Ruger #1

[Northman]

Has anybody tried to make long range rifle out of a #1?

Of course doing something with the front end, and changing barrel, but is the action god enough?

Im not sure how to eliminate the front end...and putting a bi-pod on it. I was thinking of a custom stock, but I belive that would cost to much.

 

[Northman]

Ad one thing.

On a rifle with a barrel block, you bed that to the stock, and the action is free floated.

What would happen, if I put a barrel block on the barrel and a bi-pod on the barrel block. It would not be free floated, and my hits would change each time I used a different position.. right?

How can I make a ruger free floated, by removing the front end..?

 

[James H]

You can free float the barrel on a Ruger #1 by putting a shim between the forearm hanger screw and the forearm.
I have done this on several with good results.

As to your original question. I built a 338 Lapua Mag (PAC-NOR Sendero barrel) on a Ruger # 1 action for long range hunting.
I haven't had a chance to shoot it at long range yet.
But at 200 yards 5 shots will touch.

 

[royinidaho]

Do a search and see if you can find where Kirby discusses the Ruger #1 for long range work. By long range I mean no closer than 700 yds. He has plenty of experience in out towards 1K yds..

I know of another fella who has a #1 in 300 Tomahawk. Does well except every "once in a while"

Buffalobob has one in 7mm Wby that he has experience with and I'd venture to say that he knows of what he speaks regarding it.

For me, I love the Ruger #1. I've had several. Now have a 375 H&H, its a sweetheart. Good for all day.

Having said that, I would say further that for loooonnng range shooting having a #1 would be pretty much like being married to the wrong woman. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Northman]

I was thinking of maybe using a Ar-15 handguard tube on the Ruger.. I know it would look kind of... well, ugly. But you would fully freefloat the barrel.

Any thoughts?

 

[Buffalobob]

I have Ruger #1 and have defended it many times as a long range gun. It is not for everyone and I would not ever build another as a long range gun but if you treat it right it will deliver extreme accuracy at extreme ranges.

This particular gun was bought new in about 1978 (back then they had an adjustable trigger and this gun has a delightful trigger) and rebarreled with a Shilen heavy sporter 26 inch barrel in 7mmWby. Gun delivered 0.6-0.8 MOA at every hundred yards out to 1200 yds with 5 shot groups repeatedly. During final dial in it delivered two consecutve five shot eight inch groups at 1200yds. I am not a benchrest shooter and these were just bullets loaded with regular RCBS dies with no brass prep. The way the groups were shot was with a 12+ minute cool down between each and every shot so the barrel never got even slightly warm. After one shot I threw the brass in a can that was never fired for anything other than practice because most of them would not hold a primer for a second shot.

All of the above said, I have made some spectacular misses with the gun because it will not shoot off of a hard surface. The foreend must be muffled in something soft and giving like a sandbag or bath towel. Yes, I have hunted with a bath towel and I made the greatest shot of my life off of a rolled up bath towel with that gun. All of that was long ago. After putting the gun away for 25 years I got it back out this year and tried my best to make a 1000yd shot but I could not find any cooperative deer.

Here are some pictures of the gun. It has a rear stock that I rasped out and then had my prototype put on a duplicating machine.

P.S. There are a lot of people that say that groups size opens up with range and my opinion is that 'their" group size opens up with range.

 

[Buffalobob]

On the foreend. It is on a hanger. The hanger is a cantilever rod and has flex. There are three or four methods of dealing with it and none of them are really great. You just live with it and get to know it and understand what you can and cannot do with it. Every method has its drawbacks

Dakota arms builds a falling block.

 

[Northman]

Is it possible to remove the hanger?

I only need to extract the cases (6BR), not eject them.

 

[James H]

If you remove the forearm hanger I don't know how you would get to shoot. It houses the hammer spring.

 

[royinidaho]

To quote buffalobob: "I have made some spectacular misses with the gun because it will not shoot off of a hard surface."

As for me I've made some unintentional spectacular "gut" shots.

Yes you can remove the hanger. With a torch or jaws of life. But then I don't think the hammer will work.

Seeing as you didn't take the wrong wife hint /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Here's a couple of choices:
a) build the rifle
b) pee on an electric fence

The only difference is the length of the agony. (meant to be humorous not mean, just another way to attempt to get the point across)

 

[Northman]

Or, another way of doing it. Take a stock (prefrerly mcmillan hunter/br or win marksman), rebarrel it, put a barrel block on the barrel, and bed the block into the stock, cutting a hold for the ruger #1 action hanging free in this hole. Hey, function over form...right?

You could put a 30"++ barrel on since its hold in place by a 9" barrelblock wich also is used for mounting the scope..

The big problem would be, if the action it self is straigt enough from the factory, or atleast to give 1/2 moa. Dont know how difficult it would be to true it..


The positive is, you can use all the available cartridges out there. No need for a huge BR action costing 1300$.. find a used #1..

How does this sound?

 

[Buffalobob]

Norhman.

As I said the gun is accurate enough to reliably shoot deer or larger sized animals as far as you can get a bullet to fly. Just be cognizant of what and how you rest the forened because the gun does not like to shoot off of hard surfaces.


Go on down and buy yourself a #1 standard in 300Wby mag. Get yourself a Hicks accuraizer and the synthetic stock and have some fun. It is obviuos that you have the stubborness needed to get one to shoot accurately.

#1 stock



The good thing about using a #1 is you get to laugh and make fun of all the people who complain about their magazine being to short to hold bullets seated long.

 

[sniper2]

I have a friend who has 3 #1's in .338/378WBY all have 30" Hart barrels and will shoot bug holes and the devil will not sell me one!!!The great thing about these rifles is you can build a rifle with a 30" barrel and still have a shorter rifle than with bolt action!! oh and they are strong... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif