I have recently purchased a Ruger #1 sporter in 270 Win. Accuracy is very poor (3-4 inch groups at 100 yards). I am contiplating installing a Hicks accurizing device. Is this installition difficult to do or should I have a gunsmith do the work.
Sure would apperciate any help from members that have experience installing this device.
Thank you. John

Haven't installed one myself (yet). But I do nave a #1 in 270 Win and a Hicks kit in the drawer to be installed at a later date.

According to the instructions in the kit:

1) pull the fore-end retaining screw pin from the hanger
(pushes out with a punch)
2) mount the hicks on the hanger using the longer fore-end
retaining screw pin supplied in the kit.
3) remove a small amount of wood in the fore-end channel to
make room for the Hicks (Dremel sanding wheel, plunge
router, etc)
4) to make adjustments without removing the fore-arm you can
also drill a small hole through fore-end for the allen
wrench. appears to exit inside the fore-end screw well.

before yo go out & spend $$ on stuff, just re-bed the forend. Cut away the wood to make sure the bbl is floating and accraglass the hanger in so that the forend is 100% bearing on the hanger. this solves about 99% of the #1 problems i've run into

I have a Hicks accurizer on a custom rifle based on the Ruger #1. The hole for the adjustment is roughly .50" from the Ruger's screw hole. Without going into a lot of detail, I put it on a rifle that wouldn't do better than 4" groups. The Hicks did cut those in half, but still not good enough for a rifle chambered to the .223 Rem. My gunsmith checked the barrl out with a borescope and said it was bad. I replaced the barrel and after a bit of tweaking with the Hicks, three shots go into .50", the next two shots opened the group to .75" and five more shots gave a total group of 1.25". That's for a lightweight "walkabout coyote gun with a fairly thin barrel. To be honest, that's more than good enough. After all, how many shots are you going to get on a running coyote after you missed with the first one?
I installed my Hicks myself, but the next time, I'm going to chain my gunsmith to his workbench until it's done. On some gunsmithing jobs, I'm all thumbs and webbed fingers. I like the Hicks, but I wonder if it has to be tweaked every time you change loads?
Paul B.

These accurizers work on barrel vibration, trying to ge tthe bullet to exit the barrel at a point of minimum movement. Meaning that with different loads and bullets, the exit point will also be different, and some tuning required. So these are good for someone shooting a single load, and tuning the rifle specifically for it, but if you want to shoot more loads, then results would vary. Of course, it would be possible to get some improvement, but not so much as with the 'tuning load'. Just my opinion on these.

butchloc, I am new to the Ruger No. 1 do you bed the hanger and then float the barrel or float the barrel first and then do the bedding. Sorry if this seem like a very basic questions. John

I installed a Hicks and it is very easy. Instructions said mill the slot on a mill. I found the only 'critical' dimension is the depth of the cut, not the width. I used a Roto-zip with a router attachment and it worked like a charm. Remember, the Hicks replaces the front tab on the hanger, and it is where the forearm will bear on the the hanger. This depth has to be carfully found in order to keep the forearm in the correct location to the barrel. Removing too much material will require further free-floating.

I love my rifle now that it has the Hicks.

My rifle hated being free-floated. It requires quite a bit of pressure to reach max. accuracy.

$65 is not a lot of money to get a 1" rifle down to .4s.

Jim