Ruger model 1

T

tahunua001

New member
hello all,
so I got bored and started browsing the Ruger website and stumbled onto the Ruger no. 1. I was not aware that Ruger made a single shot rifle and to tell the truth it looks like a nice little rifle. I see that it comes in 45/70 and Lipseys even sells it with a Circassian Walnut stock which is very nice and a lot of my LGS use Lipseys so getting one would not be difficult. I have gotten burned on many occasions for leaping before I look and this isn't exactly a cheap gun so I wanted some advice from the masses. I like the idea of the 45/70 rounds stopping power but the only gun I've shot with it was my brother in laws contender and it packed such a whallup that it jumped out of my hands and almost "dummy ringed" me on every single shot so here are my questions:

how is recoil management?
how is accuracy?
how reliable is it?
I know Ruger has excellent customer service and they stand behind all their guns but how sturdy of a platform is it? does it need a lot of maintenance? is it difficult to clean?
is it worth the price or would I be better off with a T/C Contender for a single shot?

I have no interest in a single shot handgun so versatility of the contender is not really a big deal for me. I don't really have a problem with a tang safety so that also is not a factor for me.

I look forward to hearing from you guys
 
I have one in .375 Ruger and the recoil is pretty harsh. It's a light weight rifle. It is beautifully made, very accurate to 50 yards - as far as I shoot mine with open sights. The butt stock on mine cracked. I sent it back to Ruger and they replaced it with an even better grade of wood at no charge. Got it back in about 2.5 weeks. I would recommend it.
 
My first .45-70 was one of those H&R trapdoor Springfield reproductions. It would leave my shoulder black and blue. In comparison, the Ruger No. 1 was more reasonable, though you still knew it kicked. The H&R carbine was one of the longer rifles I ever owned, incidentally.

Hard to see what could go wrong with a No. 1 rifle and they're easy to use. But it is still a single-shot, if that makes a difference. I was never a great shot and I also didn't have an especially long range to shoot on, so I have to pass on the accuracy question, only to say you can easily hit a paper plate at 75 yards and even get off a fairly quick second shot. That's with the standard sights. There is no stripping required for cleaning.

I also owned a No. 3 in .223 that was a neat gun, too.
 
A great rifle in any caliber. Yes if loas for "bear" almost up to a 458win mag it does have alot of recoil, but if hand loaded to about 1200fps and a heavey 400-500grain bullet fun to shoot and deadly on deer to 150-200 yards. Here is an other forum site and a good read on the 4570 for hunting without blowing a shoulder out.
http://24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/5391185/1/45_70_for_black_bears
Here is another one
http://24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/5493778/1/Ruger_45_70_Bullet_Weight
 
how is recoil management? Heavy.
how is accuracy?Rifle design is not the best for accuracy or the caliber.
how reliable is it?Normal.
I know Ruger has excellent customer service and they stand behind all their guns but how sturdy of a platform is it? It a strong action. does it need a lot of maintenance? is it difficult to clean? Easy to clean.
is it worth the price or would I be better off with a T/C Contender for a single shot? Buy what you like. You will hit what you aim at, just not benchrest size groups. The more beautiful the wood, the more i like a firearm. Check the price of factory ammo, if you dont reload.
 
my brother in law reloads and has done quite a bit of experimentation with his contender, he's developed pretty good formulas for deer, elk, bear, moose and even a rubber Less Than Lethal round which I thought was hilarious when he was testing out but yes I'm sure if I bought the materials he wouldn't have any issue with me using his reloading equipment. so ammo prices would be somewhat manageable.

I figured it would be rough recoil but will it be rear directed recoil like normal rifles or upward directed recoil like with the T/C? I can handle a bruised shoulder but I don't much like black eyes and bloody noses.
 
I have one in 7mmMag. As others have said it's heavy on the recoil and not as accurate as other guns you may own. Mine's decent at about 1" at 100yds but not goig to turn any heads. I personally think the biggest issue with the gun and a large contributor to its accuracy is the crappy trigger on them.

Still I love to tote that old single shot in the woods, beautiful guns for sure.
 
I had one in .308 for a few years. People have mixed reactions to them. I loved mine; I just sold it because I wasn't using it and wanted something else. I probably should have kept it.

Anyway, my personal opinion is that they are a pure hunting rifle. I especially enjoyed using mine in still-hunting. There are cheaper rifles and more accurate rifles. However, I have not yet found a rifle that I simply enjoyed carrying more. Regarding the weight vs. recoil, I haven't shot one in .45/70, but I know some people put a recoil reducer in the stock (it's set up with a draw-bolt like a nice shotgun stock).

