Ruger #1 in 223 rem

[johngibbs222]

Thanks all for the responses, as I mentioned earlier I bought a Ruger #3, not the #1 that I started the thread about, it has scratched my itch.
I bought a box of PPU 55 grn soft points ( prvi partizan ammo https://www.prvipartizan.com/) which is dirt cheap here in the UK and trotted off to my local farmer who allows me to use a large, remote quarry for plinking and zeroing.
I have a nikko sterling scope aligner and it showed the scope to be in the ballpark.
I had taken a large cardboard carton with a white address label stuck to it at 50 yards, the first shot was about an inch below the label - I was holding on the bottom of the square. Next shot was an inch to the right of the first shot.
Pushed the carton back to approx 100 yards and the next three shots were halfway up the address label and covered by our 50 pence piece which is about 1 and 1/8 inches across, ok bits of two of the holes were peaking out the side but the only rest I have is a 6" nail knocked into a tree which was only about 5 or 6 inches diameter and it was quite windy with the tree moving about a bit.
Had to stop then as the farmer came down, he lives about half a mile from the quarry and could hear the shots over the gale that was blowing (I was shooting down wind and the wind was in his direction). Forgot to say it has a 22" barrel and is LOUD. I think I've been spoiled by silencers over here.
We had a chat for 10 minutes and then it started peeing down with rain, we ran up to his barn until the squall blew over then I went back to pick up my empties and the carton. Got 4 out of the 5 empties but the carton was a mass of wood pulp on the floor.
I've used this ammo before in one of our club rifles (I think it was a savage)and it seems to average 1" to 1.5" at 100 yards with that, with remington 55 grain psp the savage(?) managed about an inch or slightly less so, with that as a guide, I'm quite happy so far with the performance of the ruger, especially as I gave the barrel a good scrubbing the night before, I haven't touched the scope yet, it's a whitetail classic 1.5-5 x 20 so not the best of equipment for precision but, there again, neither am I.
I hope to go back up there next week sometime as I'm picking up some more ammo from the local dealer to see how that prints, 20 rds each of federal and remington 55 grain hunting bullets and 20 rounds of PPU 69 grain match ammo to see if that is stabilised enough by the ruger which I'm assuming is 1.12 though I don't know for sure.
Early days yet but I still think the #3 is the prettiest gun I own, it's performance is OK (great by my poor standards) so far and I've no doubt I'll find a cartridge that really suits it.
Watch this space..........

 

[johngibbs222]

Forgot to post these pix, cute isn't she. Forgot to mention the serial number indicates it was assembled and shipped out of the factory in 1982.

 

[ZG47]

I suggest you do a whole lot of dry-firing with the fired cases in the chamber. That will get you and the firing system working as smoothly as possible. A 69 gr boat-tail is a waste of time in anything less than a 1-9" twist barrel OR a longer 1-10" twist barrel. Hornady 60 grain soft point would be a good bet. Brian Pearce, of Rifle and Handloader fame has mentioned that projectile as being good for deer when loaded in a .223 Remington chamber.
Also, as the initial vendors of specialist varmint bullets, Hornady has some good projectile (and loaded ammo) options for small game shooting.

 

[HARPERC]

......Not Condusive To accuracy means just what it says....The 2pc stock and the tiny receiver are problematic.

.........No more so than any other stocks, check out the number threads involving bolt guns, and poor bedding.

What is "accuracy"? Getting one tiny 3 shot group out of a day at the range, or shooting 10-15 5rd groups in a day which average out under .5"?

This is the basic question asked. Predominantly a hunting/long range hunting site. With similar dollars invested the No 1's can perform tasks to similar levels. Not all bolt guns shoot off the shelf, any more than all No1's

Pretty zany to do such load & component testing, unless you're shooting mild cast bullet loads which won't wear throat or rifling. Perhaps you're not really into shooting as much as making the rifle shoot??? ...You will note that there are no Ruger #1s ever fielded in any precision competitions.

True for a lot of reasons. If the question was posed that way we agree. I did have No 3 that would put 10 shots of cast in an inch .375 Winchester. I confess you lost me with the not into shooting as much as making the rifle shoot? The heavy expensive BR guns/guys get this said of them likely more than other discipline. Return to battery heavy rifles have their place though.

They're very handsome rifles, but if you're happy with the lucky 3 shot group, the #1 is maybe all you need.

Consistent good groups can be achieved with attention to the same things that make a bolt gun consistent.

