I have 3 #1 Rugers to pick from for rebarrelling. So one or all 3 are candidates.

Two of the rifles are the medium 1S Sporter in 45-70. Did I tell you I have too many 45-70s?
One with plain wood and one with a hint of tiger stripping, Both forends are the Alex Henry style.

The new barrels will probably be 26" or 28" long. I cannot seem to arrive at a good choice for calibers.
1. These are Farq styled rifles so an Englsih or European round seems the most appropriate.
2. They are single shots so period correct or nearly so rimmed rounds would be the most appropriate.

Rounds I have been kicking around are the .256 Mannlicher (6.5X53R Dutch Mannlicher)

Another would be the 7X57R or 8X57R however not to keen on either - they are nothing new or different that I could not find on a German drilling. Same goes for the .303 Brit.

I am not sure what else might make for a good second choice or even a good first choice.

I reload almost anything so that is not a barrier. I am not looking for anything any heavier than a 9x57R or .375 Flanged X 2.25 for the two light rifles.

The 3rd #1 is a 1s Medium Sported in 7mm Rem Mag and is much heavier than the 45-70s.
For this rifle I am totally stumped for a caliber. I want something enjoyable to shoot so no .375 H&H Flanged, 9.3X62 or .404 Jeffery.

All the choices above should use readily available jacketed bullets and be reasonably useful with cast lead bullets.

If I shoot more than a few coyotes, jack rabbits, white tails and armadillos I would be surprised. Most of my shooting will be at targets and gongs.

8x57IRS would be fine.

And a .375x2,25" is very interesting.
But what´s wrong, with "too many .45-70s"?

Martin

How about 7x75R? Essentially a rimmed 7mm Magnum, but designed before WWII. Cases are formed from 9.3x74R brass.

9.3x74R for the rimmed cartridge.

I have always been fascinated by the 6X70. You might also consider the 246 Purdey

Actually you can have two choices for switching barrels/extractor is not that difficult using the same action. Did one with 22-250, 28" long, 7 twist for 69-90gr Sierras and one in of all calibers, 348Win. Definitely the two ends of the spectrum, but 22-250 set up w/ Unertl 16x for long range targets, varmints, paper, etc., and 348Win w/ conventional Ruger rib/base/ring set up and 2.5x Leupold for companion piece to M71 Lever Gun. About the only limitation to these Rugers is ones imagination.

There has been (for $550) a scoped Ruger 1 in .270 in a gunshop in Edgewater, Florida. I dunno name/address.....but it's the only gunshop there (FYI)

Since you say that you will be shooting these rebarreled rifles at targets, small animals and maybe a whitetail then light recoiling cartridges are the way to go.

With a No1 there is no reason to have to go with a rimmed cartridge, unless you want to, so here are some recomendations.

223 or 225 Winchester. Both are cheap to shoot, and there is a wide variety of bullets. I nwould go with a 1 in 8 twist so I could use the heavier bullets if I wanted to.

For the second rifle maybe a 7mm/08, 7x57, a 308, or maybe even a 30/30.

Any of these cartridges would be accurate, and powerful enough for whitetail and there a lot of different bullets in 7mm and 30 cal.

Also even if you went with say a 308, nothing says you have to load it up to full power.

I would go nuts for an English interpretation of the No. 1 in .256 Mannlicher.
That said, I have a No. 1 in the works in .360 N.E. No. 2. Jim Kobe is doing the work, and will restock it as well.

Reading your post - My first thought was a 303 British.

But with you wanting a 25 caliber - How about a 25 Epps?

http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/w25303.html

300 Flanged (rimmed not belted 300 H&H)

275 H&H (perfect in 7mm rem mag action)

244 H&H (using a 244 bore, 70 gr Branes @ 3700)

I think you would find the .256 Dutch Mannlicher is too light for the Ruger - or, the Ruger is oversized for the .256...
I have thought of the same project myself and for something light, I think the 6mm Musgrave (303 Brit necked to 6mm) is sweet but I suppose in the same class as the .256.
Another choice is 7X65R. IMO, the perfect rimmed cartridge for North American game.
I have also seen the 7X65 opened up for .30cal bullets which ends up something like a 30'06 Rimmed which is cool or go up to an 8x65R.

