Improving accuracy Ruger #1?

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FoghornLeghorn

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I bought a #1 Standard in 30-06 used. According to Ruger's website it was made in 1976, so I'm not sure if it has the older adjustable trigger or not.

Earlier this week I took it to the range and the groups were all over the place. I used Winchester Super X Power Point 180 grain ammo.

When I got the gun it only had the iron sights. No scope or rings. I bought some new rings and a new Leupold 3.5-10 Vari X III.

Based on my internet research I've seen that Ruger considers a 3" group at 100 yards to be sufficient.

Earlier this week I would have been thankful for a 3" group at 100 yards.

What's the twist rate for the barrel and what kind of ammo does it like? I haven't started reloading for it yet. I thought I'd run the gamut of factory ammo first.
 
I'm not a Ruger aficionado by any means. Ruger had some issues with their barrels before they invested in new machines and manufactured them in house. You could have one of these rifles from that era, and it may not shoot well without a new barrel.

Honestly, if you can't dial it in with the scope on it I'd send it into Ruger. They warrantied my buddies 15 year old .300 Win Mag and sent him a whole new rifle. So if your No. 1 won't shoot better than 3" groups it's very likely they would install a new barrel or replace the rifle all together.
 
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I have a Ruger #1 30-06 made in 1987. This one likes 165 SGK over a max load of IMR-4350. Put 4 into 1/2" with one "flier" extending the group to 1 5/16". I don't know the twist on this one. I have also heard that Ruger improved barrels at some point, but I'm sure some aficionados will chime in.
 
@foghornleghorn: I don't want to dis-hearten you but taylor force is correct. From my notes gleaned somewhere: The barrels for #1's were douglas match grade from 67-72, Wilson barrels from 73-91, and ruger hammer forged from 93 to the present. The Wilson barrels are the problematic ones. Some were good and some were not so good. If you have one of the poorer performing Wilson's, there's not much you can do other than replacement.

I have a 1980 1-B in .257 Roberts, and I can get better groups by throwing rocks downrange. I've tried everything: free float barrel, hick accurizer, etc. (and there's even some indian trick about tensioning the scope ring ramp?) Nothing helped. My 7x57 and .303 british 1-A's give hunting accuracy but that's it. I have an unfired .222 Rem, 1-A and I hope it will do better. What my dad said about ruger #1's: "Ruger #1's are like a pretty woman. She's nice to look at but she will break your heart."


You probably already know this, but foghorn leghorn was inspired by a fictional blustery southern politician named senator claghorn, played on a 1940's radio show. Foghorn leghorn and the Tasmanian devil were the two most popular looney tunes supporting characters


You may also want to post this on the ruger forum. There are some people there (picketpin and wunbe to name two) who have specific knowledge about the ruger single shots.
 
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Thanks so much for the above. And thanks Hammie for that important info. I'm not going to get all drastic and put another couple thousand in the gun. I'll play with it for a while with different brands of ammo/different bullet weights and if I can't get it to group, I'll either sell it or just reserve it for close range thick brush work in deer season.
 
@Foghornleghorn: You bet! It sounds like you have a good strategy. I was able to improve my groups a little by playing around with bullet weights and bullet seating depths.

("And that's a joke, son.")
 
Different seating depths, and different velocities. Play some with powders.

While not a Ruger #1, my wife's old Rossi R243 didn't like factory ammo at all. I started reloading for it using Hornady 105gr Match bullets over a charge of RL26.
Even though it was a heavy barrel, vertical difference between factory and hand loads was 10" higher with hand loads. Group sizes came down from 4+ inches to 1/2".
 
I heard many years ago...Ruger #1's have a tendency for "walking" groups, when the barrel and receiver gets hot.
 
If made in the 70s, yours should have the adjustable trigger. You might check for contact between the barrel and forend. If it seems tight, you might try to shim the forend with a thin spacer/washer between the forend and forend hanger (under the barrel) around the forend screw. It's something you can try without modifying anything.
 
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According to Ruger's website it was made in 1976, so I'm not sure if it has the older adjustable trigger or not.
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All the Rugers made in 76 that I've seen have been marked "made in the 200th year of American Libterty" (or words close to that)

Take a look at the trigger. If there are a couple of setscrews in it, its, adjustable.

I heard many years ago...Ruger #1's have a tendency for "walking" groups, when the barrel and receiver gets hot.
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Lots of guns do that. It's not unique to Rugers. The question is, DOES IT MATTER??

Yes, if you are shooting at a range, looking for small groups. trying to win a shooting contest, (against yourself or others), and if you are doing some kinds of varmint hunting where you shoot enough at one time to heat up the rifle.

In the game fields? Not so much. Do remember the No.1 is a SINGLE SHOT rifle, intended for hunting. The first shot from a cold barrel needs to be spot on. The second shot isn't that rapid, but ought to be close, and a rapid 3rd shot is rarely possible before whatever game you are hunting (and missing:rolleyes:) is gone.

