Does anyone have experience with the Ruger single shots? I stumbled across a No. 3 in .223 with an old Weaver K-6 this weekend. My grandpa had one in .22 Hornet. It's pretty tempting.
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Does anyone have experience with the Ruger single shots? I stumbled across a No. 3 in .223 with an old Weaver K-6 this weekend. My grandpa had one in .22 Hornet. It's pretty tempting.
No personal experience, but from what I've read they're pretty sweet. I've always wanted one in .30-40 Krag, because reasons.
I've killed a pick-up truck load of deer with a No.1-A Light Sporter in 7 x 57 and only recorded one miss with that rifle. They aren't known for being particularly accurate and the factory trigger isn't anything to write home about, but the handling characteristics and the "cool/nostalgia" factor is pretty high.
The No.3 was a more utilitarian version and it was chambered in some interesting cartridges that didn't sell particularly well. Now they seem to bring a premium and I don't see many being offered for sale around my parts.
I have three of the No. 1 rifles, but have only fired one of them, and that has been some number of years ago. One of them is a very recent purchase, a stainless version, with the gray laminated wood stock, which I plan to use as a shooter/walkabout rifle, if/when I finally get around to walking-about with rifles. I would like to find a place to trek across a stretch of western USA public land, with a single-shot rifle, a single-action sixgun, a dog or two, and light camping gear, if my knees and feet will allow it. I do not see a need to dress the 19th Century part, or that my rifle be blued, with a walnut stock.
The blued No. 1 rifles tend to have quite beautiful wood.
As I remember it, the No. 1 is spec’ed heavier in weight than the No. 3. The No. 1, as I recall, controls recoil very well, for me. Depending upon the cartridge, a No. 3 can deliver quite a thump, with the OEM stock. I have never fired a No. 3.
I wish I could be more helpful, but my readin’ on the Nos. 1 and 3 is a bit out-or-date.
I like single-shot rifles, especially the falling block designs, so I am sucker for the Ruger #1 and #3. The #3 is a budget #1 with no stock checkering, less metal polish, and a less labor-intensive stock finishing process. The #1 sights are better than the #3 versions and the levers to work the action are a bit different. The #3 was offered in .22 Hornet, .223 Remington, .30-40 Krag, .375 Win, .44 Mag, and 45-70 Govt. I have only seen the .22 Hornet and .45-70 rifles. I would grab it as it can always be rebarreled or rechambered to another cartridge. But my main hunting rifle is a Browning 1885 Low Wall chambered in .243 Winchester, so there is that.
I sure like 'em. Got one in 375 H&H, .222 and one in 500 NE. The latter was converted by SSK Industries many years ago.
Attachment 38375
Attachment 38376
I bought s No. 1B in .270 Win in 1992. It was my first centerfire rifle and still one of my most prized possessions. I hunt with it every year, and I've yet to feel a need to buy any other hunting rifle. A few years ago I bought a 1A in .270 Win for my dad. If I were putting together a custom rifle, just the wood in that 1A would have cost more than what I paid for the complete rifle. It's absolutely gorgeous. I'm a huge fan of the guns. If you buy one, I think you'll be pleased. I'd love a 1A in 6.5x55...
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The only one I’ve fired was a No 1 in 6mm Remington. Beautiful wood, well-balanced, just a nice rifle.
My father really liked the No 1 and No 3 rifles, and both of mine came from him. My father liked the No 1 for hunting purposes, because it gave you a much shorter rifle. He had no problems, mechanical or otherwise, from both rifles. The No 1 is a much classier rifle, but the No 3 is not what I would call plain.
Ruger #3s are sweet singles, too. A friend has a couple that I've tried talking him out of. He's not havin' any of it ;)
A clean No1 in .30-06 is perpetually on my list of things I want but it hasn't moved quite far enough up the list to become a must have. I really need to change that...
#Metoo ...
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...058d3b87_c.jpg
I used to love mine in .45-70 - only hated shooting it! Could have fixed that with smart loads and the right recoil pad, but I was too young and dumb back then to know you could do anything except run a rifle the way it came out of the box.
I've heard plenty of arguments against a single shot for hunting (inability to fire a quick followup shot if game isn't anchored in one shot being the primary), but I haven't fired a round at a living 4-legged creature in over 20 years, and I'm primarily punching holes in paper nowadays, so none of those things matter much to me anymore.
I’m currently deciding on what caliber Number 1 I want to purchase. 357 Magnum, 30/30 Winchester, 303 British, 6.5 Creedmoor. Odd choices, I know, but this would be for fun, maybe limited hunting, thus the odd caliber thoughts.
When I get it, I’ll send it here for his English remodel:
http://www.rjrenner.com/ruger-no.1.html
Nice! I vote for .30-30, and have it re-chambered for .30-30 Ackley Improved.
I am a big fan of 6.5x55. I hunted with a nicely sporterized Swedish Mauser Model 38 for many years.
Update: I suddenly, and for no explicable reason other than I can, added 22 Hornet to the list.
I've always thought the Ruger No. 1 was the coolest rifle ever made. After a lifetime of putting one off, a friend beat me to it. He then realized that he had no use for such a thing in an oddball chambering, having up reloading decades ago, so it just sat in the safe. Knowing my tastes, he offered it to me and I jumped on it! Chambered in 9.3x74mmR, I get to simultaneously indulge my lifetime infatuation with handloading, single-shots, under lever falling blocks, tapered and rimmed cases, blued steel, wood stocks, and finding balance in recoil/power. Speaking of power, 9.3x74mmR falls a hair shy of 375 Flanged Magnum on ballistic charts:
https://i.imgur.com/uOXdfcJl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/JqC0uXSl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/iQPVRdMl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/KcriXwTl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/0Yk5foHl.jpg
Compared with a diminutive 30-06.
https://i.imgur.com/2gLJh1Zl.jpg
The interim buttcuff is here for a while. Still need to clear bullet molds, new rear sight, test 2.5x glass, rings for the glass, more powder, a pile more brass, and a few orders more 285 grain Prvi JSP off the to-do list before a proper leather buttcuff is on deck. I did at least order up a genuine zebra hide inlay sling with thumb hole as my first order of business.
As for the current state of handloading, 285 grain Prvi jacketed soft points in Norma brass over the following charges of IMR 4350. COAL set to case mouth just tickling the top of the crimp groove. No pressure signs:
60 grains* - 2,011 FPS
61 grains* - 2,129 FPS
62 grains - 2,244 FPS
63 grains - 2,256 FPS
64 grains - 2,252 FPS
I'll likely wind up playing around ~62 grain loads to save powder and keep pressures mellow. Results are about as expected. The guys breaking 2,300 FPS in the relatively short barrel of the No. 1 seem to run compressed 64.X grain loads of 4350. I'll also push a bit higher for a one-off because I can but that 62 grain load cranked out 3,186 foot pounds of muzzle energy as-is (900 foot pounds more energy than the 180 grain 308 Win. a friend was shooting the same day). Now that I'm neck-sizing and have more blown out case capacities, need to revisit load development and probably have to up the charge a bit.
Recoil was perfectly controllable/enjoyable in all loads. I'm really digging this cartridge and rifle more every time I shoot it. While recoil is heavier than the 232 grain Vulkans, it is stil just a healthy shove and much less than you'd expect. I can hand any of the 285 grain loads to my son and he's fine. My daughter doesn't care for the heavy thumper despite being absolutely enamored with her Ruger American Ranch in 450 Bushmaster.
By next hunting season, I untend to have a final load for the 285 grain Prvi, have tested and selected between a rear Skinner peep and low power Leupold scope, developed a ~300 grain cast lead (powder coated, lubed with homemade grease recipe, and gas checked) load, and enter the state's moose lottery.
* Very slick extraction and blackened case necks. The chamber pressure was obviously rather low.
They are extremely short and handy due to that short action.
Mine (#1 Tropical) has the best wood I've seen on a production rifle. Bought new (by someone else) in the mid 70's and feels very well made.
It's a 45-70.
Ruger single shots are a lot of fun. I remember lusting after a heym version at a LGS. I would jump on a number 3 in .223 if it was priced ok; as in not crazy high. I have two number 1’s. I bought both used. A 1B in 270 and a 1A in 7x57 that came with a Leupold 2.5-8x.
