jhilde

For years iv'e waited to buy a Ruger No 1 and will be in a position to get one in the next couple of months. I want it mainly for mid to possibly long range shots on woodchuck and coyotes. The varmint model I'm looking at can be had in 223, 204, 243 and 22-250. My questions are, how many of you have used or own a number 1 and what is your impression of them and which caliber would you suggest? I'm leaning toward the 223 or the 243 because Iv'e used guns chambered for both of these and I'm familiar with them. Don't know that much about the 204 and the 22-250 may be just a little more than I need. Suggestions?

Centaur 1

I've never shot one but it's a beautiful rifle. If you get it .243 you just might wind up taking it deer hunting also.

Blackelk

jhilde,

I prefer to shoot nothing but Ruger #1 rifles. I have one in a 22-250 and it's a shooter it will put a hole in a hole at 100yds. It took me awhile to figure out that it had a 14" twist in the rifling so I had to play with ammo to get it to shoot like that. I personally like the 52 grain hornady Amax in my rifle. It will prefer the lighter bullets for accuracy.

I think my next varmit barrel ruger no 1 will be in a 25-06.

Get the Stainless model you'll love it.
My collection of em contain
22-250 rem
270 win
300 win mag
375 h&h

jhilde

Blackelk, very good answer. I had heard awhile back, something about some times the accuracy was questionable, but who knows what the situation was. So thanks for your vote of confidence. The .243 sounds about right to me. Don't know if I'll get another to go with this one yet or not. Iv'e got an 06 and a .300 short mag so with this one in the medium range I'll probabely be pretty well set. What are you using for scopes on your .22 centerfires?

jhilde

Centaur, your right, they are a very attractive rifle. I just recently bought a used Browning High Wall in mint condition and a very good friend has talked me out of it already so I have to replace it and what better than another beautiful single shot......it's true what they say, life's too short to use an ugly gun...

Hairtrigger

WARNING
I wanted a No.1 for years before buying one. Within the next year I had purchased 2 more and now I own 8 plus an action and a couple extra sets of wood! The No.1 can be addicting!
I have No.1V rifles in 223, 22-250, 220 Swift , and 6mm PPC.
If you are buying a newer No.1 you will want to have the trigger worked on OR if the budget allows get a set trigger for those long shots at varmints.

jhilde

Hairtrigger-----, the triggers just come a little heavy? Do you prefer them pretty light? I haven't seen one anywhere in my area for sale out of five different gun shops so I was planning on just ordering a new one. Is the factory trigger just too heavy or can you live with it?

Centaur 1

I just went to the Ruger website to look at barrel twist rate. Twist rate in most rifles is just a comprimise, the heavier the bullet the faster the twist rate has to be. Most manufacturers use a rate that'll stabilize the heaviest commercially available bullet. The problem is that it's too fast for the average weight bullet to attain the best accuracy. It's clear that Ruger calls this rifle in 22-250 a Varminter. I bet if the twist rate was fast enough to stabilize a 77 grain deer bullet that you wouldn't put all of you varmint bullets in the same hole.

Blackelk

I'll be more clear mine 22-250 is in a 1B standard 26" barrel with a 14" twist barrel thus doesn't shoot heavy bullets well unless you drop the velocity way down. It wasn't made to do that. Same model 1B in a 300 win has a 1 in 10" twist. And with 165 gr speer boat tails it too stacks them on top of each other. Damn my luck for picking a good rifle.

Hairtrigger

The Ruger factory trigger is too heavy for my taste for a woodchuck rifle.
I have both Canjar and Kepplinger set triggers, the Kepplinger is a bit better but more costly. The Canjar is no longer made. Either set trigger can be adjusted to 8oz set weight