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Thread: Ruger #3 what to rebarrel it to?

  1. #41
    Boolit Grand Master

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    6.5x55 SM

    My favorite round after the .308. Boring, not a speed demon or a 1,000yrd flavor of the month let alone the next hottest thing in a black rifle. Just getting it done for over 100yrs.
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  2. #42
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by dverna View Post
    As I get older, I have come to detest recoil. So none of the larger calibers you or others mentioned would be of interest. Also, a light rifle is appealing.

    I am not fond of casting, and I enjoy an accurate rifle. This leaves a jacketed bullet as my choice. Alas he Ruger is not always stellar the in accuracy department.

    I like the first suggestion...7mm Mauser. It is a special little round that is underappreciated.
    7mm never a bad choice. All of the Mauser's seem to be out of favor in this 1,000yrd era.
    I Am Descended From Men Who Would Not Be Ruled

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  3. #43
    Boolit Buddy
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    In fact, in the 1980s Ruger produced several thousand .303 Brit. No.3s for the Canadian trade which were in exactly this configuration and shoot splendidly with either .303 British MkVII or MKVIIIz service or commercial softpoint ammo, as well as with handloads using common .30 cal. bullets, either jacketed or cast.

    I'm a bit surprised to learn this.
    Back about 1987, I had a business with a firearms license, and since the 100 th anniversary of the .303 British cartridge was coming up, I asked Ruger if they would make up a run of the #3's in .303.
    They said that they had no interest in such a project, and basically blew me off. I would have ordered a thousand.
    In talking with friends, some reasons put forward were that Ruger was too busy with huge military orders from Israel, and/or there was no-one making .303 barrels in the US at that time. In over a half century of shooting, I have never seen or heard of a #3 in .303 B.
    Before the run of #1's in .303 about a decade back, I had one made up with a stout octagon Shilen barrel.
    Jacketed bullets, what a relic. A throwback to the twentieth century. Real men shoot cast.




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  4. #44
    Boolit Master
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    I like the Rimmed 35 Rem. Standard 35 Rem dies using 303 British brass. You can leave the case full length 303 by extending neck with neck only reamer or just trim to 35 Rem length. All dies, components standard. For a light cartridge, the 30 Mauser or 7.62 Tokarev using 38 Special brass, standard brass with a rim and standard dies again. The 32 Winchester Special is a very good cast bullet cartridge, cases are available or easily formed from 30-30, standard dies, bullets.

  5. #45
    Boolit Master
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    The 356 Winchester might be a good choice rimmed American cartridge and could use 308/358 brass in a pinch 308 cases worked great out of a marlin we have .
    Don’t know if you would have any issues with the no.3 extractor.
    I have a No.3 45/70 one of my favorite rifles and allways watching for a good deal on one in 375 Winchester.
    Keep us posted sounds like a fun project.

  6. #46
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by marlinman93 View Post
    What someone wants to do with a cartridge is important. But I also get tired of paying high prices for oddball brass, and expensive dies. Or searching everywhere to try to find brass!
    So what I plan to use it for is in the decision, but tempered by availability of brass and dies.

    Ha I was thinking 25-20 or 32-20. Your brass comment is wise.


    .32 H&R or .38 special would make a nice pinker.

  7. #47
    Boolit Master


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    7X57 or it's offspring .257Rob'ts. Had, still have both for 42yrs & 64yrs, respectively.
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  8. #48
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by slug View Post
    In fact, in the 1980s Ruger produced several thousand .303 Brit. No.3s for the Canadian trade which were in exactly this configuration and shoot splendidly with either .303 British MkVII or MKVIIIz service or commercial softpoint ammo, as well as with handloads using common .30 cal. bullets, either jacketed or cast.

    I'm a bit surprised to learn this.
    Back about 1987, I had a business with a firearms license, and since the 100 th anniversary of the .303 British cartridge was coming up, I asked Ruger if they would make up a run of the #3's in .303.
    They said that they had no interest in such a project, and basically blew me off. I would have ordered a thousand.
    In talking with friends, some reasons put forward were that Ruger was too busy with huge military orders from Israel, and/or there was no-one making .303 barrels in the US at that time. In over a half century of shooting, I have never seen or heard of a #3 in .303 B.
    Before the run of #1's in .303 about a decade back, I had one made up with a stout octagon Shilen barrel.
    You're not the only one who's never heard of a No. 3 in 303. I think this person is confused/confusing it with the later run of No. 1s that you mention.

