Ruger #1- Need your guidance!

[358wcf]

Gents,
I've discovered a small number of Ruger #1 for sale here. A fellow is having to liquidate to keep the house- heard that story before???
Anyway, being the kind of "gun tinkerer" that I am, I'm certainly considering one or more of them.
There's a 375H&H mag-
There's a 30-06
There's a 243Win
Three's a 22-250 Heavy Barrel Varminter
There's one more, something like a 300WinMag, that didn't even get my attention.

Seriously considering the 243, at a VERY fair price, as the buttstock needs attention due to some serious cosmetic dings, but it's a nice piece of wood worth saving.
Also considering the 22-250 as it is also Very well priced.

Question to you guys-- the plan is to take the #1, ship it to Jesse in Oregon (JES) for reboring to either 358Win or 35Whelen.
The 243 makes a no-brainer conversion to 358Win easy. Got it- Same story with the '06 becoming a Whelen-
What do you think about using the 22-250 to make a heavy barrel 358 or 35Whelen? A bit heavy for a carry-thru-the-woods hunting rifle?
Should I be considering the 375H&H more as a cast boolit shooter?????

Help me before I buy too many of them!!!! Please!

358wcf

[the other DWS]

If the price is good go for it---er--go for them. If you can grab'em all (tell whoever you have to that it is is a good investment---and it is)and convert the 300 mag to a 38-55/358 and leave the others in the original calibre, All are good cartridges and will bring more in the future than if altered.

I have a number of Ruger #1/3s and really like them. Like most production rifles they have their quirks as to setup and tuning. their complex actions, heavy, slow, internal hammer swing, and the 2-piece stock have given them an unwarranted reputation for inaccuracy. Some run of the mill local gunsmiths simply do not have enough single shot experience to cope with their quirks.
There are talented and knowledgeable 'smiths who can work wonders with them. With proper manuals and modest ability as well as access to a few tools a do-it-yourselfer can do a pretty good job if he is willing to work at it.
DeHasse's "Mr Singleshots Gunsmithing book" has a great section on that. Brownells sells a light hammer/spring setup made by Frank Zika works wonders on improving the action. He is also working on a drop-in trigger conversion that will save a lot of elbow/wrist/finger grease. Hopefully it'll be on the market soon. Simply switching his hammer and trigger for the factory items and tuning the barrel bedding should make them all tack drivers assuming accurate loads and shooter

Some guys strip out a lot of what they think are excess parts hoping to simplify/improve the action, including mounting the mainspring to the barrel and cutting out the factory main spring hanger and removing the safety mechanism.

However I have a custom 22 rimfire version of a #1 as a heavy 22 rf bench gun for the 200 yard matches. it has ALL the original parts except Zikas competition hammer and it has an incredible smooth crisp 2# pull. IN the right wind conditions and with high grade match ammo it'll shoot MOA at 200 yards on occasion---more often with a more skilled shooter. The point being that the rifles are eminently tunable


I have a custom barrel #3 in 358 that was done as a bench gun for the CBA by the late great Art Freund the well known benchrest shooter and gunsmith. It has a relatively short stiff custom bench rest style barrel and it is a tack driver at 200 yards with cast bullets in ASSRA competition. Its a modern equivalent of the classic 38-55 and interchangeable depending on which iteration of 38-55 the chamber was cut for. I'm planning on selling /trading it next season since I already have a custom 38-55 on a Highwall action. If it doesn't move as a custom target rifle I may have the barrel turned down to a medium weight sporter. with its short rifle/long carbine length barrel in that calibre it will make me a heck of a deer rifle.

[TDC]

I could be interested in the 22-250 if you don't buy it and the price is right. I'd need to see some pictures and an accurate description of condition. Let me know by PM.... Thanks!

[Blammer]

instead of reboring, how about rebarreling, may be cheaper, plus you could offset the cost of hte new brl by selling the old.

anyway's

if they are all cheap enough, buy them all, sell several to offset the cost of 'changing' the ones you want.

One day I'd like to get a ruger #1 in 243 or 30-06.

[jhrosier]

......
Should I be considering the 375H&H more as a cast boolit shooter?????
...

Absolutely !
I have a #1 in .375 H&H and it shoots very well with a 30-some gr load of 4198 and the 265 gr FP GC boolit.

