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Thread: Today It Happened… a Ruger #3

  1. #41
    Boolit Mold
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    Dec 2012
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    North New Mexico
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    Ha! I have a #1 in 218 Bee and have been thinking of rebarreling to 30 Badger.
    The 218 was bought with a rebarrel in mind but shot so well I kept it! How the world turns.

  2. #42
    Boolit Master
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    Oh boy, a rifle I traded years ago & wish I hadn’t is the Ruger #3 200th year of American Liberty in .30-40 Kraig. Sometimes we really goof up!
    U.S.A. " RIDE FOR THE BRAND OR LEAVE!"

  3. #43
    Boolit Grand Master
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    I'd have loved to have a #3 in 30-40 Krag about 20-30 years ago, but I guess I've gotten way too old to take on many more quests.

    Anybody wanna buy a slightly tilted windmill?

    Froggie
    Last edited by Green Frog; 04-26-2023 at 10:24 PM.
    "It aint easy being green!"

  4. #44
    Boolit Master
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    My #3's are both 30/40, one with a #1 buttstock made in 1976 and the other with a custom buttstock (not by a master stockmaker) and reshaped forend made in 1974. Both shoot okay but are not MOA rifles. Didn't try a lot of loads with either cast or J but even so will do better than 2 MOA, fine for steel plates and deer.

  5. #45
    Boolit Master Rapier's Avatar
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    The #1s and #3s make a great custom single shot rifle, if you did not get exposed hammer withdrawals..... Some folks also get freaked out by not having a second shot, but if you learned to shoot on a one shooter, you do not miss the next shoot all that much, especially if you carry the next shot(s) between your fingers on the off hand. With practice it is quick.
    Of course making the first shot count gets to be all that counts.
    “There is a remedy for all things, save death.“
    Cervantes

    “Never give up, never quit.”
    Robert Rogers
    Roger’s Rangers

    There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.
    Will Rogers

  6. #46
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Rapier,

    My bench gun for ASSRA for about the last twenty years or so has been a Peregrine built for me by Charlie Dell. I don't need no steeenkin' hammers!

    I've done a fair amount of shooting with Winchester high walls and low walls, so that lever on the #3 fits my fingers just right!

    Froggie
    "It aint easy being green!"

  7. #47
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Michigan
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    74
    I’ve got an early #3 that was my Brothers who guided in Wyoming between drilling jobs. He was always running to Salt Lake to Parker Ackley for various project but one was this #3. Parker pretty much talked him into a custom rifle chambered in the 444 Marlin. Ackley was interested in this job as he told my Brother that Bill Ruger would never chamber the round in either of his single shots as he did not get along with the management at Marlin. To this day I could never figure the 444 being absent from his line up as it’s perfect in so many ways so maybe the story was true. Me Brother waited a year for the rifle and when picked it up Ackley told him he has run about fifty rounds through it as was very happy with results.

    It’s got a 25” 1-18” barrel around a #4 or #5 contour and deep blue black bluing. Custom Claro walnut stock with cheek piece and nice figure. The butt cap is a checkered steel Niedner and the scope bases were made by a guy named ‘ Phillips ‘ ? Trigger break clean at 3.0 lbs with absolutely no creep. My Brother installed a nice early Weatherby German 2 x 7 scope the ones with the twin turrets on top with Euro style heavy post reticle. Not sure what else Ackley did to the action but it’s real smooth. This rifle will put bullets from 220 grain to the old big 300 grain Barnes without enough spread to worry about. It’s an honest 1/2” shooter but then I’ve almost always found bigger bullets to more accurate.If you need to drop a big moose near water and not worry about getting muddy and wet the 444 will blow both shoulders out and drop the animal where it stands. The 444 is a contender and gains range with pointy bullets

    300 Gr Barnes: 2250 fps
    265 Hornady : 2360 fps
    H335 compressed loads firm crimp

    Rick
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails IMG_0327.jpg   IMG_0328.jpg  

  8. #48
    Boolit Master Rapier's Avatar
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    Nice old P.O. #3 rifle. One day I may find an Ackley or Pope gun to own, if I am so lucky.
    “There is a remedy for all things, save death.“
    Cervantes

    “Never give up, never quit.”
    Robert Rogers
    Roger’s Rangers

    There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.
    Will Rogers

  9. #49
    Boolit Buddy
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    Cedar Park, TX
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    Nice rifle indeed!

