Want to buy a Ruger #1V but can't decide. I am left handed so it would be a great alternitive to a bolt gun. At present time about the only other option I have is the Rem. 700 VS witch comes in 223, 22-250, and 308. I have one in 308, and have a left handed Kimber in 222, so the 22-250 is the only one I would be interested in. If I went with the #1 6mm, 25-06, and the 220 swift, would be added to the ball game. So as you can see the #1 opens up many more chamberings to me than bolt guns offer. BUT!!! I have herd many good and "BAD" things about accuracy. First off, I expect 1/2 MOA, and I do reload. So if it takes some work to find a good load thats fine as long as it is not 100 loads down the road. And I would be perfectly willing to buy a trigger. Not a problem!! Just need to know if the "non-shooting #1 myth" is just a myth!!!

The #1s are capable of quite good accuracy, but not usually without some work on it. The quality of the Ruger barrels has been kind of iffy in the past, but seems to be better now. I work on quite a few of these rifles and get good results, but certainly would not guarantee 1/2" groups.

HKR,
I own a Ruger #1-V in .25-06. I haven't done anything to the rifle as far as things like trigger, ect. I do hand load, and using 120grn Sierra's, I am shooting 3 shot groups measuring 0.6in at 100yrds. I am not sure what you are going to be using this rifle for but, the biggest problem I have run into is once the barrel starts to heat up I start to get flyers in my groups. This is not a big deal for me because I shoot almost always from a cold barrel. If I were a prarie dog hunter I would need to do some work on the gun.
As far as a good round to get the rifle in, depending on what you want to use it for, either the .25-06 or the .220 swift.

"Thats what I think, but maybe I a working without tools"
DWLSHOOTER

Im always hearing about the stock No.1s that shoot right out of the box but Ive never seen one,but thats not to say they dont exist but then theres lots of things Ive never seen.
Ive owned 4 of them and still have 3 - as a rule they will need work done to them as in forearm work and trigger. My latest is a V model in 22/250 which I installed a Moyers trigger and did alot of work to the forearm - floating - hanger tension screw - bedding pad - and it went from a 4 moa to a 1 moa or less but Im still working on loads so it may get better. Every one Ive got is very finicky about the loads it will shoot well. If your feeling like a challange then go for the No.1 but with your 1/2 moa requirement then I would have to say go for the bolt. JMHO:::::::MV

I had a 1B .243 and a 1V .25-06 that shot sub-MOA, but I'm the only guy I know that did; none of my friends or acquaintances did better than 1.5-2MOA.

Some #1s shoot, some don't. You pay your money and take your chances.

As a fellow lefty, I can tell you that the Savage bolt-actions WILL meet your criteria. I have a 'Tactical' .223 and my wife has a FLVSS .22-250; both shoot in the .3s and .4s after installing the SharpShooterSupply trigger.

BTW, I have a 700VS .22-250 with fewer than 100 rounds through it; care to work out a trade for that Kimber .222? It'd go nicely with my Kimber .17 Rem.

Whaddaya say?

George

hkr,
I have a 1B in 218 Bee. With hand loads it shoots an inch or better @ 100yds. A bud of mine has the same rifle and his does the same. Only mods we made were to the triggers. Don't know what factory ammo will do, never tried any.

My old Ruger #1B 22/250 Liberty model will plug Speer 52 grain HPs into 0.5 inch or less all day,five shots at 100 yards.I kept one of the groups (which I usually don't do),due to all the Ruger nay sayers.Here it is-
http://community.webshots.com/photo/36182971/36183182hPTvCZ

Brian.

I have owned 6 No.1's and one No. 3. ALL of them would shoot 1" or slightly better right out of the box. Only one I have is a 1/2-minute rifle, shooting 1" groups at 200 yards, out of the box. This one is a No.1B, 7mm Remington Magnum caliber. The only 1V I ever had was a .25/'06, and it was a 1 MOA rifle out of the box. By developing loads for it, I finally got it to shoot 3/4" with one 100-grain load and one 117-grain load. I never "accurized" any of my No. 1's with the forend/forend hanger modifications some have used. It is possible all of them would shoot better if I had some of these accurizing jobs done by a gunsmith who knows how to improve the No.1s. I have heard of grossly inaccurate No. 1's, but I have personally NEVER SEEN ONE OF THE BAD ONES!!

Finding a 1/2" rifle is not easy at all unless it's a 40X or custom. That requirement is laudable for sure but not found easily.

Just buy a #1 and work it out. If it shoots very well with handloads and a free floated barrel and you get a decent trigger then you have a fine SS rifle at a bargain price. If it does not then solve the problems one at a time as they are identified.

What I do next if the group patterns indicate it necessary is to recrown the barrel by my kitchen sink method.

Next I sell the rifle. Others send it to a smith to have the problems solved.

I would get a new one. The trigger will not be as good but odds are a used one in a varmint caliber will have a shot out barrel as that's the goal of my buddies and myself.

I have a 1V in .223. All I have done is put a shim under the forend, and it will shoot slightly under 1/2 inch with my handloads on a good day. Try a decent 40 gr bullet (V-Max or Sierra HP) over 28 gr of W748. You won't be sorry.
Pete

GeorgeS, how about my 700vs in 308 for your Kimber?

hkr,

Checkyour Private Messages.

George

GeorgeS, check your messages

I have heard of poor shooting #1's, Have been told that it is an easy problem to fix for a compitant gunsmith.