The way that they're constructed is more like a shotgun than a standard rifle, so there are a few tweaks that most people will do that can make it a 1 MOA rifle relatively cheaply. However, apart from the 22-250 and other Varmint series rifles, most will not be tack drivers. They will, however, handle nicely and put meat on the table. I'd go for it if I were you.
 
[Anyway, my personal opinion is that they are a pure hunting rifle. I especially enjoyed using mine in still-hunting. There are cheaper rifles and more accurate rifles.]

+1 - They're hunting rifles, not target guns.

In my experience, not many game animals stick around long enough after the 1st shot, for a hunter to shoot a "good group".

IMHO, the 1st shot POI coinciding with the POA is more important, usually resulting in DRT game.

.
 
I've got a No. 1 in 45-70 and in that caliber the action will take a lot more than the case is capable of.
Full tilt 45-70's have recoil but recoil is different for different folks. It doesn't bother me but it's fairly stout from a bench.
The rifle is really short for the barrel length because of the short action compared to say a bolt gun. That makes it pretty handy.
Mines a lot of fun.

J
 
I have eight Ruger No. 1 or No. 3 rifles, four of them in 'African' calibers: .405, two in .45/70, .450 Nitro Express, and .458 Winchester. I'm 5'10", 170 pounds, light framed. With proper holding of the rifle, recoil is stiff, but not a problem. I've put 20 rounds of .405 or .45/70 into one session, I know I've fired a big round 20 times, but it's not an issue.

The rifle is well-designed, classic styling, and a pleasure to use. The .45/70 will kill a large can at 200 yards, open sights. The machining and tooling are very good, the fitting is excellent, and the design is strong enough to take a .50 BMG round, in my opinion. Never a failure to feed or eject, the falling-block is simple and fool-proof.

Maintenance and cleaning is straightforward, and simpler than any autoloader, just drop the block and clean it.

You can often pick up a mint used specimen for a good discount, say $550-$600 at a show. My second .45/70 came in at $450, so I bought it. Some folks just don't like recoil, but I've noticed they don't like .30 caliber recoil, either.

I know one guy with a .416 Rigby, his 90-pound wife shoots it, and enjoys it, as long as he stands behind her to keep her upright!

My others are .223, .22-250, and .308, all good fun to shoot. The .22-250 is a tack driver. Looking to pick up a .22 Hornet, .303 or .30-40 if I can find some chump who wants to get rid of his.
 
I have a #3 which is the same rifle just a different stock, I had recoil issues at full 45/70 handloads which are close to a 458 win mag, plus the #3 only weighs 6lb, I cut off the have moon metal but plate and put on a recoil pad, had it MagNaPorted to help keep the muzzle down, and was tamer. Now after readind so much about the pure power of it with 400+ grain bullets I realize I do not need 2200fps at the muzzle. No it is not a bench rest rifle, but 1-1.25 MOA is fine for a hunting rifle and what we can do usually with one. At 6lb and with a 22" barrel and about 38" over all length it is a dream to hunt with, and even with my bolt actions I am a 1 shot hunter on all my animals to date.
Bob
 
Have a number of #1's in a variety of calibers. 2 of them are 45-70's Recoil is stout, but very managable. Accuracy is MOA, I use 350gr Hawk bullets loaded to 2050fps and have never had anything I shot at with that load get up again. That said, I also have a #3 in 45-70 that in its original configuration, carbine butt stock and butt plate, this was one of the most obnoxious firearms ever fired by me. I replaced the stock with a reshaped #3 stock, rounded the comb and replaced the plate with a sorbothane pad mag-na-ported it and it is now managable and will shoot as well as the #1's. Great cartridge in a great rifle.
 
Looking to pick up a .22 Hornet, .303 or .30-40 if I can find some chump who wants to get rid of his.
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I was also milling around the idea of 303 brit. I know a lady whos husband used to have a gun shop and after he died she just ended up with a basement full of ammo and she's got huge amounts of mil surp ammo that she's selling for the same price they got it for 10 years ago with a 10% markup so 303 is abundantly available to me and cheap. it was a huge temptation and I dont really know why I settled on 45/70. both would be very suited for hunting though I'd have to pull the balls out and put a good soft point in it and I'm not sure about the reloadability of old milsurp 303 ammo, at least the 45/70 is pretty easy to do
 
Factory ammo(or factory level hand loads), in a Ruger #1 should only produce mild recoil. Number 1's are extremely reliable. They are a meant to look like the classic African rifle, the Farquharsen, as seen in "The Ghost in the Darkness" movie about a famous incident of man-killer lions disrupting the building of a railroad. I have owned one in .375 H&H Mag. and currently still have one in 30-06 that I have used as a dedicated cast lead bullet target rifle.
 
