What is the draw of a Ruger#1?

[CAustin]

My collection of $2500-$4500 Ruger number 1 rifles. (All now down the river) Two 6.5x55 and one 340 weatherby.

I decided I liked $1000 Ruger rifles a lot. I decided I did not like $2500-$4500 Ruger number 1 rifles as much. Once you upgrade a Ruger, better off with a Dakota.

No issue recommending rugers, I love them. It's just the worlds dumbest investment if you start "improving them" as it's a financial pit you'll never escape. No matter what, even if you spend Ferrari money, it still is just a fancy chevy. I now prefer to let them now stay $1000 chevy. View attachment 177152

Looks like you put some very nice wood on the #1 pictured to the far right!

 

[rookhawk]

Looks like you put some very nice wood on the #1 pictured to the far right!

Yes, but it proved miserable. At 15.25" LOP and offset rings there were little to no scopes that would mount properly. This is the frustrating BS of the #1 you must toil with. The scope mounting arrangement is highly problematic. Best solution is inletted custom Talley bases in the quarter rib to escape such problems with longer stocks but you're entering costly territory.

Dakota 10 rifles don't have the LOP and scope location issues that the Ruger does. Ruger tried their best by creating offset rings to buy 5/8" once they figured out the problem they created but it presents its own problem because you can't mount 42mm glass far enough back without exit objective hitting the rib or sight.

Dozens of hours of my life have been spent trying to fix Bill Rugers oversights.

 

[CAustin]

Yes, but it proved miserable. At 15.25" LOP and offset rings there were little to no scopes that would mount properly. This is the frustrating BS of the #1 you must toil with. The scope mounting arrangement is highly problematic. Best solution is inletted custom Talley bases in the quarter rib to escape such problems with longer stocks but you're entering costly territory.

Dakota 10 rifles don't have the LOP and scope location issues that the Ruger does. Ruger tried their best by creating offset rings to buy 5/8" once they figured out the problem they created but it presents its own problem because you can't mount 42mm glass far enough back without exit objective hitting the rib or sight.

Dozens of hours of my life have been spent trying to fix Bill Rugers oversights.

I've never had problems with the length of pull or the scope mounts but that's just me. Do I understand correctly that you have sold all of your #1s in the picture?

 

[rookhawk]

I've never had problems with the length of pull or the scope mounts but that's just me. Do I understand correctly that you have sold all of your #1s in the picture?

Yes. All gone.

Once I got heavy into safari the sweet 6.5x55s went and were replaced by 7x57 to meet minimum caliber requirements. (A Dakota replaced the two 6.5s)

The .340 weatherby was supplanted by a Cogswell and Harrison vintage English Mauser in .375 so I could use it on DG and PG. (the .340 is an elk gun for long pokes...not needed) hated the recoil.

 

[tarbe]

Reading the last few pages has me thinking that I must not be the least bit discriminating, to have not noticed all the stuff I needed to do to my rifles to make them work.

Seriously - no rifle will please everyone.

And we are all entitled to an opinion.

 

[sestoppelman]

I just picked up another lousy No. 1 tonight, in the limited S medium version in .30-06, a very nice pc of buttstock wood on this one too, unlike so many these days. Trigger breaks creep free at just under 4 lbs, which is perfect for a hunting rifle, almost target rifle clean. Slapped a Meopta 6X scope on it with no problems with Ruger rings. Didn't even have to make adjustments on initial bore sight, not that that means anything in particular, just reassuring. Hope to shoot it tomorrow. I am out the door with just over 1K in it.

 

[Shootist43]

Tarbe, I took one of your Ruger No. 1 discards in 416 Rigby to the range over the past weekend. I fired two of your 400 Gr Hornady reloads at a target 25 yards away. They were all but touching so I moved the target out to 75 yards and fired a couple more of your reloads. I adjusted the scope a little and the next bullet was a 10 at 1:00. I then switched to a 400 Gr Norma Solid factory round. The first shot was an "X" at 1:00 the second round was almost touching the first but was half a bullet diameter higher. The net result was a three shot group in less than one MOA using 2 factory solids and a reloaded soft point. I need to reiterate that this is the largest caliber rifle I've ever fired in my life. The forearm of the rifle was cradled in my left hand which was resting on a sandbag. No rear support other than my shoulder. No scope kisses, no bruises and no sore cheek. I'm a happy camper and to me GENTLEMEN that is the draw of the Ruger No.1.

 

[sestoppelman]

What a POS this Ruger is! This ugly rifle will only shoot sub MOA! How disappointing! But no really, I started with some PMC ball ammo and it put 3 of 4 in an inch. Tried a known good handload that I use in my Springfield and it was plonking them into sub MOA. Had 4 rounds of factory Sierra 168 Match Kings on hand, first was way high, adjusted my POA and put the other 3 into a half inch! Rifle worked perfect, has a nice chamber, very nice trigger and made a real loud noise every time I pulled the trigger. Yep, these No.1 rifles are just junk! Now if anyone wants to send me there used up Ruger junk to test fire, I will take a look at it, but due to a busy schedule I may have it for a while...

