Ruger No.1

[Soup]

Folks.
I've got a .243 Winchester No.1a, with a Leupold 5HD 2.5X10x40 on top.
No.1s can be problem children to say the least. last week I finally got a bullet to shoot 5 in a jagged hole .
Problem is that the bullet was a 75-grain varmint bullet, and it was only at 50 yards from a bench.
I've been buying Nosler 90 and 95 grain BT (blem) for deer hunting and that's what i want to use it for .
I haven't loaded any of the BT yet, so I'm looking for any help I can get. I've got VV N140-N150-N160 on hand along with 4064-IMR 4350-Reloader 17/19
Varget and Big Game.
A very smart fellow by the name of Gail Root was a .243 fanatic, he worked for Nosler and developed the 90 & 95 BT just for .243 !!
And he used them for deer, elk and black bear very successfully !
Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
Semper Fi
Soup

 

[6mm Remington]

6mm Remington - not a 243 but - really close.
IMR4350 is a good one to use or H4350.
In my son's 6mm using 90 gr. E-tip we use H100V with great success. Best of luck.

 

[salmonchaser]

I've gone through quite a few #1a; two in 243. Never could do better than 11/2. I'll send you a picture on Wednesday of my foreend bedding job on my 275 Rigby. Might be worth a try if you haven't done so already. She'll do 1/2 MOA.

 

[PJGunner]

I never got much better that 1.75" at 100 from my Ruger #1A in .243. One bullet that did shoot nice was the 105 gr. Hornady Round nose which was discontinued by Hornady's bean counters. One bullet that did well in another .243 was the 100 gr. Hornady spire point over a fairly stiff load of H4350. Can't give data for that one as a box containing my load notes among other things was lost by the moving company way back in 1979. Frankly, I haven't shot a .243 in year although I have two plus a 6MM Remington. Just too busy with other cartridges.

If you can get a load doing two inches or better you should be good for deer out to 200 to 250 yards although smaller groups would be a lot better.
Paul B.

 

[salmonchaser]

One of the things I've noticed about number ones of course is stringing. Common problem. One of the things I've done is retain targets and fired a cold bore single shot every time I took a particular rifle out. Typically showed great consistency. I also learned putting up a steel plate at 300 I would hit it 20 times in a row from field position. Like it's telling me I'm not a bench rest rifle I'm a stalking rifle.
I've had good luck getting them to shoot by bedding the foreend. I'm away from home but will post pic and description of what has worked for me.

 

[FOTIS]

90-100 gr with 47 gr IMR 7828. My go to load for over 30 years.

 

[345 kv]

I have a Ruger #1 in 243. It likes a 90gr BT with IMR 4831.

 

[cloverleaf]

"I also learned putting up a steel plate at 300 I would hit it 20 times in a row from field position. Like it's telling me I'm not a bench rest rifle I'm a stalking rifle."

this- I love to shoot groups- hence the "cloverleaf" moniker. Once I got the idea in my head and accepted the fact that a deers heart is the size of my fist I started being more relaxed and confident in my shooting. I still like shooting groups from the bench, but I also try and bust a few clay pigeons on the 100 yd berm when I practice. Good for the confidence and lets you think about other fundementals rather than being so "puckered up" trying to hit a quarter at that distance.

 

[PJGunner]

"
One of the things I've noticed about number ones of course is stringing. Common problem. One of the things I've done is retain targets and fired a cold bore single shot every time I took a particular rifle out. Typically showed great consistency. I also learned putting up a steel plate at 300 I would hit it 20 times in a row from field position. Like it's telling me I'm not a bench rest rifle I'm a stalking rifle.
I've had good luck getting them to shoot by bedding the foreend. I'm away from home but will post pic and description of what has worked for me."

One thing I've learned over the years about Ruger #1s is once you think you have them figured out, the next one will throw you a curve. However, one thing that is critical is the positioning of the forearm on the front rest. It literally has to be placed exactly the same way for all shots. One thing that has worked is rest the rifle on the sandbag with the bag pulled back far enough that the front of the receiver is against the bag. Sound screwy I know but usually works. Another trick is to rest your hand on the bag/rest and lay the forearm on your cupped palm. Thatbalso has worked reasonably well. Tey can be frustrating as hell but don't give up Of all my Ruger #1s, only two still are poor shooters and I yet to figure out what it will take to make them shoot.

To be honest, if it wasn't one of those stubborn rifle that make it interesting, I'd have probably lost interest in them years ago.
Paul B.

 

[Blkram]

A friend of mine is No.1 fan and has told me a bedding trick for the forearm hanger that tightens groups. Will have get him to explain the tip again, so I can post it here for everyone.

 

[JD338]

Maybe Fotis can chime in here regarding the forend hanger trick. He's very knowledgeable on the No 1's.

JD338

 

[Blkram]

Ruger No.1 tip for accuracy:
Different thicknesses of a shims between the forend wood and the barrel metal that is welded to receiver that carries the ejector spring, and helps secure the forearm to the firearm.
Use short cardboard/stiff paper shims (3/8" long) to experiment with varying thicknesses and shoot between thickness tests to see if it improves or gets worse. Add or remove layers until you get the best results in your groups. Once you have that measurement, you can make a metal or wood shim of the same thickness to insert permanently for best results.

If you want to buy a manufactured device, apparently they are available on Ebay, called Hick's #1 Accurizers for $60. Apparently this takes a little woodwork to install for proper fit.

 

[ReloadKy]

I have had some very good luck with 95 gr bullets in the 243 using Reloader 19 and IMR 4831.

 

[salmonchaser]

My most accurate #1 is my 375HH. I’ll save a target someday soon. But it’ll put 5 300 grain Accubonds in one raged hole.

 

[Blkram]

Found this article tonight and thought I would share the link:

Ruger No. 1 Single-Shot Rifle: Tips to Improve Its Accuracy - RifleShooter

Here are some tips and tricks to get the very best accuracy out of Ruger's gorgeous single-shot rifle.

www.rifleshootermag.com

 

[Guy Miner]

Good article. I respect the author, Joseph von Benedikt. He seems to have a great deal of rifle knowledge and writes well.

Regards, Guy

 

[salmonchaser]

One of my favorite writers, one of a few I'd like to spend a week in camp with. Talk about camp fire stories!

 

[Blkram]

One of my favorite writers, one of a few I'd like to spend a week in camp with. Talk about camp fire stories!

The things one could learn from these guys!
Feel the same way about John Barsness...have talked to him on the phone a couple of times over the years (My Dad guided him on a moose hunt and John has written about it in a few articles and books (incl/ the Nosler No.6 Reloading Guide re: 9.3x62) and has always been fascinating...and my wife has talked to John's wife Eileen a couple of times ordering books, and found that fascinating too!
Would be fun to spend time in hunting camp with these folks!