Ruger No. 1 accurizing thoughts

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bikemutt

bikemutt

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I have a current production No. 1 stainless rifle chambered for .223 Rem which is not a bad shooter, let's say MOAish with quality ammo, like Black Hills 69 gr MatchKing.

I know there are many theories, and no doubt facts, which may explain accuracy issues with some No. 1s, the usual canard around here is they're either accurate or they're not.

The most common reason for less-than-stellar accuracy I've heard is the forearm is not free-floated from the barrel. Indeed, mine is free-floated all the way out to the front of the forearm, then it's locked tight to the barrel. I'd estimate the amount of wood in contact with the barrel at about 1" or so.

Anyway, I wondered if I could test the theory by shooting the rifle without the forearm installed? There's plenty of real estate close to the receiver to rest the rifle on a bag.

Another thing I wondered about is what if the area of contact between the front of the forearm and the barrel were to be a single, tiny point instead of 1" of wood? Imagine a small ball bearing cut in half, a hemisphere. A dab of crazy glue would hold the flat size to the forearm, there would now be a vanishingly small contact point between the two.

I'm just trying to think up things to try without hacking on the rifle, MOAish isn't bad enough for me to wrench on a beautiful, and expensive gun.
 
I wouldn't change anything if your biggest groups are about MOA. Note your own marksmanship variables are part of the group size; we all need to accept that.

If a change is desired, a good trigger job to lighten and make it crisper would be a good.

Next, I would have the receiver face squared up then shimmed so the barrel would clock in for correct headspace and attached hardware orientation. That typically cures shot hole walking on target as the barrel heats up.
 
I wouldn't mess with it if it's shooting one MOA.
In a 7 Rem Mag, I got from a little under 2 MOA to about a half MOA by making the barrel have only one point of contact with the forend, via a shim between the forend and the barrel and bedding the forend to the action with RTV, as detailed in M.L. McPherson's Accurizing the Factory Rifle.. It's was a little fiddly finding the right thickness for the shim.
The Hicks Accurizer is an screw adjustable version of the shim.
In retrospect, it was probably accurate enough before I fiddled with it. It put a lot of meat in the freezer, pre mods. It's real role (one that it excels at) is a stalking rifle, not a target rifle.
 
Bart B. said:
I wouldn't change anything if your biggest groups are about MOA. Note your own marksmanship skills are part of the group size; we all need to accept that.

If a change is desired, I would have the receiver face squared up then shimmed so the barrel would clock in for correct headspace and attached hardware orientation. That typically cures shot hole walking as the barrel heats up.

A good trigger job to lighten and make it crisper would be next.
Click to expand...

Excellent suggestions Bart B.

To your first point, I haven't spent a great deal of time with this rifle compared to my other more target-oriented ones, nor does it have the caliber of glass on board that I'm accustomed to using. Right now I feel a bit like a square peg in a round hole with this one; I've got some work to do.

My Lyman gauge indicates an average trigger weight of 4.9 lbs, ranging from 4.7 to 5.2 lbs. Even without the heavy pull, it's not a target-grade trigger by any stretch. I've come across a trigger that's supposedly adjustable from 1 lb to 4 lbs, I'll examine that further.
 
Just because you're shooting well made ammo, that doesn't mean it's well suited for that rifle.
What is the twist rate of your bbl?
.223 mandates sub MOA...............its a varmint cartridge. Should try to find something .5 MOA
That may require handloads.
Can try some rubber strip or cardboard........play with forend pressure.
Yes, some guns like it.
 
The easiest and the most likely way to improve accuracy in your case is probably to shoot a shorter bullet (preferably a flat base) than what you are presently using. Despite the current popularity of heavy, boat tail bullets these days, the bullet your using is a little long for peak accuracy in your rifle. The 69 gr Matchking boat-tail is something like .982 in long. (Remember, boat tails are longer for a given weight, requiring more RPMs to stabilize.) I've heard that recent production Ruger #1s have a 1/9 twist (older #1s were 1/12, check yours to make sure what it is). That 1/9 twist, although pretty fast, is only marginally stabilizing that 69 gr matchking boat tail at the velocities your probably getting out of your #1 (you're currently at about 1.2 on the Berger scale, below 1 is unstable, 1.5 or higher is what you're looking for). You're getting decent accuracy with this bullet choice but it's doubtful that you're getting your rifles best possible accuracy. Try several flat base bullets in the 55-63 gr range, a 62-63 flat base, match bullet is prob the ideal in your case. That should bump you up to about a 1.5 on the scale. If all else is equal, the odds are very good that your group sizes will shrink by a significant amount. When I've made a similar change I've seen groups shrink by nearly half. Check out Berger's twist rate calculator if you would like more info. Give it a try...
 
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Hookeye said:
.223 mandates sub MOA...............its a varmint cartridge.
Click to expand...
Excellent point, that's just about all the cartridge is good for.
You could put a Bartlein or Kreiger barrel on it in .22-250 or 220 Swift.
 
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My very first thought was 'wow that's a big bullet for that gun'. I think you need to go smaller to tighten your groups. My twist rate is 1-14".
My second was, 'wow, I'm going to be the limiting factor on my #1's accuracy'.
I am going to check into the trigger for my #1 (.22-250), then have fun.

