Ruger #1 Thoughts

RL338

Handloader
Mar 23, 2017
3,369
5,491
I have never handle one or personally know someone that owns one. My question is can it handle a necked up 460 WBY to .510. I have had thoughts of doing an 510/460. Without knowing the barrel maker the value could very in my opinion.
Can this action handle a full power loaded 510/460?
 
You can "bark" a squirrel with that rifle, even from the back side of a 36" oak.

JD338
Hey , that was my exact plan😁
I’ve spent enough lately , but I’ll keep eye on this one. I don’t think there is a lot of interest in a rifle like this.
 
As mentioned above, it is one of the strongest actions out there.

A friend built a 510 Wells (also a 460 Wby necked up to 50 cal) on a Ruger No.3, as that was the action he had available at the time.
I can tell you that lever on the No. 3 is a killer in this caliber on the knuckles! Even with padding to protect the fingers (at least he was kind enough to give me that warning! LOL) Shot it twice...offhand...both bullets about an inch apart on a target at just over a hundred yards. This thing with a 700 gr bullet kills on both ends!
He had put a B&C stock on it and it came apart at the wrist after a few rounds. He pinned and epoxied it back together and it has stood up to it since.
Personally, I will stick to the 416!

Although a Ruger No.1 in 450/400 NE would be pretty cool...:D
 
Stock staying together can always be a issue with the heavy kickers.
This is what would worry me on this rifle.
Not bidding now , just the wrong time for me. In 6 months if its still up for sale I might pull the trigger on it.
My 460 WBY in one of the most accurate rifles I own , and with the Hornady 500gr DGX load in the 2720s off the bench is a HOOT😁
 
I can tell you that my friend's No.1 in 500/450 3 1/4" with full powerhouse loadswith 500 gr bullets is also a heavy kicker. It does rock you off hand, but is isn't as brutal as that 510.
I much rather shooting his No. 1 in 458 Win with 350 gr bullets. Mild in comparison. It did a number on black bears caught marauding on the farm! He rechambered it to 458 Lott afterwards.
His 416 Rigby and 375 H&H Improved are that much nicer to shoot.
No problems with the factory wooden stocks on any of these other rifles.
 
As several mentioned the Ruger #1 Actions are brute strong. I have two Ruger #1's and love them. 6mm Remington and 30-06. Both are great shooting rifles and I've taken a lot of game with them. I'm not into the Mongo category of cartridges, but I'm sure the action can handle it. Have fun!
 
"Can this action handle a full power loaded 510/460?"

Absolutely! It's gonna be one hell of a hard kicker though.

I collect Ruger #1 rifles and have the .404 jeffery and .416 Rigby in that collection. The only difference in cartridge cases between the ,416 Rigby and the .460 Weatherby in Weatherby's weird shoulder design and the belt. Trim off the belt and a quick run through the sizing die and you have .416 Rigby brass. You can load the .416 Rigby using Weatherby data for the 416 Weatherby. Plenty enough "ouch" level in the Rigby without pushing it to "Bee" specs. The .404 Jeffery is not quite as bad as the Rigby but still quite noticeable.

As a matter of fact, mine are now basically in full retirement. My 84 year old shoulder doesn't much care for heavy recoil anymore. I might pull one or the other out is a T-rex or some other nasty should invade my back yard, ut other than that, they rest in the safe with all the other safe queens.
Paul B.
 
PAul,
My friend was only missing the 404 Jeffrey in his No. 1 Tropical collection...never could find one.
For several years, the messaging was that Ruger never actually made them.
Glad to know that they did, and that someone has one!
Perhaps they were so few, that none made it to Canada...
 
Back
Top