I have three Ruger No.3s (.22 Hornet, .30-40 Krag, and .45-70) and a No.1 in .375H&H. All shoot well enough for hunting, and the .45-70 has put 3 shots in 2 holes. (yes, I saved that target, it was a special day!;))

They don't shoot a 3/4" in group like my varmint barrel model 70 .22-250, but I don't need them to.

Yes, if you get groups the size of a dinner plate at hunting ranges, that's not a good thing, it ought to be better. But the most important thing is where does that first (hopefully well aimed) shot go? Is it on target, every time? It should be, if it isn't then you have a serious issue. How tight a several shot group is, should be a lesser concern.

To me, its kind of like a pickup truck that won't do a 10 seconds quarter mile on the drag strip. Might be nice if it did, certainly would be something to brag about, but its not what I use a pickup truck for, nor why I got one. :)
 
"...what kind of ammo does it like?..." If you're not reloading you need to try a box of as many brands and bullet weights as you can to find the ammo that particular rifle shoots best. The price of said ammo means nothing.
I'd suggest starting with 165 grain hunting bullets. The .30-06 loves 'em and they'll kill any game you care to hunt.
"...a 3" group at 100 yards to be sufficient..." 3" at 100 is sufficient for deer, bear, elk or moose. Question is can you shoot into a 9" pie plate, off hand, at 100 using the ammo your rifle shoots best?
And No. 1 in .30-06 has a proper 1 in 10 twist. Not that collectors care.
 
My brother had a 7mm that shot like 3/4 groups, I had one that shot 1.5 no matter how good a hand-load (his needed hand loads to do it.

My 1.5 best was hand load, but that is where I began.

One hunting trip we were gearing up for and I was out of hand loads and we had moved and not setup, desperate in other words so down to Freds and got two boxes of Federal Premium on sale.

Down to the range for a fee shots to confirm and adjust. No adjust needed and 1.5 inches.

I never hand loaded for it again - at least 1.5 inches was plenty good hunting and a waster of time hand loaded a few rounds for each year if it was not going to do better.
 
Oh No! I just purchased an older Ruger No 1 in .280 Remington. It has the red butt pad and it has .280 Remington or 7mm Express on the barrel. I know it is one of the older ones. I just finished reloading for it. Plan on taking it out Tuesday. After reading these I'm not feeling too good right now.
 
Always thought the #1 was a pretty rifle and want one for that reason. LGS has a nice used .243. Doing research on its accuracy turned me off forever. WAYYY to pricey for that kind of accuracy for me. Too bad, its a looker.
 
I used Winchester Super X Power Point 180 grain ammo.
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Maybe your rifle doesn't like them. Try different ammo before you start down the road with Ruger. I go through this at least once a month with customers, the ammo you want to shoot may not shoot the best in your rifle.
I heard many years ago...Ruger #1's have a tendency for "walking" groups, when the barrel and receiver gets hot.
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When folks try to do "accuracy" work with Ruger #1 rifles, there are two things they work on
1- dampen the vibrations in the ejector springs (there are a variety of ways people do this).
2- isolate the forearm from EITHER the barrel OR the receiver. So, either bed it to the front of the action and free-float the barre OR bed to the barrel and free around the receiver, depending on whether you have a forearm hanger or not.

You can google #1 accuracy problems and find write-ups on both methods.
It has the red butt pad and it has .280 Remington or 7mm Express on the barrel.
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1981-1983 rifle. Before and after that, Ruger marked them 280 Remington.
 
Don't agonize over twist rate, the number is overstudied in the sporting rifle business.
It is much most likely 10" same as in 1903, and will stabilize anything from 110 to 220 grains. Doesn't mean it is going to be accurate with anything you come up with.

There used to be a lot said about tweaking the No 1 and I don't recall all of it.
A rubber washer under the foreend screw was supposed to help, and there was a gadget to put consistent pressure between barrel and foreend hanger.
 
Ya...may I suggest shooting a 3 shot reasonably fast paced group at the firing line, before the receiver & barrel heat up significantly --- Then let the big gun cool --- by shooting something else.
 
"Ruger and accuracy have never went together !!!!"

I have a few Ruger #1's that'll make you eat those words. :p
Paul B.
 
"Oh No! I just purchased an older Ruger No 1 in .280 Remington. It has the red butt pad and it has .280 Remington or 7mm Express on the barrel. I know it is one of the older ones. I just finished reloading for it. Plan on taking it out Tuesday. After reading these I'm not feeling too good right now."

What weight bullet? If 150 gr. or lighter, try something like the 160 gr. Speer Hot Core. That will usually bring about a reasonably usable load. I have 19 Ruger #1's in various configurations so I have some ideas as to what makes them work.
Paul B.
 
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