Yeah, my son and I are enamored with the thing. As awesome as the rifle is, I think the chambering is a good part of the charm. Long, tapered, gently bottlenecked, and rimmed for ultimate ease in reloading. Can shoot Norma's 232 grain Vulkan bullets uver a moderate powder charge for whitetail class game as the thin, deeply skived jacket makes for viscous expansion and would make the thumper that much more versatile. POI versus my 285 grain JSP loads is pretty close. Speaking of the 285 and 286 grain soft points, they have a great reputation on up to Alaskan bear and African plains game. It's my plan should I draw a moose tag. And watching Fortune Cookie 45LC on Youtube has me hopeful that I could cast soft range scrap lead and get an expansion-happy monster of a ~300 grain budget thumper if powder coated, lubed, gas checked, and properly sized. He's done so with even more belligerent thumpers and my experiments with a 185 grain Lee round nose mold powder coated, gas checked, and sized to 0.311" has gone well in a Garand-safe load out of both my M1 and Baikal single-shot ought-six. Nevermind the insane 300+ grain full metal jacket flat point pile drivers some bullet vendors sell.
9.3x74mmR gives my No. 1 a lot of flexibility from cast money-saving range fodder that'll dump a big critter if need, angry deer loads that are optinized gor the game and lighter on the shoulder, to deep penetrating and slow expanding big game loads to bone crushing solids should a rogue Peterbuilt ever terrorize my neighborhood. And all at a relatively low chamber pressure. And any preemptively retired brass can get some extra life fireformed into .410 shotgun shells and tossed my buddy's way for his old examples.
Awesome and flexible rifle really shines when paired with a tinkerer's cartridge that is easy enough on the shoulder to want to shoot on the regular while still having the knowledge that it'll anchor anything on the continent.
I’ve always thought that a No. 1 with a barrel on the shorter side and a Mannlicher-style forearm would be neat.
Terrorized AZ jackrabbits with a .270 Ruger No. 1 back in college. Yes, way overkill, which was kind of the point.
Anyway, a beautiful and elegant rifle. Sadly, it belonged to a friend and I was foolish enough not to buy it off of him at the end of school.
Ross Seyfried had some very good articles on the No. 1 back in the day when gun rags were actually informational. Might want to search for those. If I remember correctly the accuracy can be spotty due to the barrel hanger (about 75% sure of the bit that causes the problem).
Someday I WILL own one in a general purpose, classic cartridge - .270, .30-06, .308, 6.5x55, etc.... They all work about the same for someone with the less-than-expert skill I have.
As an aside, the Mannlicher stocks are way too sexy.
Apparently still in limited production for distributor runs, 1 caliber offered per year.
Attachment 44647
I'd love to see one of these worked over by R J Renner.
Tasty!
One of these days I’d like to have a Number 1 in a caliber that makes no real sense for my wold. Perhaps 357 Magnum or 22 Hornet. Then, off to this gent for a make over:
http://www.rjrenner.com/
My most-recently-added Number 1, .357 Magnum. Image by the dealer, Collectors Firearms.
My others are .375 H&H and .45-70 Government. This one is kinder and gentler, for my twilight years.
Working the action on these produces a very satisfying "click open, click shut" sound and feel that I enjoy.
It's entertaining to work on quick, efficient reloads with a single shot gun. Same with revolvers.
They seem to be a popular choice with people who like oddball cartridges.
Long time ago I had a #3 in 45-70. Beautiful little rifle but I bet you can imagine what that was like to shoot.
I might be a bad friend. Buddy, one with the recent Contender/Encore infatuation, swung by and told me about the 45-70 No. 1 on the gunstore's rack. He shook his head while telling me that he'd put it back down. Previous owner chopped the barrel to a bit over 16" and trimmed the buttstock. I asked him what could possibly be more American that a sawn-off 45-70 and mentioned that he is an inveterate tinkerer who would have dickered with the gun, anyway. Plus the gun is now 4"+ shorter and likely a pound lighter to make it right handy.
He countered that recoil would be increased. So I replied that he always thought mercury vials in shotgun and safari rifle stocks were cool and he has some as a solution should the light weight be a problem. He said he had to go and went back to his car. Then back to my door to call me some select names. Turns out his phone was in the car and he'd called the shop to tuck the Ruger behind the counter for him.
Now to convince him that he needs a round ball mold and jug of Trail Boss for traditionalish lead-saving fun loads. And maybe whisper in his ear about reaming to 45-90.
Attachment 44778
Ruger No.1 in .300 Win Mag using Hornady 200 grain ELD-X dropped this dude 30 steps from where he stood. Great hunting rifle. Terrible rifle for shooting enjoyment.