Ruger #1 rifles.....?

[219DW]

I've been infected with this disease for several years. Started with a No.3 .22 K-Hornet in the late 80's and another No.3 Hornet that had been rechambered to .221 a couple of years later. They both shot well enough to get me hooked and it took off from there. In the mid 90's I had the .221 rebarreled to .219 Wasp and bought a No.1 that had been rebarreled to .225 Win. Also bought a friends No.3 .22 K-Hornet with No.1 wood that I had coveted for years. They've all been rebarreled by now, some of them more than once and all shoot very well. To save me from typing so much, here is a couple of links to threads.
http://www.saubier.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5563
http://www.saubier.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11458
http://www.saubier.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16340
http://www.saubier.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18757
http://www.saubier.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18889
http://www.saubier.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23017
This summer I've been doing a little amateur gunsmithing on the No.3 .223. Twisted off the .223 barrel and installed the No.3 Hornet-.221 takeoff barrel that I have rechambered with a combination of my two reamers. I end up with a .219 Wasp with a shorter neck for a case length of 1.775. It has a 16" twist and isn't shooting very well with the plastic tipped bullets that I have on hand. This barrel shot the 50gr Seirra Blitz years ago but I haven't found any to try. If it won't shoot, at least it hasn't cost me anything other than my time. I've got a couple of other barrels to experiment with before I get desperate and order another new custom barrel.
Dave

[22 HORNET]

Like a boat 2 good days. The day you buy it and the day you get rid of it. never spend the money to get another one.

[albertacoyotecaller]

I have had a few of them and love the classic lines of the rifle. When I go to bed at night and dream, it's the No. 1. When I wake up in the morning and go to the range, it's the No. 1 that's the nightmare!

Currently I only have one on the shelf and it's a S model in 218 bee. Nothing fancy for wood. I sold the another twin with nice wood to a friend on here. The one I am shooting now shoots basically at the inch mark with factory fodder. I will have to see if I can do better hand loading it but haven't tried with this one yet.

I purchased one in 22 hornet off of Dean2 on here and it shot nice but I made the mistake of selling it. I apologize for that Dean.

It's a love-hate relationship with me and the No. 1. I am just too stubborn to admit I am a bolt guy and keep comparing them to bolt guns.

[The Old Redneck]

I have only one now. It is a 243 that is seldom shot and will probably never be shot much. Accuracy is under an inch and to the same point of impact within 1 1/2" with everything from 75 to 100 grain. It works well for chucks, coyotes and deer. It keeps me from buying another one in 22/250. Can't say I would not buy a Bee if the right one came along. Maybe a hornet, but I would rather not think about it. The number Ones can become an addiction, some can tease large sums of money out of your pocket trying to get that "Group you know it can shoot". I'm hopefully past that and willing to let one just be what it is. Keep it if it shoots, trade it if it doesn't. Alan if this thread gets me infected with the #1 addiction again I'll drive to Georgia just to throw rocks at you.

[df06]

I have owned and sold four of them. They were 223, 22PPC (2) all in heavy varmint barrel and a 22 hornet in a sporter.
Despite some expensive triggers and various forearm floating/bedding actions, none of them was consistently accurate or would hold zero.
Beautiful guns, but I am done with them.

[Alan in GA]

I totally did not think about posting a 'disclaimer' in the OP! So,..I'll post it here for the well being of readers- hope I'm not too late!

WARNING-!....Reading a series of posts about a rifle you've often thought about could COST YOU MONEY and cause STRESS and INSOMNIA. Many experience a REOCCURANCE of past rifle purchases that ended in misery and/or failure. Age is thought to be instrumental as many who suscribe to posts similar to this one have FORGOTTEN what happened the last time they delved into 'Ruger #1/#3 itis' and suffered serious side effects.
Please CONSULT your shooting buddies and gunsmith if you don't remember what happened the last time you thought about buying a Ruger Single Shot!

: )

[219DW]

Alan originally wanted to know who had been bit by the bug and had success with Rugers, seems as there are a few of us that qualify on both accounts. I've had great success in the dog towns with my Rugers. I've had to spend some money to get them to shoot like they do, but I get a lot of satisfaction from the results. The other Ruger-itis guys will know what I'm talking about. I like shooting a rifle that looks like this when everyone else is shooting bolt rifles.

Same rifle a few years later. Different barrel, different scope. First time out with .204 Wasp, 634 yds.

June,2012 SE of Zortman,Mt. 915 yds with 8" twist Shilen and 75gr A-Max.

Dave

[Alan in GA]

I'm afraid that with pictures like those you are going to push some of us 'over the edge'!
Nice!

[Daryl]

My first Ruger #1 was a #1A 22" in 7x57 - did the forend bedding, relieved the 1/4 rib as normal and worked up loads for 140gr.Nosler Partitions at 2,940fps. It was a 1/2 moa rifle for 3 shot groups. I lost interest- all the mystery was gone and it bored me so I sold it to a friend. It instantly became his favourite mule deer rifle.

I then bought a #1B in .218Bee after reading an article in "Small Caliber News" about running amazing speeds with 40gr. bullets in #1's in 218Bee using Lil'Gun powder.

I did the bedding, etc and was blessed with sub 1/2" accuracy. After 7,500rounds, the rifle was still shooting around .6" to .8" and I sold it to the #1A friend. This #1B is now his favourite 'plinking' rifle for general range use.

[Alan in GA]

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=425182543

I'm not bidding, just thought I'd post for you all to look at the wood.