Ruger #1 accuracy

[sodakota]

I bought a heavy barrel 6mm Rem #1 on another forum.
The best load so far 3 shots into ~ 2.75" at a hundred yards. The next two shots were off the target. I complained to Ruger and sent the rifle in.
They sent it back - they were able to shoot three shots into 3/4" horizontally at 50 yards. No measure of vertical displacement.
No explanation, no comments, no offers were sent.
I imagine that I might be the 20th owner of the rifle as it was likely test fired and sold over and over.
I am proud owner of a 30 to 40 yard prairie dog rifle, wahoo.
I won't do what others have done with this rifle. I suppose re-barrel makes the most sense.
I would like to give Ruger the one finger salute.

 

[sodakota]

I ask them if they considered a 3/4" horizontal spread their idea of accuracy.

BTW: the barrel looks like it has very few rounds shot in it.

 

[Nomosendero]

Curious, is it a red pad rifle? The older red pad rifles were not as consistent as the newer black pad versions. Some of the oldest had Douglas barrels, but many of the red pad (recoil pad) rifles had cheap barrels. Some times you would get lucky but more often you would not. Now Ruger makes their own barrels, and many are shooters. I have 2 that are, a Lipsey .264 WM and a .257 Wea. Mag. The 257 will shoot sub 1/2" @ 100 with factory ammo. The .264 will easily shoot sub-MOA with my loads.

I have bolt rifles that are better long-range performers, I would not expect them to shoot better than a good long range bolt gun but sub MOA
is not a problem with many of the newer ones.

With yours being a 6mm Heavy Barrel, odds are it is an old one.

 

[sodakota]

Yes, I'm aware of Rugers past. It is an early one. I feel they should have some responsibility for the poor product they sold. At least a reduced cost replacement barrel. But they are doing nothing. Grrr

 

[3chester]

Yes, I'm aware of Rugers past. It is an early one. I feel they should have some responsibility for the poor product they sold. At least a reduced cost replacement barrel. But they are doing nothing. Grrr

Well ya say it's only had a few rounds shot thru it, might not be broken in yet. They shot a 3/4" group at 50 yards with it, not a bad start. There's a dozen or more tricks for those Ruger No.1's that improve accuracy and only require a bit of tinkering and not much money. No need to try and shame a great outfit like Ruger, cause ya think a multiple traded firearm that Ruger built years ago, isn't perfect out of the gate. Ask a few guys who know about No.1's, have had many that hold their own with any rig out there. The Ruger No.1, as simple and elegant as any rifle can be. The modern day hunters, falling- block single-shot is a classic, reborn back in 1966, Thanks to William Batterman Ruger.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I bought a Ruger #1 heavy barrel in 22-250. I loved the rifle but it shot like crap. It's nearly impossible to get any rifle with a two piece stock to shoot like a good bolt rifle. The inaccuracy that you're experiencing may not be the barrel at all. Send the rifle to a knowledgeable #1 smith and see what he finds before you put good money after bad into the rifle.

Good luck - I'd like to have another Ruger #1 but I've got no illusions about the accuracy I'll be getting.

And, I'm sure someone will chime in here telling us about their 1/4moa Ruger #1, and I'm happy for them.

 

[Phil Rizzo]

Randy Shelby gave a spill one time about #1's and some accuracy trick.
Dont recall details but it might've been bedding the forearm.
They seem inconsistent in factory form from the little I know/read.

 

[choprzrul]

Ruger #1 in 25-06 here. Jard trigger in mine, bedded the forend where it bolts, and got a piece of rubber between the front of the forend and the barrel. 90gr Absolute Hammers over RL16 going 3611 fps give me right at 7/8" groups.

But yeah, before the trigger and the forend work, the groups from fire forming the brass with cup and core bullets was running 2+ inches.

.

 

[3chester]

I bought a Ruger #1 heavy barrel in 22-250. I loved the rifle but it shot like crap. It's nearly impossible to get any rifle with a two piece stock to shoot like a good bolt rifle.

Ruger produced the No.1 for over 50 years. Those No.1's were chambered for more than 70 different cartridges over that time. Pretty sure the Legendary Sharps rifle also had a two piece stock, so that's not a hinderance to fine accuracy. McPherson on Leverguns, 2-piece stocks on those Marlins, they'll shoot!

