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Thread: Ruger single shot rifles?

  1. #21
    Member Hi-Point Aficionado's Avatar
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    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:










    Compared with a diminutive 30-06.


    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.

  2. #22
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    Mar 2019
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    NW Arizona
    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.

  3. #23
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    May 2015
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    America
    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.
    Last edited by Poconnor; 11-09-2019 at 12:37 PM.

  4. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by Hi-Point Aficionado View Post
    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:



    .
    Nifty. I saw one at a small gun show today. It a .257 Roberts in stainless but alas I was not prepared to spend that much. I did see a Number 3 in .223 at a local shop a few months ago, I need to check to see if it's still there.

  5. #25
    Member Hi-Point Aficionado's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobM View Post
    Nifty...
    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.

  6. #26
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    I’ve always thought that a No. 1 with a barrel on the shorter side and a Mannlicher-style forearm would be neat.
    Per the PF Code of Conduct, I have a commercial interest in the StreakTM product as sold by Ammo, Inc.

  7. #27
    Ready! Fire! Aim! awp_101's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobM View Post
    Nifty. I saw one at a small gun show today. It a .257 Roberts in stainless but alas I was not prepared to spend that much.
    A LNIB blue .257 Roberts or .275 Rigby marked No.1 would make me strongly consider parting with one or more of my "never to be sold" firearms.
    Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits - Mark Twain

    Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy / Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?

  8. #28
    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.

  9. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bergeron View Post
    I’ve always thought that a No. 1 with a barrel on the shorter side and a Mannlicher-style forearm would be neat.
    IIRC, Ruger did offer these for a while.

  10. #30
    I Demand Pie Lex Luthier's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by revchuck38 View Post
    IIRC, Ruger did offer these for a while.
    Apparently still in limited production for distributor runs, 1 caliber offered per year.

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    I'd love to see one of these worked over by R J Renner.
    "If I ever needed to hunt in a tuxedo, then this would be the rifle I'd take." - okie john

    "Not being able to govern events, I govern myself." - Michel De Montaigne

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