Jack

[Ben]

358wcf :

Of the calibers listed, the 06', the 243 and the 22/250 would all be good candidates to send to JES for reboring to .35 cal.

[rockrat]

Playing with my 375 now. So far , so good. Just got in a new mould from BRP to try. The 243 to 358 sounds like a good conversion, as well as the "06 to 35 Whelen. 22-250 to Delta gunshop to 260rem might be of interest to you also.

[the other DWS]

The 375 can be down loaded and it'll do everything a 358 or a 35 whalen can do and more if you ever needed it. The 260 Rem is an incredibly versatile cartridge with the right load.
This has got me thinking, I have a very nice custom #1 in 22-250 that I seldom use since I also have a #1 in 220 Swift I may have it redone in .260 Rem or 6.5x57 myself. I already have a custom BLR in 260 and an austrian Mannlicher in 6.5x57

If I could only get 2 of'em my own personal choices would be the 375 and the 243 and have it converted with rebarrel or rebore to the 260. Both will do well with cast bullets

With proper loads those two rifles would make a 2 gun set you could hunt everything in the world with.

[Bass Ackward]

I'd go for the 22-250 in a heartbeat. Put that hole through it and what is left is going to be appreciated.

[smokemjoe]

Got one left rebarreled to 38-55, with forearm reworked it shoots under 1 in. with cart. or breech seating

[rockrat]

Tried the BRP mould. Definitely get the 375, mine shoots his boolit very well. Second on the 243 and getting it converted to 260Rem (have a B-78 thats going that route).

If you have the funds, get the '06, send to JES to have a 35 Whelen, or possibly instead of the 375 H&H, use the '06 and have JES make you a 375-06!!

[excess650]

A JES rebore is DEFINITELY less $ than a rebarrel. Likewise, it eliminates the need for rebluing or two-tone in the case of a SS barrel, and no need to modify the forearm for a new barrel contour.

I believe a rebored barrel, cut rifled, will have less stress and would be my choice.

My first #1 was a 30-06 and it shot well, but I traded it for something else. I still have a 45-70 and 22 Hornet, but may have the Hornet rebored.

[white eagle]

saw it mentioned but I fairly certain t would be easier to rebarrel and cheaper
besides then you would have another cal to choose
versatility I am to is golden

[Larry Gibson]

358wcf

Obviously from your log on you are biased so since you are already set up for the .358 then why not. Why not unless you already have enough of them and want something new. If that's the situation then I'd suggest the .375 H&H. It can be loaded down to as little as 800 fps with a .375 RB over 4 gr of Bullseye (great rabbit, ptarmigan and grouse load BTW) or upwards of 2400 fps with a 250 -300 gr cast bullet. I really like my .375 H&H (M70 though) and find it is an excellent cast bullet hunting cartridge. I would think it would be an excellent selection for the #1 Ruger.

Larry Gibson

[excess650]

saw it mentioned but I fairly certain t would be easier to rebarrel and cheaper
besides then you would have another cal to choose
versatility I am to is golden

A JES rebore to 3 groove is $225. A 4 or 5 groove is $250 and all are spec'd with .005" deep rifling. Where are you going to buy a barrel and have it threaded, chambered, and blued for that?

[Jeff H]

A JES rebore to 3 groove is $225. A 4 or 5 groove is $250 and all are spec'd with .005" deep rifling. Where are you going to buy a barrel and have it threaded, chambered, and blued for that?

I put a $70 A&B barrel on a '98 Mauser action for $100 ans still have not had it blued, so by the time I get done, it will be about $250. That's going cheap.

Seeing that JES will do a rebore for $250 (which includes return shipping on a standard rebore), my #3 in .223 is trying to hide in the corner of the safe.

If it did not shoot so well as-is, I would be looking for a box already.

[the other DWS]

would someone please post the contact info on the JES re-rifling service?

[rockrat]

35caliber.com

He does very good work

[358wcf]

Thanks everyone for your fine thoughts and comments- leaning toward the cheaper ones, as it appears Mom has been to the bank and used some funds for Christmas gifts- this is not an easy time of year to make large purchases.
I agree with the versatility comments on the 375- I like that more and more.
Again, thankyou all for sharing your advice! Greatly appreciated, and then some!

358wcf

[jaguarxk120]

Depending on the age of the No 1's you may consider reselling them. Some of the older No.1's are considered prized collector pieces. What color is the butt plate on them?