Ruger No. 1

[John J]

The cool factor is off the chart. This is my 450 400. Taking a No 1 in 9.3×62 bear hunting in Idaho in a few weeks.

 

[WAB]

Truly just want to learn with my question…what is the alure of a Ruger No 1 single shot rifle for hunting please? Sincerely I have no thoughts on this at all but can’t help seeing they have a high popularity and just trying to understand the popularity which is obviously high! Is it just the simplicity?

The No 1 is a throwback to an earlier time that we all wish we had seen. They are a tip of the hat to the early adventurers and sportsmen. That, and they look great and are a blast to shoot. I have two, one in .22 hornet, and the other in .275 Rigby. I think that the .275, with it’s longer barrel and classic caliber, is perhaps the most iconic of the No 1’s.

 

[Fryeguy]

I finally bit the bullet and traded for my first #1 a few weeks ago. I have been an accuracy nut for a long time, and heard all the stories about the inconsistency etc. I finally had enough and saw one in a caliber that just just got me excited. 9.3x74. Came with box of ammo. So far I am pretty happy with it. Shot it with some really old Norma factory ammo it came with. Last group at 50 was well under an inch. Cannot wait to take it out. Topped it with a vx3 1.5-5. I sure wish it had wood like the others shown here! What do you guys do for trigger? They are a nightmare compared to my bolt action guns

 

[geoff rath]

Luck can be a fickle mistress as far as wood on No 1's go; I have an AAA butt here, but the forend could barely be called timber. As WAB wrote, they hark back to earlier times; I doubt any modern manufacturer apart from William B would, or could have envisioned them when he did. Elegant, and tough, near indestructible!

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Truly just want to learn with my question…what is the alure of a Ruger No 1 single shot rifle for hunting please? Sincerely I have no thoughts on this at all but can’t help seeing they have a high popularity and just trying to understand the popularity which is obviously high! Is it just the simplicity?

It is a very pleasing design aesthetically, the lines are so well balanced, it just looks good. It is dead simple as others have said, the loading and cocking function is slick, logical and easy to operate. It is minimalistic and cleverly designed, the mechanism is internal, like half a double rifle that doesn't need to break. There is no short stroking, you put in a round, you close the breach, it fires.
It just does it's job, over and over and over, and makes you smile.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Luck can be a fickle mistress as far as wood on No 1's go; I have an AAA butt here, but the forend could barely be called timber. As WAB wrote, they hark back to earlier times; I doubt any modern manufacturer apart from William B would, or could have envisioned them when he did. Elegant, and tough, near indestructible!

My new No1 has very plain timber, and I rather like it, just straight grain. So what comes out loudly is the elegance of the form, like Cindarella still in the kitchen. I'll post better pictures when I eventually take posession.

 

[ET1775]

My new No1 has very plain timber, and I rather like it, just straight grain. So what comes out loudly is the elegance of the form, like Cindarella still in the kitchen. I'll post better pictures when I eventually take posession.
View attachment 532985

What caliber? Nothing wrong with plain wood. Straight grain going the right direction won't fail you when you need it!

 

[209hunter]

I love Ruger M77’s, so naturally I’ve always wanted a No. 1. My LGS has a beautiful one in 30-06 for sale and if I hadn’t just bought a Mark II I would probably be eyeing it pretty closely.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

What caliber? Nothing wrong with plain wood. Straight grain going the right direction won't fail you when you need it!

30-06

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I love Ruger M77’s, so naturally I’ve always wanted a No. 1. My LGS has a beautiful one in 30-06 for sale and if I hadn’t just bought a Mark II I would probably be eyeing it pretty closely.

Buy it 209!

 

[Neil Molendyk]

I've got a few, but the one I reach for almost every time is my 45-70, I've used it on deer, Moose, black bear and you can reload it for whatever you need, 300gr to 500gr and in a number one you can get it to approach 458 Win Mag territory, although it will let you know what you've done.

 

[ET1775]

30-06

Very nice, a wonderful caliber!

 

[ET1775]

I don't have a side by side photo of all three yet but I went from one, Ruger No 1 to three of them in the past week.

A stainless .405 Winchester that I plan to rechamber to .450 #2 Nitro Express and get some nice wood installed. My customized .375 H&H, currently scoped. And a Boddington .300 H&H.

 

[spike.t]

My new No1 has very plain timber, and I rather like it, just straight grain. So what comes out loudly is the elegance of the form, like Cindarella still in the kitchen. I'll post better pictures when I eventually take posession.
View attachment 532985

What's the cut/notch at front of forend?

 

[ET1775]

What's the cut/notch at front of forend?

It is stylistic, similar to a Germanic schnabel forend. It is called the Alexander Henry forend, there are theories as to what the notch is for but I have not heard a consensus on the purpose.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

What's the cut/notch at front of forend?

It just looks cool/correct. Some early Scottish rifles had it.

 

[spike.t]

OK thanks both....be interesting to see what/why its for ..or just decoration

 

[geoff rath]

I love Ruger M77’s, so naturally I’ve always wanted a No. 1. My LGS has a beautiful one in 30-06 for sale and if I hadn’t just bought a Mark II I would probably be eyeing it pretty closely.

Go on, bet back there and lay some money down for a deposit/ holding fee

 

[geoff rath]

Kevin, your stock easily qualifies as "classy/classic". Beautiful mineral lines that run straight through the stock, with a little "drop" into the butt, a very strong item. On top of all that, quite discernable fiddleback in the butt. What you might consider is to remove the present finish, then spend a week or three giving it a nice, deep oil finish. That way it would become a masterpiece even Roohawk would happily own ...

 

[ET1775]

But to hunt with a No1 in the iconic 300H&H is way high on the satisfaction list. I predict there is going to be some love going on here.

He ended up passing on the sale and I took it upon myself to give it a new home. Going to be tough to decide which one to bring for elk season, my 375 H&H or the 300 H&H.