Greg
 
The rifle is a 1:8 twist. This ad is the only one I could find that shows that but it's consistent with what I'd discovered before I bought it at Cabelas.

Ruger No 1.JPG
 
Well, if it's a 1/8 rate of twist then you are above the 1.5 Berger scale and can disregard most of what I said. I'd still try a few flat base, match bullets though as they often produce tighter groups in some rifles.
 
So, here's the last target where I was playing with a couple different bullets. The range session I'd done previously was shot with handloads using 73 gr Hornady ELD-M bullets, the groups were so bad I didn't even bother taking pictures :(

So the bullets used here marked in pen: "H" is Hornady 68 gr BTHP, "SMK" is Sierra 69 gr BTHP MatchKing, "BH" is Black Hills 69 gr MatchKing factory remanufactured.

The groups were shot at 100 yards starting with the warm up rounds fired at the center of the target (using a mix of the Hornady and SMKs while fiddling with seating depths), then from the top left moving clockwise. The two I'll comment on is the first SMK group where I really pulled the last, low shot, I knew I'd pulled it the instant I did, and the Black Hills group is only 4 shots because a couple of deer walked onto the range so, cease fire, then I had to pull my target and leave for an appointment.

The recipe, other than the different bullets; 24.2 grains Varget, CCI standard small rifle primers, neck sized, twice-fired LC-stamped brass.

Hornadys' seated to COL 2.300", SMKs' seated to 2.256". Seating depths used to keep both bullets approximately 30/1000s off the lands.

 
The vertical stringing of your groups is typical of the Number one. It is caused by the upward strike of the hammer moving the gun. It is usually corrected by improving your bench and shooting technique by positioning and securing the rifle on your rests so the vertical jump is minimized. You can see this for yourself by dry-firing and observing the jump. This test also helps develop the most effective positioning and holding on the rests.
 
I noticed several of your groups look like they are are two clusters of two. Without reading too much into it, when I have seen groups like this in several of my rifles I have usually been able to eventually tighten things up with a different bullet. If it were me I'd check the rate of twist in my rifle for myself with a cleaning rod, a tight brush and a marker. I looked around and found several references to both 1/8 and 1/9 twist. Also, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I would still try a shorter, lighter, flat base bullet. Good luck and keep us informed on any progress....
 
To add to what offhand mentioned, I've also experienced vertical stringing while shooting from a benchrest from inconsistent shoulder pressure on the buttstock.
 
Offfhand said:
The vertical stringing of your groups is typical of the Number one. It is caused by the upward strike of the hammer moving the gun.
Click to expand...
That's news to me. I've shot a Ruger 1 in .30-06 and never once saw the 20X scope reticle rise during lock time dry firing. It wiggled about 1/10th MOA on target when the hammer smacked metal coming to a stop, but that's all. No vertical shot stringing. across a couple dozen or more shots.

How come Garands and their modern short action, big magazine versions with heavy hammer upswinging that doesn't have vertical shot stringing?

It's my opinion that most vertical shot stringing with an other wise accurate rifle is most often caused by position of the butt pad in different vertical positions in the shoulder. In second place, different down pressure on the rifle caused by the shooter's inconsistent holds. Third place, a pressure point in the fore end against the bottom of the barrel.
 
I say breech seat!
Fun at least
20150507_112726_zpsnmoxmsrn.jpg
 
OP, I read some new #1s have different twist rates for long range shooting (heavier higher BC bullets).
What vintage is your rifle?
Think the 1 in 8 is fairly new.
 
I have had a Ruger #1 Varminter, .22-250, 1/12 twist, for over 8 years, I have had 3 quality scopes on it, tried several factory loads, several hand loads, bullets from 50 to 62 grain, still have not shot a group less than 3 inches at 100 yards.
 
Hookeye said:
OP, I read some new #1s have different twist rates for long range shooting (heavier higher BC bullets).
What vintage is your rifle?
Think the 1 in 8 is fairly new.
Click to expand...

Hookeye, I bought this last year at Cabelas, gonna say around May-June, brand new in box. I had the counterman verify it was in fact a 1:8 twist.
 
Seater is a dummy. Round with a bit of space at the neck end to set the projectile a a specified depth, 1/16 or so deeper than the brass will sit

Put in the lead slug (projectile only), insert seater (as showing in pics) and seat projectile to depth. Load up a case, primer and powder (with or without wad or card=much debate) put in case and shoot. You only need one case to shoot all day and a pile of boolits.

Before breech seating but after muzzleloading there was a combo technique that u load the boolit from the muzzle end via false muzzle to the depth dictated by the breech seater then shoot as noted above. The advantage was to pre-groove the boolit to the rifling or so it was thought. I got one in 32-40 but not a ruger
Rather a Breisen built Ballard

20160413_123254_zps5kho6oin.jpg
 
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Bart B. said:
How come Garands and their modern short action, big magazine versions with heavy hammer upswinging that doesn't have vertical shot stringing?
.
Click to expand...
A #1s hammer swings up in a relatively short arc. A hammer transfer block transmits the force to the firing pin, with some mechanical advantage. In theory, it moves the gun less than conventional hammers.
falling-block.jpg


 
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