  10. #50
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Garble, that stock is gorgeous! It reminds me somewhat of the old high wall Special Sporter stock.
    Froggie
    "It aint easy being green!"

  11. #51
    Boolit Bub
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    Quote Originally Posted by Green Frog View Post
    Garble, that stock is gorgeous! It reminds me somewhat of the old high wall Special Sporter stock.
    Froggie
    You’d look good in 444 and I know you have some nice trading stock

    Rick

  12. #52
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Thanks but no thanks. You should have caught me with that one twenty years ago. At my age that caliber has one too many 4s in it!
    Froggie
    "It aint easy being green!"

  13. #53
    Boolit Mold
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    Jan 2015
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    Tallahassee, FL
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    My #3 was given to me with a buggered stock, so I ordered a fancy one with cheek rest. It is being converted from the stubby 30-40 Krag barrel to a 30" octagon 38-55. Barrel is in the mail from BRC in New Mexico - then off to Bobby Hoyt to be fitted. I love the 38-55 round, and converting the Ruger seemed like a better solution than buying a lever gun.

  14. #54
    Boolit Grand Master
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    The #3, properly stocked, has the potential to be the basis for virtually any traditional single shot caliber. The 38-55 ought to be a great match.
    Froggie
    "It aint easy being green!"

  15. #55
    Boolit Buddy braddock's Avatar
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    I've a 1982 #3 in 223, I bought it with the intention of rebarreling in 6.5 swede but shot it and was hooked on the 223, I also had a #1 in 308 but sold it on as my knees are just about shot and, being a similar age to Froggie, have no intention of having knee replacement surgery and I've done my bit for deer management here in the UK.
    I transferred the Zeiss 1.x6 scope that used to be on the #1 and finally got it sighted in this morning.
    Is it me or is there a lot of BS about the accuracy of ruger's single shots? I bought an electronic torque meter and snug the bolt up and both guns would put 3 shots into an inch at 100 yards.
    My #3 has the two screws on the trigger, the gun came to me and the trigger set up was fine I've never altered it or wanted to even.
    Now it shoots 50 grn Barnes varmint grenades at around 3200 fps and this am prone with a cheap chinese bipod shot 10 into about 1.25" with 1 flier.
    I was going to sell it but I bought it so cheap it's not worth it and it goes out with me on most range trips now, especially with the Zeiss glass on top.Click image for larger version. 

Name:	#3 july 23.jpg 
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ID:	315534 I love it to bits. I should point out I'd been loading it with 55 grn gas checked cast boolits but bought a 1000 barnes VGs in a store blow out and they were cheaper than cast.

  16. #56
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Nice #3, Braddock. What varmints are available for hunting in the UK? That 223 would be just the thing for our Virginia groundhogs. My best friend here used to use a 222 bolt gun on them here in VA, so I guess I could keep my #3 as-is for that purpose if I weren’t Jonesing so badly for a 327 FM in a single shot rifle.
    Froggie
    "It aint easy being green!"

  17. #57
    Boolit Master curioushooter's Avatar
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    Is 38 long cox a 35 KRAG with a long neck? It started as a 45-70 but if I'm not mistaken 45-70 and 30-40 Krag have the same shellholder.

  18. #58
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Nope, the 30-40 and the 444 may take the same shell holder from some manufacturers. The 45-70 has a larger base diameter and rim diameter.

    Froggie
    "It aint easy being green!"

  19. #59
    Boolit Master Jedman's Avatar
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    I had a FFL back in 1986 and remember getting flyers from Southern Ohio Gun ( SOG ) when they were selling off large stocks of Ruger no. 3’s they had. The sale price was $ 149.99 ea. with further discounts for buying in quantity. I had the money but not the knowledge needed to buy a bunch back then.
    Jedman

  20. #60
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jedman View Post
    I had a FFL back in 1986 and remember getting flyers from Southern Ohio Gun ( SOG ) when they were selling off large stocks of Ruger no. 3’s they had. The sale price was $ 149.99 ea. with further discounts for buying in quantity. I had the money but not the knowledge needed to buy a bunch back then.
    Jedman
    As my PA Dutch ancestors would say, “Ve grow too zoon oldt und too late schmardt!” I tell myself that when I could have bought stuff I want now very cheaply,I had even more less “disposable income” than I do now. ��
    Froggie
    "It aint easy being green!"

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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