deliver the HORSEPOWER. Never used it on anything big and toothy though. Hope to some time. With loads at the top end with heavy bullets, I'd tackle anything anywhere. They approach low end .458 Win loads.

I have heard it said the #1 in 45-70 is an absolute hoot to shoot with black powder loads. I have not tried that-yet!

So---the #1 (especially in 45-70) is a finely engineered firearm that is beautiful, handy, accurate, fun, effective, versatile. (Can you tell I LOVE mine??!!)
 
I sure wouldn't mind having a #1 Tropical in 375 - or a #3 in 45-70 for that matter. There are a boatload of #1 posts in the Single Shot section of the Accurate Reloading forums (hope it's not a faux pas to redirect to another forum).

I hope you don't want the #1 for varmint hunting. Because if that's the case, you could get an AR-15! :neener:
 
I have 2 #1's. The first one I bought was in .458 and the 2nd one is a .300 Win.mag. The .458 I purchased from an older guy who said he bought it from another guy who had taken it to Africa and had taken an Elephant,Lion and a Cape Buff. Anyway,it is fun to shoot. I do all my shooting with reloads,solids,soft-points and lead gas checks. You should see how it handles bowling balls !! Recoil doesn't bother me and I like shooting compressed loads.
I have used mid-range loads when I use the gas checks on Coyotes.
The .300 I have yet to fire it as I recently put a Leopold 3.5X10X50mm on it and will use it for Elk. I for one like the good old blue and walnut.I'm not much for stainless on rifles,but to each his own. What I can't figure,is all the number 1's I've seen had beautiful wood on them.

My friends ask me why a single shot and I tell them,all I need is one shot.HA !
The real reason is,I'm left-handed and cannot stand bolt actions.

My .458 is surprisingly accurate and I'm sure the 45-70 would do as well. My thoughts on the 45-70......Why not get the .458 ? If you reload,you can load them down if you feel you can't handle the "recoil". That is the same logic many people who shoot the .44,you can load them down if you want.


Brady
 
I was sold on the action when my friend sitting at the next shooting bench put a .270 Win cartridge in his 7mm Mag Ruger #1.
When he touched the round off neither of us knew anything was wrong. Bullet hit the target @ 200 yards.
When he went to extract the brass we found that he had had a total head seperation, but no gas leaked out.. like I said the rifle handled it with no problems. I was impressed with the action.
The best part is earlyer in the day I was sighting in my 7mm mauser and had passed the comment to not mix it up with his .270, he replied "why would I do a dumb a$$ thing like that?"
 
My wife gave me one as an engagement present along with a Zeiss scope and Filson bag. Nice! Mine is a 45/70, an awesome carbine length, handy rifle that is my woods gun. I can cloverleaf at 100 yards and one time shot one ragged hole the size of a 50cent piece at 50yds with 10shots. I have never shot factory ammo and load in between the medium and heavy loads. It is a good looking gun.
 
My dad has one in 30-30. It's a great gun, very nice looking, action feels good. I'd like one for deer hunting next season.

-James
 
I don't have one, but Dad has 2. One is a standard in 25-06. Thing is scary accurate, 1/2 MOA with just about anything he's ever shot thru it. But to be fair, it has been heavily worked on by a smith. The other he bought for an African safari he never got a chance to take, a 1H in 416 Rigby. I've shot it exactly once, and I'm pretty sure he still has some rounds left from the first and only box of ammo he's ever bought for it. Talk about shaking your teeth loose.
 
I have two #1's and one #3.

A .243 AI, a .243 and the #3 is in .223. I have owned #1's in .220 swift, 22-250 and 6BR.

I would say that, in addition to being really beautiful, they are as good as it gets for someone who likes to reload. You can dial in a load for one and you can tinker with the upper limits of the load. They are incredibly strong.

Lymans 48th cautions against using the upper half of their 45-70 loads in anything but a #1.

Some day I hope to own a 45-70 in one of these. That 45-70 round is misunderstood by most and was something I just did not understand until I began to reload. Bottom line with big game is that bigger is definitely better and not much runs far at all after a hit from a 45-70.
 
I've had two: one in .223 and one in .22 Hornet. I'd have to say both were so-so on accuracy (yes, they were probably MOA, but barely), even after work, but stellar on looks.

They both were rotated out of the gunsafe when some other eye candy came along, particularly since we don't have much varminting in northern California.
 
I have an older No. 1, in .222 Remington. Four digit serial number. It shoots well, under 1/2 moa, and has very pretty wood. A keeper that has some collectibility value. It has slain many varmints.
My shooting pard, with more dough than I, and influenced by the general goodness of my rifle, has sucessively gone through a 7mm Mauser cal. RSI and a 6mm Rem. B model, without finding acceptable accuracy. He ended up with an A model .45-70, which is an amazing tack driver, but the recoil will knock you out from under your hat with some loads. From what I read, the .45-70 in a No. 1 is almost always quite as accurate as his. We call our rifles 'Big One' and 'L'il One'. I'd love to have another 7mm Mauser cal A model that shot as well as the two we have. Early testers of the type said that certain calibers, in the .270 range, didn't shoot as well as rounds of lesser intensity. (I recall a test by Gen. Edson in a 1969 issue of the Rifleman that was the first time I heard of this.) We've since learned techniques of accurizing the No. 1 in most any caliber, and barrels on the newer ones are much improved. BTW, I don't think much of the stainless No.1 either. Should be blue and walnut. NICE walnut. Not a rifle for everyone, but if you like classic rifles in the old English tradition and have a workingman's income, it's the only game in town.
 
I've shot a friends .220 Swift,.45-70,.375 H&H,& .458 WM.All were a hoot to shoot!That .45-70 hotrodded um... gets your attention!

My only one so far is in .416 Rigby.I look forward to finding a nice .375 H&H for more economical shooting.

& then there's the plan for converting a #3 into a buffalo gun in .40-90 Sharps Straight.But that's for another day.:)
 
I have 11 of them... beautiful guns...

terrible triggers, and very expensive to get a good trigger..

so-so in the accuracy dept (not too shabby, but none of them will keep up with a good bolt gun)

The ones I own are all early models and all but one were purchased new. I think the most I paid for one was a bit under $400...

I see used ones at shows in this area selling for 400-800 bucks depending on the caliber and configuration.

I wish they were more accurate.... as that's why I don't shoot them more.... and I certainly wish they came with ever a decent trigger.... even the early triggers are poor.... the newer ones are atrocious.
 
You must have been buying these some time ago. Current retail is around $700 or so.

I have two, both A1s as this is the style I prefer. I personally think the #1 A1 is one of the most beautiful rifles made. One is a .243 Winchester that I traded a Colt anaconda for about seven years ago and the other is a 7X57 that I picked up off an auction site for $495 a few months ago. I mounted a Leopold 3X9X40 Vari II on the new one and both shoot very close to 1" at 100 yards. Here's the newer one in 7X57:

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I've got a #1 Tropical in .416 Rigby. It's impossible not to love blue steel and walnut.

Lotsa fun to shoot. A bit pricey to keep fed for those of us that haven't started reloading. It's a fine conversation starter at the indoor range I occasionally take it to.
 
I am also checking out the #1 International in 7x57. Such a Beautiful gun!!! Little shorter barrel and full manlicher stock. Anyone got any experience with one of these??
 
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