    I have an article from a gun magazine (1990s?) dealing with the author's production and testing of a very nice Ruger No. 1 in .303using a heavy Shilen barrel. It shot VERY well with his handloads.

  9. #49
    Boolit Master
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    I think any of the WCF's would be great or a 45lc. It would make a nice offhand rifle.

  10. #50
    Boolit Master Drm50's Avatar
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    The #3 is Rugers 788, I don't know why they stopped production of it. With very minor changes they could have kept up with runs when ever a new cartridge came out and had a good rifle at a reasonable price.I sold a bunch of them in 223 while they were made. Now in this area shows they want $600 for beaters.

  11. #51
    Boolit Buddy
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    Because the production run was so short, the No.3 has become a collectors piece.

    There are only so many of them out there and collectors want them in any caliber.

    Original is best, even better with shipping box.

  12. #52
    Boolit Master
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    I sure wish somebody would bring out a copy or something similar.The Ruger single shots are one of favorites but are pricey.

  13. #53
    Boolit Buddy pressonregardless's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Good Cheer View Post
    Attachment 238368

    To each his own. This was mine.

    Attachment 238369
    I had to look this one up & found your post from 2010. I like it.

    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...11-38-Long-Cox
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  14. #54
    Boolit Master
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    256 win mag (357 mag necked down to .25)

  15. #55
    Boolit Master Drm50's Avatar
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    Ruger had a winner in the #3. They are handy little carbines. I have seen many guys have restocked with more western style wood. Nice graceful stocks that are longer than the clubby short military stock. Nice slender forearms with no barrel band. Not that many have rebarreled. When they came out I wanted one for a walk around groundhog gun. I picked 223 over Hornet because I didn't want to carry full size rifle in Hornet. I'm glad I did because the Hornets were known to be finicky shooters. Win is coming out with 350 cartridge that is actually a .357 bore on 223 case. I think a legal straight case for deer hunting with ARs. If you had use for it maybe a god choice for rebore of a 223 with little other work.

  16. #56
    Boolit Master
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    How about 6.5 CM, cause everybody knows its the most accurate caliber ever devised! LOL! Seriously I would think long and hard about what it would be intended for, and then make a decision on caliber, personally I would pick something with common brass. Now I'll throw out a wild card, how about 250 savage!

  17. #57
    Boolit Master BigEyeBob's Avatar
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    A number of Australian wildkats based on the 303 British case ,22/303 ,25/303 ,6mm /303 , 243/303 ,270/303 , 308/303 ,35/303 and then there is the 416/303 developed in Sth Africa .All excellent cartridges with the 25/303 being the most prolific in OZ .Ive a mauser 96 Sporter in 25/303 and a KAR98 in 270/303 . Brass is cheap enough ,easy to reform ,dies are available from Simplex in Australia .I use PPU brass exclusively for reforming into the 25 and 270 .It all depends what you want to do with the rifle .There is also the Canadian Epps range of 303 based cartridges .

  18. #58
    Boolit Master Jedman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BigEyeBob View Post
    A number of Australian wildkats based on the 303 British case ,22/303 ,25/303 ,6mm /303 , 243/303 ,270/303 , 308/303 ,35/303 and then there is the 416/303 developed in Sth Africa .All excellent cartridges with the 25/303 being the most prolific in OZ .Ive a mauser 96 Sporter in 25/303 and a KAR98 in 270/303 . Brass is cheap enough ,easy to reform ,dies are available from Simplex in Australia .I use PPU brass exclusively for reforming into the 25 and 270 .It all depends what you want to do with the rifle .There is also the Canadian Epps range of 303 based cartridges .
    Plus the 40-50 strait wall. A very nice cartridge and made from the 303 British case.

    Jedman
    Last edited by Jedman; 06-16-2019 at 01:01 PM.

  19. #59
    Boolit Master
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    Was this #3 ever rebarrelled?

  20. #60
    Boolit Mold
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    .225 win or .221 fireball

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check