rollcall for ruger #1 in 45/70

[Dogmann]

Does anyone know the twist rate on the Ruger Lyman 45/70?

[curator]

My Ruger #1 has a 1 in 20 inch twist and shoots boolits of 350-480 grains (.462 diameter) with great precision. Recoil is a bit much and it "do eat" scopes. A Nikon "Buckmaster" lasted about 20 rounds before the variable power carrier gave up. The nice folks at Nikon gave me a replacement and indicated I was done--"don't ask for another." I have added a lead weight in the butt stock and a slip on recoil pad which has helped. Great rifle even if on the light side. Ruger should have marketed this with a 30 inch octagon barrel and serious "diopter" sights.

[MGySgt]

Curator - Bushnell Banner's in about 1.75 to 4.5 (I think) will stand up to the recoil. I have one on my No 1 in 45/70. It has been there AFTER I blew up 2 Grand Slams, 1 Leopold, 1 Nikon, 1 Redfield and one other I can't remember.

[EDG]

I can't say you will have much fun using a Ruger #1 for long range.
For that application you typically use a heavy bullet. Many 45-70 shooters get hot over loading them to higher pressure and velocity. The Ruger #1 is too short and light for a lot of heavy bullets or high velocity.
It would be good if you got to shoot one a bit before plunking down that much money. I much prefer the heavier Browning BPCR for range use and the standard Brownings for hunting.
I own both Brownings and Rugers so I am not just slamming a brand that I do not own or have no experience with. I have probably shot the light weight Ruger #3 the most but only using plinking loads.

[Frank46]

I too have a number ! in 45-70 and found out will need a mold that will cast at least .462 to get good accuracy. There is no throat on my barrel so sometimes I have to play around with seating depth. Frank

[9.3X62AL]

No glassware on my #1 X 45-70, I have one of the NECG aperture sights in place on the rear scope ring dovetail. There is enough elevation adjustment on this sight to carry me to 300 yards shooting 400 grain-class boolits at 1300 FPS, so as a hunting sight it is certainly adequate to the task. 300 yards is likely twice the range I would attempt a game shot with such loads.

[MGySgt]

No matter how you slice it - a Ruger No 1 in 45/70 is going have some recoil. The lightest kicking rounds I shot were factory 300 grainers.

My hunting load is a 430 gr GC with a 75% meplate at 1750 FPS and it does let you know that the hammer fell. It will kill on one end and maim on the other. It depends on how you hold it.

Felt recoil in my Marlin Guide Gun is not near as much as it is with the Ruger shooting the same loads.

But it does shoot sub MOA when you do your part!

[MGySgt]

No matter how you slice it - a Ruger No 1 in 45/70 is going have some recoil. The lightest kicking rounds I shot were factory 300 grainers.

My hunting load is a 430 gr GC with a 75% meplate at 1750 FPS and it does let you know that the hammer fell. It will kill on one end and maim on the other. It depends on how you hold it.

Felt recoil in my Marlin Guide Gun is not near as much as it is with the Ruger shooting the same loads.

But it does shoot sub MOA when you do your part!

[1Shirt]

My #1 in 45-70 was my first #1 Ruger! Would be one of the last rifles I would be willing to part with. Has has hundreds/probably more like thousands of cast thru it, and maybe a couple of hundred jacketed. Great shooter!
1Shirt!

[ColColt]

If they would make one with a 28 inch slightly heavier barrel I'd buy one in a heartbeat. I doubt that's going to happen, however.

[ColColt]

Oh, I know all about the 45-90. I had a Shiloh Sharps in that caliber...beat me to death with it's narrow, steel, crescent butt plate. I sent it back to them and had it rebarreled. I don't want anything close to that caliber. I do like longer barrels than 22 or 24 inch as I like using black powder. My Browning 1885 is chambered for the 45-70 but has a 30" barrel and weighs about 11 pounds. Great shooter with 60-64 gr of black powder and a 500 gr bullet.

[NoZombies]

I've got a SS #1 in 45/70. The thing must not like me, as it tries to beat me to death every time I shoot it.

[MGySgt]

The only thing I really dislike about my No 1 is that I can not shoot loads made up for my Marlins - The throat is too short in the No 1 and I have to seat the boolits deeper in the No 1.