AR-15s with the right ammunition will shoot right with the best bolt rifles, yet the flat top receivers with built-in picatinny rail elimnate the base variables from being problematic......Do you see these in BR matches? Right ammunition? Sounds a lot like making a rifle shoot

One thing to mount a varminting scope on a rail or barrel block, like on a #1; another to mount wholly on receiver or a properly torqued free-float tube...Mounts exist capable of holding big scopes on big kickers.

Stock doesn't influence accuracy potential on an AR design. Radial bolt lugs are better than dual or triple lugs, Plenty of reasons the AR ire better than most bolt rifles.....Most bolt rifles, not all. The same point being made with the No. 1, not all bolt rifles are created equal.

Of course, if you can keep 10rds in 2" at 200yds in under 10sec, your placement ought to be pretty good. The .223 is very capable, but few have barrels or load to its capcity......Rate of fire does favor other systems. I do like the .223 very useful.

Regarding rifles... If your aim is consistent precision, you start with what the precision shooting winners are shooting and eliminate as many unknowns right from the start as you can. Look at Brownells catalog and see what customizing options are available for which platform. There is no market in trying to make a sow's ear shoot. You start with acknowledge accurate platforms and try to improve on them.... If you like to be eccentric, the Ruger #1 might be for you...Customizing options are available for those rifles falling short of the owners desires....The market is what it is, "sows ear" is as good a kids rifle as there is. Took a kid to the range set up with my #3 he was using. Made him sit and dry fire until he calmed from the racket from the AR's, and 94's. After he put his first 3 through the X, I turned over the spotting scope to him, and had him look over the other targets down range. His assessment was "those guys haven't hit nothing". My comment was that's all it was was noise. He one shot a bear when the time came, more important he didn't take a shot on another much bigger bear because it was a marginal opportunity. Eccentric your call.

 

[johngibbs222]

Thanks for that, I don't know what the twist rate is but, as the gun was assembled in 1982, just a couple of years after the introduction of the 5.56 there's a chance that maybe ruger fitted fast twist barrels. Anyway for the sake of about $12 for 20 it's worth a punt to see if they are stabilised in my barrel.
Over here in the UK the 223 is regarded as THE caliber for foxes. We also have some pretty small deer about the size of a labrador dog, muntjac and also similarly sized chinese water deer that the caliber is legal for here.
I have a problem in that I was in an auto accident that left me with a badly torn rotator cuff injury on my right shoulder, also one of my eyes is not so good so I can't swap shoulders so I have to use light recoiling guns.
I've got a hunt planned with a view to culling some muntjacs that will probably take place late april or may this year to top up my freezer with deer meat as these little critters are highly rated for the flavour of their meat.
Also the caliber is legal for Roe deer in scotland

 

[ZG47]

Sierra 52?/53? grain hollow points might be best for muntjac. I have my own (not quite as challenging) physical issues with getting out on the hill to hunt. Good to hear that your enthusiasm is intact.

 

[johngibbs222]

Are the #1 and #3 actions safe to dryfire? I have some 223 snap caps on order, which should arrive tomorrow if the first class post lives up to its name.
In the past, I've never practiced dry firing after a couple of my guns, a 1960 stevens 77M and a 1965 Rem 1100 broke their firing pins, in fact I still have a spare firing pin for each of them, the one for the stevens I wrote from the UK to US in the very early 60s enquiring after the cost and, to my surprise, received a pair of pins FOC, great customer service. The 1100 pins I bought here direct from the UK importer.

 

[johngibbs222]

Just out of interest, here are my spare firing pins, the one in the center is the rem 1100 that I brazed back together, don't know why I kept it! They were stored in my garage for many years, like 50, hence a bit rust here and there but will soon polish up if needed.

 

[HARPERC]

I dry fire mine, could be ignorance born of success. Snap caps are always good.

 

[ZG47]

Dakota Model 10 is one action that should only be dry-fired with dummy cartridges.

 

[johngibbs222]

Dakota Model 10 is one action that should only be dry-fired with dummy cartridges.

Never heard of them, my practice is as safe as can be though, as getting spares over here can be difficult.

 

[johngibbs222]

Snap caps arrived today, cost nearly the same as 20 rounds of 55grn sps, but prettier!

 

[HARPERC]

Pretty easy to establish twist, before shooting.

 

[johngibbs222]

Pretty easy to establish twist, before shooting.

Tried it with a jag and patch, didn't work, however a bronze brush did pull the stunt and it turns out that the rifling is 1 turn in 10".
TBH I didn't expect that, is the consensus it may stabilise 62 grain bullets?