Factory ammo(or factory level hand loads), in a Ruger #1 should only produce mild recoil. Number 1's are extremely reliable. They are a meant to look like the classic African rifle, the Farquharsen, as seen in "The Ghost in the Darkness" movie about a famous incident of man-killer lions disrupting the building of a railroad. I have owned one in .375 H&H Mag. and currently still have one in 30-06 that I have used as a dedicated cast lead bullet target rifle.
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haha the last time I watched GITD was long before I was really interested in guns so I never paid much interest in what they were using. I'd hate to have a single shot when dealing with 2 lions though :D
 
I am a full time gunsmith, and I know these rifles well. In the order you asked, I'll answer

"how is recoil management?"
I don't know what you consider recoil 'management" but the #1 is no better or worse than any other rifle in comparable caliber. A #1 30-06 feels like a bolt action 30-06 of the same weight. A #1 in 243 is the same as a bolt action in 243 and so on. Now a few of the #1 variant are light weight, but there are light rifles in the same calibers in other brands and actions. So, to say it exactly weight for weight and caliber for caliber, there is no difference between a #1 or and any other rifle. The stocks can be fitted with pads just like any other can too.

How is accuracy?
Here's where you get mixed results. I have seen only a very few #1s that were bad, ( Three I can remember shooting over 4 MOA ) and only a few that were outstanding, ( Well under MOA. I can remember about 10 of them in all my years of being a gunsmith)

The rest fall into the good (not great ) category.

Most will shoot within 1 ¼ to 1.5" at 100 yards with ammo they like and 1.5 MOA is more then good enough for 99% of all big game hunting.

I do own a 9.3X74R that is one of the rare ones that's outstanding in accuracy. I can shoot a 3 shot group with it every time under 5/8” (which is why I own it--- and will never sell it) I have a friend that has a 223 that shoots all it's bullets under 1/2" at 100. They are 2 of the exceptional ones.

How reliable is it?
As reliable as any rifle made when chambered in a rimmed shell, and probably as reliable as most bolt guns if the shell is belted or rimless.
I have seen only one in 43 years of gunsmithing that had extraction problems. It’s also off the charts in strength. NO action is stronger at any price.

They are extremely well balanced in the hands in every version except the bull barreled varmint versions. The varmint rifles are not bad either, but not as nice to carry and hut with as the light weight ones. They are a pure hunting rifle in the lighter versions and NO rifle I have held handles better.
 
A pure hunting rifle, I agree. A dandy one at that, fairly light, but where they shine is the balance and length. A lot shorter than a repeating rifle with same length barrel. A pleasure to carry in the thick stuff.

I have one in .35 Whelen.
 

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I do own a 9.3X74R that is one of the rare ones that's outstanding in accuracy. I can shoot a 3 shot group with it every time under 5/8” (which is why I own it--- and will never sell it) I have a friend that has a 223 that shoots all it's bullets under 1/2" at 100. They are 2 of the exceptional ones.
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I've never heard of 9.3x74R but it sounds like a freaking anti aircraft gun haha.
 
I have two Ruger No. 1's, in .243 Win and .30-06 Sprg.

Out of the box, the .243 wasn't bad. It could produce 1.5" groups at 100 yds with regularity.

The .30-06 had excessive headspace and did something more on the order of 2" to 3" groups, depending on ammo.

I heard that Ruger's accuracy standards were something horrible and that they would not fix anything if I returned the .30-06.

So, I had them rebuilt by a gunsmith. New Pac-Nor barrels, custom laminated Wenig stocks (palm swell and a 1AB forearm to get the sling off the barrel) bedded to the spring hangers to float the barrels, and a nice matte black GunKote.

Now the .243 shoots 1" reliably, with occasional 7/8" groups. And the .30-06 will do 1" with occasional 1-1/4" groups.

These are my favorite rifles now, for spot and stalk. I have a target rifle that will outshoot them, but it weighs 13 lbs with scope... :)
 
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