I have a #1 in 22-250 that will shoot 10 shot groups at 100yds that you can cover with a dime. I bought it from the local Coast To Coast. They took it in on trade from our old gunsmith that had retired. He tells me he never changed it from the day he bought it new in 1968. but who knows if it really is a box rifle or not. She sure can shoot!
X-Ring

George,
I have a #1 in .338 and after some work as you mentioned it shoots 3/4" groups (3 shot) with 250 grain noslers. I bought it as a barreled action and did a lot of tweaking. I put a tension set screw on the hanger that bears against the barrel and it made a little difference. It only shoots one bullet this well and I am satified with that. Have tried others and they were 1 1/4" or so. I can live with an accurate 250 grain load though, it makes my reloading tasks easier. I have a couple of nice two piece blanks that seem to call out #1 faintly when I walk by them.

Three #1's and a #3. Worked on 3 of them and two shot in the 6's and 7's. A 1AB in 7x57 didn't and its gone. #3 was stolen. Fore end mod., new trigger and they worked. Haven't had a good shooter out of the box. Have enough #1's, a Dakota 10 or Cooper will be next. BTW, my #1 in .257 Roberts does 85 gr Nosler BT's at 3400 fps + and most recently 22 shots in .77" without breaking a sweat. 1/2 MOA? That one was the #3, .22 Hornet that was stolen.

Now that would be a fun project Chic- I've always wanted to do either a 7 Mashburn that way or a 340.

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

I too have owned several #1's over the years. I don't like them. Great looking wood on most, but not varmint hunting accurate.
I much prefer Martini's, both the Enfield and the Cadet models. I've found sporterized Martini actions to be both more accurate and cheaper than #1's.
That is my experience.
T.D.

Hey hkr:

Hate to get into the middle of this Ruger No. 1 accuracy stuff. There seems to be very little middle ground between the likers and nonlikers. I'm a liker. I've had 3, have 2 at present, and it didn't take any more work to make 'em shoot than it does with any factory rig. Won't bore you with all the details, but here's a preliminary report on my brand-new out-of-the-box 1V s.s. in .22-250. Took it to the range last Saturday, first time it was ever shot. I did nothing to it but clean the bore with No. 9 and Kroil, and backed out the foreend screw and turned it back in "just snug."

40-gr. V-Max
Powder/5-shots/3-shots
38.0 Varget/2.050/1.200 (from clean and oily barrel)
38.5 Varget/1.900/0.485
39.0 Varget/0.835/0.410
39.5 Varget/1.150/0.560

50 Combined/Technology Silvertip
36.0 Varget/0.495/0.375
36.5 Varget/0.550/0.312
37.0 Varget/0.675/0.235
37.5 Varget/1.350/0.425 group had 1 flyer (me), other 4 into 0.425!

I always measure both the entire 5-shot group (center-to-center) and then the best 3 because I figure the 3 are how the rifle shoots and the 5 are how the old guy pulling the trigger shoots.

Please keep in mind that it was in the low-30s with a 10-20 mph gusting wind at my back, giving a windchill that was "Ohmigosh". In plain English, I was freezing my butt off, shooting with gloves on, and not wasting any time! I think this rifle has nowhere to go but up. The factory trigger breaks at just over 4-lbs.

To make a short story long, I think a No. 1 can be made to shoot as well as any of bolt-actions, but NONE of them handle or look like a No. 1! If you like Ruger's, buy the 1V, it'll shoot. If you don't like Rugers, go for something you'll enjoy. Shooting is about enjoyment, not brand names.

Enjoy ...

Well, .5" may or may not be attainable, you just have to get the rifle and work with it. That's half the fun. I'd say that with a varmint rint (just talking #1's now, not bolt guns) .5 to .75" would be my target goal. My .223 Rem., .243 Win. and .257 Robts. do that right out of the box.The .223 is a #1V, the .257 a #1B and the .243 a #1A. For larger game from deer and elk anything from .5" to 1.25" is good enough to suit me, and I'd even accept 1.5" as well. All 13 of my #1 rifles do that good or better. Of the 13, only the #1A in 7x57 shot poorly. A chamber cast showed that the throat was way out of spec. (2.5") I sent the rifle back and Ruger replaced the barrel. Now the rifle shoots .75 to 1.0" depending on the bullet used.
I keep hitting the gun shows looking for more 31's. I like 'em.
FWIW, try shooting from the bench with the receiver and trigger guard up against the front sandbag. Seems to make a big difference in the accuracy. Works quite well with lever actions too.
Paul B.

I have a #1S in 7mag that was a 1MOA out of the box w/ no tweaking. With handloads it would stay under 1MOA. So I took a chance & had it rechambered to 7mmDakota. Accuracy hasn't changed, maybe a bit more concentric groups., but now it throws those 160gr NPs over 3200fps.
I have a .338x74K coming from BCRW. I look forward to shooting that one as well.

Over the years I've owned about 30 Ruger #1's and 4 #3's. Personally, I hate the #3's because of the way they mangle my fingers when I shoot them. Only #3 I have left is the .30-40 Krag.

Still love the #1's, though.

Getting to the point, I have heard/read a lot about tinkering with #1's to tune them into really good shooters. Have tried some of the tricks I've read about, also.

For me, the accurizing tricks didn't really work.

What DID work in the 3 instances I've tried it so far, is re-barreling. Had the late Paul Marquart re-do 3, into 7x65R, 6.5x53R, and 9.5x57R. All three shoot 1/2-3/4" groups with no other changes.

Not looking to say anyone else's approaches are right or wrong. Just reporting what really has worked well for me.

AC

[ 03-27-2003, 09:26: Message edited by: Alberta Canuck ]