 

[Idaho Lefty]

Sleek, Pretty, closer range, Hunting Rifles, but they will NEVER shoot, repeatably tight / accurate POI groups like, a good Bolt Action,.. SORRY !
Clean your Barrel well for, Carbon / Copper, Bed Forearm, work up, a Load / Bullet combo that's "Marched" to your Barrel Twist and, go Hunt / play and Look at,.. IT !
Nope, Ruger AIN'T gonna help with OLD Rifle,.. accuracy. Again,.. Sorry !
On a High Note, they are,.. easy to Sell
I HAD, a Sporter Bbl'd, #1,.. in 6MM Rem.,.. T'was Pretty, tho !

 

[J W Voita]

I bought a heavy barrel 6mm Rem #1 on another forum.
The best load so far 3 shots into ~ 2.75" at a hundred yards. The next two shots were off the target. I complained to Ruger and sent the rifle in.
They sent it back - they were able to shoot three shots into 3/4" horizontally at 50 yards. No measure of vertical displacement.
No explanation, no comments, no offers were sent.
I imagine that I might be the 20th owner of the rifle as it was likely test fired and sold over and over.
I am proud owner of a 30 to 40 yard prairie dog rifle, wahoo.
I won't do what others have done with this rifle. I suppose re-barrel makes the most sense.
I would like to give Ruger the one finger salute.

Sodakota

Yes, I'm aware of Rugers past. It is an early one. I feel they should have some responsibility for the poor product they sold. At least a reduced cost replacement barrel. But they are doing nothing. Grrr

Sodakota, don't give up on it yet. Over the past 20 years I have become known in my area as somewhat of a Ruger #1 aficionado. Years of experience and dozens of problem #1s, not to mention all the trial and errors that went along with that, have taught me a good deal about this awesome rifle.

Generally, the factory barrels on the #1 are of better than average quality. In fact many of the earlier offerings were supplied with Douglas barrels. So, there is a better than usual chance the problem does not lie with the barrel, if the chambering is good. This model will vary quite a lot in how they shoot "out of the box". Your results are not unusual and I have been able to get all the ones I've worked on to shoot a MOA or better. That's not to say I haven't lost some of my hair in the process. Of course the Ruger #1 has a two piece stock and therein lies much of the difficulty with getting some of these to shoot well. There is a great deal of interplay between the action/barrel and the stock, and this would be the first place to look for a problem. Bedding the #1 is no simple task and has a number of special considerations that are not needed when bedding a bolt gun. The factory simply can't afford to spend the extra care this takes on an already expensive rifle. Not just bedding the forearm, but also the buttstock has shown to make significant improvements, although it is not always necessary. The east/west groups you described would lead me to believe the forearm is putting some side pressure on the barrel. You can't just float the barrel in the forearm, because the takedown screw depends on some kind of contact other than the bottom. This is just the tip of the iceberg with these guys. Hang in there with it. Unlike what you often hear, this is not an inherently inaccurate model. I have several in a collection that will shoot half minute groups. Good luck, Jim

 

[3chester]

Sleek, Pretty, closer range, Hunting Rifles, but they will NEVER shoot, repeatably tight / accurate POI groups like, a good Bolt Action,.. SORRY !
Clean your Barrel well for, Carbon / Copper, Bed Forearm, work up, a Load / Bullet combo that's "Marched" to your Barrel Twist and, go Hunt / play and Look at,.. IT !
Nope, Ruger AIN'T gonna help with OLD Rifle,.. accuracy. Again,.. Sorry !

Just cause some can't do it, they'll mistakingly think no one can. There's never been enough Ruger No.1's built to satisfy the demand. Not sure what you've been doing wrong with yours over the years.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

With some WORK, you "can" get them to "Shoot" descently ( See JW's post ), My Rifle was, just NOT up to, My "repeatable" POI, LR,.. "Standards".
Key word,.. "Repeatable"
Maybe, My barrel Steel was "Stressed",.. IDK

 

[69precision]

Yeah I bought one in 375h&h for a trip to Alaska. 4 different factory premium loads and the best group I could do was around 5". Bought a Winchester model 70 and it shot all 4 loads right around an inch. Just for the heck of it I mixed them and shot a 5 shot group of 1.3". The ruger went down the road. The outfitter I hunted with swore by his ruger #1 in 416 Remington, but I idea what he had to do to get decent accuracy out of it.