Bullet Weight for Ruger No.1 .204

[Gunmedic]

Hi guys, thanks for reading,
I have a Ruger No.1 SS heavy barrel in, (of course) .204 Ruger.
I have had it bedded, stock cut, barrel free floated, and trigger reworked, I am just not too happy with the performance.
I can get < 3/4 " with no problem, and I realise this is not a BR rifle, but what do you guys use for bullet weights?
I have used different powder and primers and weights, but I could use some advice on bullet weights that have worked for some of you.
Any help would be appreciated,
Gunmedic.

[Rick in Oregon]

Gunmedic: Try both the Sierra 32 & 39 Blitz Kings. Everyone I know has had good luck with these bullets in their 204's. Also give RL-10X a try; it gives me the best combination of great accuracy teamed with very zippy velocity (4000+ fps with the 32gr BK).

My No.1 is a Varmint model in .223, so can't be specific for you in that regard.

[Ray P]

Gunmedic Good luck with your #1 . I have one that likes H4895 /27.0/40 Berger setting at an oal 2.325. This will do .3 to .5 for 5 shots at 100 yards if I do my part. The factory barrel takes a few rounds to break in. Mine had between 75 to 100 before she started to tighten up.
Hope this helps
P.S. try different bullets settings to find out what your Ruger likes
Later
Ray P

[Gunmedic]

Thanks Guys,
I only have 50 or so down the tube, maybe that is a factor, I will try the mentioned loads and components.
Thanks again, Gunmedic.

[Singleshot]

Gunmedic; I have the same gun you do. In fact it came out of a gun shop in BC so maybe they were litter mates. I am having the same problems that you are as well. I must have in excess of 200 rounds through this gun and it still won't shoot properly. I have tried at least 5 different powders (IMR 4895, Benchrest, H335, Varget, WW 748) and the 32 grain Sierra and Hornady bullets and 30 and 35 grain Bergers. Five shot groups are just under an inch at best. I have tinkered with the forend, put on a Moyers trigger and prayed to the rifle gods all to no avail. I plan to do a little more load testing with heavier bullets when my range dries out before I decide to pitch this rifle into the dugout. Maybe it is the nature of the beast. Some guys claim they can get a Ruger No. 1 to shoot into a quarter of an inch but so far I am not one of them.

[Ray P]

Gunmedic: Check your muzzle crowns for any burs. Not that I sound like old music. Make sure your barrels are clean and not building up cooper. Please get me posted on your results.
P.S. Just snug your forend screw don't crank on it.
Later??
Ray P

[Gunmedic]

Hi RayP,
Thanks for the info, any idea how tight the front barrel screw should be?
I have had the barrel freefloated, action glass bedded front and rear, trigger done, and stock slightly cut , I have shorter arms.
I will check the crown right now.
Thanks Gunmedic.

[Gunmedic]

Hi Again Rayp,
Just went downstairs, and checked the crown and the screw in the front of the forearm, the crown seem ok to me???, but the screw was not tight at all. I easily rurned it 3/4 of a turn till it is good and tight, not enough to strip anything, but tighter than it was.
Think this may be the problem?
If it is I owe ya.
Gunmedic.

[Ray P]

Gunmedic.
When I took my forend off to adj the ejector spring. I noticed that for end nut is a friction nut. So when the forend is snug and in place this were I leave the screw. As far as inch pounds, I have no clue. So this is what I mean by snug. I have read that tension on the forends is a concern with the No.1's. Mine is not beded, but the screw is not as tight as it was when I first removed it from the factory setting. You can always loosen a 1/4 to 1/2 turn and see it this makes a differance.
Hope all this helps. Once you find a load that works, then work your bullet seating long or short to fine tune the rifle.
Later and thanks for the come back..............good luck..........Rugers are sweet!!
Ray P

[blkdog]

Gunmedic, I have two #1s, one in .375H&H and a 7mm mag, both will shoot .5 all day if I do my part. This wasn't always the case though. A gun smith friend of mine said to cut a small washer from some soft leather of about the same thickness as a leather belt and install it between the forend and the forend screw. after that , problem solved. I don't know why this works, but it does. Good luck!
PS My brother has two # 1s also and it worked on his as well.

[Gunmedic]

Thanks blkdog, I'll try anything at this point, Take care Gunmedic.

[Singleshot]

Blkdog; Do you place the leather washer around the forend bolt or just lay it on the stock ahead of the bolt. I have tried a rubber washer cut out of an inner tube around the bolt but because the forend bolt comes in at an angle the washer would bunch up on the rear side of the bolt and not sit flat on the forend lug. That arrangement did not seem to make any difference to group size. Did you free-float the forend tip or have it put some pressure on the underside of the barrel?

[Rick in Oregon]

Gunmedic: My No.1V in .223 responded well to just floating the forearm from the barrel and where it meets the receiver, and just glassing the wood where it joins the forearm hanger. That, and the addition of a Canjar single set trigger (very sweet), resulted in a rifle that now shoots 1/4" - 3/8" groups with handloads.

I've heard some No.1's respond to the rubber or fabric washer or o-ring treatment well also; try it first as it's the easiest and cheapest.

Here's mine between shots, letting the barrel cool down for a spell:



You just gotta love the wood Ruger puts on these rifles!



If I ever buy another one, it WILL be in .204!

[Gunmedic]

Thanks for the reply Rick in Oregon,
Really interested in the trigger info, are they on their website? How was it to put in, did your smith do it? What weight do you have it at?
Thanks Gunmedic.

[Rick in Oregon]

Gunmedic: They don't have a website, old shool sort of shop. Most likely mail order direct.

Easy to install in the rifle. Matter of fact, I just installed another one in my Sako Vixen L461 .17 Mach IV. Both triggers are adjusted to release at 1.5 lbs in "normal" mode, and at 8 ozs in the "set" mode. Crisp, absolutely creep-free, and two of the best triggers I own. Very high quality, all tool steel parts and finished very well. Both pull weights easy to adjust for pull weight. They are expensive, but not as much as the Keplingler set triggers.

You will not need a gunsmith to install, and it will give your No.1 an entire new personality.