Any Ruger No 1 experts?

[CD24]

I found a Ruger No 1 in 25-06 in a local pawn shop and decided to take a chance. I don't know anything about them and I'm hoping some of you will. It seems to be shot very little and doesn't show much wear for the age.
1) Is there anything I need to look for in the action / special care instructions?
2) What is this thing worth?
3) Any gotchas with zeroing/ shooting / hunting with one?
Any information or load data on the 25-06 would be helpful as well. I have never shot (or seen) one before today.
Thank you in advance!

 

[Doug3006]

Congratulations on your purchase! I have a couple of #1s and really like them. Both are shooters. Seems that they group better off of the bench if the forward rest is placed just in front of the action. They aren’t to hard to care for. In fact they have a reputation for being tough.

 

[sestoppelman]

Congratulations on your purchase! I have a couple of #1s and really like them. Both are shooters. Seems that they group better off of the bench if the forward rest is placed just in front of the action. They aren’t to hard to care for. In fact they have a reputation for being tough.

Ditto on rest placement. I have had lots of them and they seem to all want to shoot well with the rest just ahead of the receiver.
That means hands off the forearm and barrel while shooting. Use your off hand to squeeze the rear bags for elevation adjustments.
Dont know much about the 25-06 other than the obvious, never had one. The No.1 will shoot given good loads, just dont go messing around with "improvements" until you work up some loads to see what it likes first.
Your Ruger is what most call a Liberty Model in all its various forms, from handguns to rifles. I have a Liberty Model Security Six .357 revolver.

 

[Joker12]

As others have said they are very nice and tough rifles. I have 5 of them so obviously I like them. Yours appears to be a #1V with a heavy 24 inch barrel and target blocks on the barrel for scope mounting. I would think that with good hand loads it will be a very accurate rifle if a bit heavy.

 

[Philip Glass]

@CAustin

 

[Monsai52]

The No. 1 is a rugged, strong and reliable rifle, and is very unlikely to give you any trouble. As Joker12 noted, you have the heavy barrel 1-V version, also it's an older one, so it will have the superior "3 screw" trigger, which allows you to adjust sear engagement in addition to just return spring tension and overtravel. Ruger discontinued the 3 screw trigger a year or two after your rifle was made. (You have to remove the butt stock to adjust sear engagement)

I have a 1-V in .223, and it's one of my most fun range guns. As others have noted, it's generally best to rest the rifle on the front bag close to the receiver. Because of the heavy barrel, the 1-V is very heavy, and doesn't have that great, light, fast handling feeling of the other No.1 versions, but they're great off the bench.

Some No. 1's shoot great as they come from the factory, some need some tweaking of the forearm/barrel pressure interface. It's usually pretty easy to get a No.1 to shoot very well. Test it out, see how it shoots, and if you think it needs some help there's lots of info out there on the web. A good source to start is the Rugerforum,net site.

By the way, your No.1 is a "red pad" which many No.1 aficionados seem to prefer. But whether red pad or the later black pad, the Ruger recoil pads are pretty hard and don't help much with heavier kicking calibers; I just had a 1-1/2" NEGC pad installed on my 375H&H, and it helped a lot.

Best regards,

 

[Shootist43]

CD24, if I'm not mistaken Bob Nelson of 35 Whelen "Fame" will chime in here shortly and let you know just how much rifle you have there. He may even provide you with a load or two. Enjoy your new toy & let us know how she shoots. BTW did you "steal" it or buy it? Either way maybe you should stop by that Pawn shop more often!!

 

[Joker12]

Here is me bit more information if you need it. I did not see rings with your rifle. If you need to buy rings consult the chart available on line as to the ring height that you need as it will depend on the scopes objective end diameter. Of the #1s that I own only the light barreled #1A has needed any modification to improve its accuracy ( it was easily done ). The rifles with the heavier barrels seldom need anything other ammo that they like. Have fun with it!

 

[Woodcarver]

Haven't owned a #1, but the 25-06 is arguably the best antelope cartridge available. Depending on the twist rate, it may handle the 117/120gr bullets as well as the 100s. I have had a few, all of them have been sub-moa once I found the load they liked. Best results have been with 100grainers in the 3100-3200fps range.
Perfectly capable on game up through mule deer, with fairly mild recoil. In that heavy barrel #1, recoil will certainly be easily manageable.