SR4759, for the medium sporter you said, "I want something enjoyable to shoot so no .375 H&H Flanged, 9.3X62 or .404 Jeffery". I am in agreement with you. I know I'll ruffle some feathers but I don't think the Ruger No. 1 is properly sized for the large bore calibers that many want to chamber them for.

Have you thought of the .300H&H? I believe it to be just about the ideal caliber for that rifle. And, since you reload, what about .264 Win Mag or .257 Weatherby?

Keeping with tradition I still prefer rimmed cartidges for Single Shots - dunno why; just color me, well, sorta ..... rimmed .....

Keeping with a 26" or 28" tube I'd opt for the 7x65R (the 7x75R is a pretty spiffy catridge, too) or the 30R Blaser. Then again, the 8x57IRS really peaks my fancy, too.

Have fun with your choices.

In order to switch barrels obviously would need a vice to hold/clamp barrel and a wrench(use large opening cresent wrench on action itself with leather wrap so as to not marr action) and bingo, remove barrel. To change calibers from say 223, 22Hornet, small rim, to larger rim case, rimless or otherwise, need to change out extractor according to caliber. On my NO.3 went from 22Hornet to 45/70 and appropriate extractor easily sourced from Brownells or Ruger. Not expensive. To disassemble the Ruger NO. 1/3 is not that complicated and in fact Ruger web site provides a video just how to do that. Initial viewing of the action appears to be complicated but in reality is simplicity even though numerous parts inside action. There is no wrong way to put back together for it will only go one way, the right way. By having witness mark on switch barrel simply reinstall and you have a different No.1/3. Keep in mind that the receivers vary in dimensions and taking one barrel and trying to fit to another action is most likely not going to work spec wise. Same action, just different barrels, calibers for that action. Forearm on my No 1 was of the Varmint version and only had to alter barrel channel slight bit to get a fit.
With NO.3 having that silly band around the stock/barrel, removed that opened barrel channel to fit the fatter 45/70 barrel, shortened it, checkered both butt and forearm and turned out fine. Actually going to switch out the 348Win. barrel currently on the No.1 this evening and install the 22-250 barrel because getting ready for the cyotes/varmints in a couple months or so. Some are critical of the triggers, accuracy of these rifles but in my case both have good triggers and accuracy regardless of the NO 3 or the NO 1 in either caliber is very good. Have done no accurizing of the forearm on either and perhaps that would be an improvement, but in 22-250 "mode" 7 twist barrel and 75gr to 90gr bullets the rifle will give 1moa groups of five at 300yds and less from time to time. The 348Win. is not known to be an accurate round, but does 1.5moa at 200yds which is just fine for hunting rifle in that caliber. Don't know if it is fact or not but hearing that Ruger is cancelling production of the NO.1, did that long time ago with the NO 3, and hope that is not true for they are an excellent rifle for the investment. No question there are more elegant single shot rifles available, but not inclinded to invest several thousand dollars in those with the Rugers still available. Been considering using Turnbull to do his CCH magic on the No.3 and give a little class so to speak.

A few years ago I received an AKAH catalog from Germany. They featured No 1s in 9.3X74R and in 7X65R. The guns were stocked with Barvarian style wood. The barrels had no ribs and had swing mount bases and irons on the barrels. They were very nice and sold for something around $4000 US.

quote:

Originally posted by Vol717:
A few years ago I received an AKAH catalog from Germany. They featured No 1s in 9.3X74R and in 7X65R. The guns were stocked with Barvarian style wood. The barrels had no ribs and had swing mount bases and irons on the barrels. They were very nice and sold for something around $4000 US.

Yes, I mean, this would be the Heym-Ruger rifles. Heym used a few Ruger actions befor a few years. Like this one:
http://www.egun.de/market/item.php?id=4122857


Martin