 

[tarbe]

Tarbe, I took one of your Ruger No. 1 discards in 416 Rigby to the range over the past weekend....

I sure hope you continue to enjoy it! She's a sweet running rifle for sure.

 

[GuttormG]

Pretty sure I will do that! Buffalo for my 50th birthday?

But one need to work ones way in life so next Thursday I am taking my 7mm rem.mag to SA☺

 

[HWL]

I have a .270 N0. 1 tricked out by a wonderful engraver in Austria. It was my first real rifle and it has taken at least 75-80 head of game. And I have a "new" Heym No. 1 in 7x65r may become my perfect deer rifle yet. They are wonderful, special things.

The Heym,... the real No. 1



HWL

 

[rookhawk]

The Heym,... the real No. 1



HWL

View attachment 179998 View attachment 179999

Is that serious, or sarchasm?

 

[Bullthrower338]

Here is a cool #1 I forgot about, found it while looking in a safe that never gets opened while I was searching for a different rifle. It is a 1998 RMEF banquet rifle in 270 Weatherby Mag. Can't remember buying it, hell cant remember much about 1998 though for that matter. Evidently 400 of them engraved for RMEF.

This one will go in my youngest son's collection of #1's. I add a rifle for him each year. My oldest son has a Remington 700 Classic NIB added each year. I plan on giving them their rifles when they Graduate college and have a place of their own. I think it will make a nice gift and it has been fun for me as well finding rifles for them.
Cheers,
Cody

 

[CAustin]

Cody,
You are one heck of a dad. I like the #1 you found in the safe and had forgotten about!

 

[Red Leg]

Is that serious, or sarchasm?

Don't think it is sarcasm. My Heym is not nearly so embellished, but it is an exquisite little rifle which uses a Ruger No. 1 action. Mine is in 7x65R, with factory octagon to round barrel. Shoots MOA and has a super crisp 2 1/2 pound trigger. Heym bought up a number of these actions in the seventies and turned out rifles from fairly plain (mine), through somewhat embellished (HWL's) to truly extravagant rifles with fish scale checkering and magnificent gold inlay. They are indeed, to my mind, everything a No. 1 could be.

 

[rookhawk]

Don't think it is sarcasm. My Heym is not nearly so embellished, but it is an exquisite little rifle which uses a Ruger No. 1 action. Mine is in 7x65R, with factory octagon to round barrel. Shoots MOA and has a super crisp 2 1/2 pound trigger. Heym bought up a number of these actions in the seventies and turned out rifles from fairly plain (mine), through somewhat embellished (HWL's) to truly extravagant rifles with fish scale checkering and magnificent gold inlay. They are indeed, to my mind, everything a No. 1 could be.

Can we see yours, @Red Leg ?

 

[Red Leg]

Can we see yours, @Red Leg ?

Sure. In fact, here's a brace of pretty No.1's

The Heym is the first one. No embellishment, but factory claw mounts and fabulous wood. The second, a .300 H&H, had been tricked out in the wonderful stock when I found it on the used gun shelf at Hendershot's. I sent it to Turnbull for the lovely case color work. They both shoot beautifully.

Heym Ruger No. 1

• Red Leg
• Apr 15, 2017

tricked out Ruger No. 1

• Red Leg
• Apr 15, 2017
• 3

 

[Red Leg]

And a third in .270 which I bought in 1975 from the Wertheim (Germany) Rod & Gun. A year later, I sent it to Ferlach, Austria through a gunmaker friend who had the engraving done. That rifle has taken around forty Roe, four red stag, several boar, and probably a dozen whitetail.

Ruger No. 1 with Austrian engraving

• Red Leg
• Apr 15, 2017

 

[sierraone]

And a third in .270 which I bought in 1975 from the Wertheim (Germany) Rod & Gun. A year later, I sent it to Ferlach, Austria through a gunmaker friend who had the engraving done. That rifle has taken around forty Roe, four red stag, several boar, and probably a dozen whitetail.

Ruger No. 1 with Austrian engraving

• Red Leg
• Apr 15, 2017

The Turnbull version would be my favorite of the three!

 

[sierraone]

Here is a cool #1 I forgot about, found it while looking in a safe that never gets opened while I was searching for a different rifle. It is a 1998 RMEF banquet rifle in 270 Weatherby Mag. Can't remember buying it, hell cant remember much about 1998 though for that matter. Evidently 400 of them engraved for RMEF.

View attachment 180008 View attachment 180004

This one will go in my youngest son's collection of #1's. I add a rifle for him each year. My oldest son has a Remington 700 Classic NIB added each year. I plan on giving them their rifles when they Graduate college and have a place of their own. I think it will make a nice gift and it has been fun for me as well finding rifles for them.
Cheers,
Cody

I thought something wasn't quite right with you!