[Corbi]

I am on my second #1 in 45/70 and my 4th 45/70. LOL I have killed several deer and hogs with the 45/70. It is one of my favorites for close range hunting. The bigger the meplat the better on game.

The 4 I have owned:
Started with a ported Guide Gun. Too much blast very high rate of fire......my favorite rifle ever. That beast blasted my ears every time I hunted with it.
Sold it to a friend of mine. He tells me that he makes sure that the end of the barrel is outside of the blind before he pulls the trigger. I bet he does! LOL again!

Second 45/70 was a blued #1. Great rifle! Handy as the Guide Gun but with a 22" barrel. Seemed lighter too. Got caught out in the rain a couple of times and decided that I needed the rifle to be all weather. I used a Weaver 1X3 on this rifle with no troubles. Recoil is all there with 43 grains of Rx7 and a 350 grain cast. Sold the rifle to a Ruger collector at the gun show.

Third 45/70 was a Marlin XLR. My intent was to chop the barrel to 20". It shot well but was not as handy as the #1. The stock was checkered which i liked. Made the decision not to alter the rifle as this would probably destroy the resale value if I decided I didn't like it. Sold the rifle at the gun show to a fella from texas that wanted to use it for a custom 450 AK build up.

4th, current and final 45/70 is a stainless #1. This is the best of all worlds (IMO). Short, light, handy, still retains the 22 inch barrel and is all weather to boot. My only wish is that Ruger had checkered the stock. I am using a Leupold VXIII 1.5X5scope. I may in time change to the EER 2X from Leupold. I plan on using this rifle this year on a special draw hunt I got drawn for......heavy timber with maybe 75 yard maximum shots, lots of other hunters and really big bucks!

My observation is that with the #1 followup shots are a little slow. Using a scope that mounts forward of the reciever (like the Leupold 2X EER scope) would help speed reloads up. Also one of the aftermarket safeties that are available now would help a little with reloading. Still, you are not going to get a second shot on a herd of hogs. I have reloaded fast enough to get a second shot if I wanted to on deer. Not every time though.

Corbi

[Kristoffer]

I have one. Red pad version but i mounted a limbsaver to ease the felt recoil a bit.



//Kristoffer

[oldgeezershooter]

I have used my #1 for 300 yd. shooting old propane tanks, 405gr. cast bullet w/50gr. Varget , made a hole as big as your fist where it exited.
I have an old El Paso Weaver K-4-1 scope and it has held up fine.
I also have killed two Elk using Barnes 300gr. spitzer Hollow points at 2700fps, like they said, kills on one end , maims on the other end. Neither Elk left his position except to FDGB.

[Clay M]

I have owned them before. Nice chambering in the #1. I would prefer they put a 24" tube like the tropical rifle.There is a distributor special this year with a 26" barrel.My newest #1 woods rifle is in .405 win. I do like it better than the .45/70 #1 that I had.It kills deer dead it their tracks.

[Clay M]

I cast with my Saeco #017 350gr .45 cal GC mold today.This mold is one of the best casting molds I have. Bullets fall from the mold with ease.I used 80% wheelweight and 20% linotype.The bullets weigh 339grs and are .461 dia.I don't have a sizer die that size so I may use a gas check seater,and pan lube them.I think the accuracy load in the Lyman manual is 43grs or Rel 7 for about 1650-1700 fps.My #1 slugs at .458
I found that setting my mold on my hot plate on 3,preheated the mold perfectly.The hot plate temp was running a 560 F. Then I could restock the pot and cast bullets with ease.

[bigted]

I have one. Red pad version but i mounted a limbsaver to ease the felt recoil a bit.



//Kristoffer

nice Moose. looks like the Sveeden moose like to be courted with the #1 as well as the Alaskan variety. I also like your cartridge extra's ... did you buy that or build it? I second the "limbsaver" it sure makes my shooting a lot better and less painful.

[Kristoffer]

nice Moose. looks like the Sveeden moose like to be courted with the #1 as well as the Alaskan variety. I also like your cartridge extra's ... did you buy that or build it? I second the "limbsaver" it sure makes my shooting a lot better and less painful.

Yes it works like a charm over here too

The cartridge holder is bought over here by a leathershop. It´s attached with velcro and i think it´s a good placement if a quick follow-up shot is needed.

//Kristoffer