New .450/.400 3" Ruger #1

[tarbe]

Your "Kudu" is part of the same Boddington Series, correct?

Correct. 300 H&H 26 inch bbl. It is my current favorite rifle....

 

[shuter]

Correct. 300 H&H 26 inch bbl. It is my current favorite rifle....

Some complain about it, but I really love the matte finish on the Boddington rifles. Also dig that single fixed rear sight and white bead up front.

 

[tarbe]

Some complain about it, but I really love the matte finish on the Boddington rifles. Also dig that single fixed rear sight and white bead up front.

Absolutely agree on all counts. I think the Boddington series is very well executed. Especially the matte finish and the white bead (saved me the trouble of pulling out my wife's white nail polish!).

I think the caliber selections are generally great too...with that one exception on the Lion...but I understand Ruger wanting their cartridge on that one vs the H&H.

 

[AZDAVE]

Shuter I owe you a couple pics as there is now a 450/400 #1 in my safe You a a good influence my friend. Now if I end up with a double in that calibre you will be a bad influence It has very plain straight grained wood. Will plan on putting a nice turkish walnut stock set on it when I get back fro safari.

 

[shuter]

Shuter I owe you a couple pics as there is now a 450/400 #1 in my safe You a a good influence my friend. Now if I end up with a double in that calibre you will be a bad influence It has very plain straight grained wood. Will plan on putting a nice turkish walnut stock set on it when I get back fro safari.

Well brother, I don't know whether that makes me a good or bad influence! As far as the double goes, I love this cartridge and if I could afford a double, there would be a Heym 88B PH in .450/.400 NE 3" in my safe as we speak! Look forward to seeing those pics. Are you going to scope it? recoil reducer? Is your brass hanging up on the safety as badly as mine did? If so, order one of those Trop safeties. Anyway, good luck with it...and glad I could do my part!

 

[AZDAVE]

Shuter I think at time we are both good/bad influences But that is a conversation for a beer beside a campfire in the hunting woods. I handled a VC round body with beautiful wood that fit me almost perfectly at DSC. It was singing a siren's song big time! But having save for 2 years for my cape buffalo hunt it stayed on the rack. But have started a double fund but it is competing with a brown bear fund. Each month I put money in one and the other the next month. So which ever one of us get a double first we need get together and shoot something.

 

[shuter]

Shuter I think at time we are both good/bad influences But that is a conversation for a beer beside a campfire in the hunting woods. I handled a VC round body with beautiful wood that fit me almost perfectly at DSC. It was singing a siren's song big time! But having save for 2 years for my cape buffalo hunt it stayed on the rack. But have started a double fund but it is competing with a brown bear fund. Each month I put money in one and the other the next month. So which ever one of us get a double first we need get together and shoot something.

Sounds like a plan! Headed out to shoot my #1 .400 Jeff today w/scope, etc. for first time. Report to follow

 

[AZDAVE]

Forgot to add that I will use the recoil reducer, more to get the balance right than recoil reduction as it will be in the middle of 9.3x62 vs 500 NE in the recoil dept and I don't have anything on them. Will scope it with a nikon 1x4 monarch. I am looking at the trop safety for it also. will work the trigger if needed. Have a great range session.

 

[shuter]

Forgot to add that I will use the recoil reducer, more to get the balance right than recoil reduction as it will be in the middle of 9.3x62 vs 500 NE in the recoil dept and I don't have anything on them. Will scope it with a nikon 1x4 monarch. I am looking at the trop safety for it also. will work the trigger if needed. Have a great range session.

Totally agree on the balance thing with the reducer. If you get the safety, let me know and I can send you a link to a thread about the install. BTW, my trigger is excellent. Best of the 3 #1's I own for sure.

 

[shuter]

Range report after install of scope, 1" Decelerator, and Graco recoil reducer: Great session in beautiful 60 degree weather today! Fired a total of 17 rounds of Hornady DGX 400 grain factory loads from the bench with no ill effects (just a t-shirt; no sissy pad, etc.). First 3 without scope to check irons after filing them down since they were a bit high initially. About 2.5" low with a 6 o'clock hold at 50 yards; must've filed a little too much Still, close enough if I ever had to rely on the irons, I think.

Then put the scope back on and got on paper at 50, then at 100. Then fired the two groups in the pics below. I have to say that I was surprised. I guess I didn't expect the rifle to shoot this well at 100 yards with a 2.5X scope! I also chronographed the Hornady 400 grain DGX factory load, and it came in 100 fps below the factory quoted figure. I only got 1,945 fps average for 3 shots. Oh well, I plan on working up a handload with Swift A-Frames and/or Woodleigh softs at about 2,150 for my go-to load. Will update when that's done.

In the meantime, I'm stoked about the accuracy of the ammo and rifle. And, according to Kevin Robertson's book, "Africa's Most Dangerous" (which is excellent, BTW), the original .450/.400 3" ammo actually ran at about 1,950, and accomplished some pretty awesome things at that velocity.

 

[Nicholas Barcomb]

I'll bet it'll shoot better than that. What are you using for load data? I use Quick Load for mine and it does pretty good at predicting the ballistics. Actual paper results are up to the loader/ shooter. My Ruger #1H Tropical in .405 Winchester has the Graco Model 14 mercury recoil reducer as well as a Limbsaver #10001 (classic) recoil reducing pad.

Here's my Ruger #1 in .405 WInchester:

Here is the final load and confirmation target (shot at 100 yds) for the same rifle:

Pretty much put the cross hairs on anything between 50 - 200 yds and it should take care of business.

 

[shuter]

Nice shooting .405 Nicholas! I have a .405 #1 in the stainless version. Need to get some of those TSX bullets loaded up and try them.

 

[adam12]

Nicholas - What scope have you got on your (nice looking) .405? My aging eyes make out a Leupold, but what power?