 

[CD24]

Thank you all so much. I have a scope on the way and should be test firing this weekend.

 

[375er]

When you find it totally unsatisfactory I will take it off your hands and save you some heart ache.

 

[CD24]

When you find it totally unsatisfactory I will take it off your hands and save you some heart ache.

Funny you should say that. I finally got the scope mounted and level and happily went to the range to sight in my new to me Ruger 1 that will be very gentle in the shoulder and will shoot flat as a pancake. It does, in fact, shoot flat as a pancake. It is not, however, gentle in the shoulder. The recoil is sharp and unpleasant and I have not yet decided if I will keep her. I would take the slow shove of a 416 over the sharp crack of a 25-06 any day.

 

[375er]

Funny you should say that. I finally got the scope mounted and level and happily went to the range to sight in my new to me Ruger 1 that will be very gentle in the shoulder and will shoot flat as a pancake. It does, in fact, shoot flat as a pancake. It is not, however, gentle in the shoulder. The recoil is sharp and unpleasant and I have not yet decided if I will keep her. I would take the slow shove of a 416 over the sharp crack of a 25-06 any day.

DM me. I think I can help you sort that out to your liking.

 

[sestoppelman]

Funny you should say that. I finally got the scope mounted and level and happily went to the range to sight in my new to me Ruger 1 that will be very gentle in the shoulder and will shoot flat as a pancake. It does, in fact, shoot flat as a pancake. It is not, however, gentle in the shoulder. The recoil is sharp and unpleasant and I have not yet decided if I will keep her. I would take the slow shove of a 416 over the sharp crack of a 25-06 any day.

Surely you jest! 25-06 recoil in a 9# rifle is a joke, and you prefer a .416 to that? Dont think I have ever heard anything quite so.... well..... um.... ahhh... well.....

 

[CD24]

Call me crazy but I'm telling you it was sharp. My shoulder is pretty tender today after 12 rounds off the bench. The recoil pad is pretty firm but I didn't think it would matter that much with such a light bullet. A 115Gr bullet going 2600fps isn't even 7mm-08 power. I would never put a kid behind this rifle.

 

[CAustin]

I found a Ruger No 1 in 25-06 in a local pawn shop and decided to take a chance. I don't know anything about them and I'm hoping some of you will. It seems to be shot very little and doesn't show much wear for the age.
1) Is there anything I need to look for in the action / special care instructions?
2) What is this thing worth?
3) Any gotchas with zeroing/ shooting / hunting with one?
Any information or load data on the 25-06 would be helpful as well. I have never shot (or seen) one before today.
Thank you in advance!
View attachment 452417View attachment 452418

nice find sir. I have a few #1s and looks llike you got a Bicentennial rifle. When I zoomed in on the second picture the engraving speaks to 200 years of American Liberty. I killed a Red Heartebeest in Namibia last year with a 25-06 at just under 400 yards. Your #1 should be a tack driver

 

[sestoppelman]

Call me crazy but I'm telling you it was sharp. My shoulder is pretty tender today after 12 rounds off the bench. The recoil pad is pretty firm but I didn't think it would matter that much with such a light bullet. A 115Gr bullet going 2600fps isn't even 7mm-08 power. I would never put a kid behind this rifle.

Well physics are physics. No way in Hell a light loaded 25 cal kicks like a .416, not on any level.
Sorry, but you have me totally flummoxed. That load isnt even up to .257 Roberts levels and the Bob is a pussycat.
I suggest you refrain from shooting a .30-06 with 180 grain bullets.

 

[CD24]

Well english is english. I never said a light loaded 25 kicks like a .416. I said one is a crack and one is a shove and I prefer the shove. If you like the your recoil sharp you should buy yourself a nice ruger 1 in 25-06 I suppose. I know where there might be one for sale someday soon.

 

[Monsai52]

Ruger No.1 recoil pads are hard and thin straight from the factory, and after 46 years, yours won't be much different from a steel butt plate. Have a smith mount a nice Decelerater or NEGC Universal pad on it, it will make a world of difference.

Best regards,

 

[CD24]

I concede. My neighbor and his boy both shot it today and said it was gentle. Given the truly fantastic bruise on my shoulder I can only conclude that it must have hit me just right on the first shot and the rest of them were just further insult. Just one of those weird things I guess.