Ruger #1 in 45-70

fordwannabe · Post by **fordwannabe** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 3:36 pm

Anybody have anything to tell me about the Ruger #1 in 45-70. I have an opportunity to pick one up for what I think is cheap. So please let me know value of these things also. Good , bad, whatever you know about them because my knowledge of them could be put on the head of a pin and still have room for the Lords prayer.Tom

Streetstar · Post by **Streetstar** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 3:59 pm

Kind of one of those guns i have always wanted, but just never walked home with for whatever reason ---- I've seen them regularly hovering around 1000 - 1200 .

I dont know what the deal is on these things, i think they are still catalogued , but just because Ruger catalogs it doesnt mean they are making it -- 1200$ is likely above MSRP but guys get it because Ruger doesnt make many of them

Neat, neat rifles

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 4:04 pm

Tom,
Find anything at the show last week? I got sick of all of the baby carriages and the Philly hoodlums so I left early.

As for the Rugers, they shoot, can handle about any load you can stuff in them, and are pretty much easy to sell, when the time comes.-----6

wolfdog · Post by **wolfdog** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 4:25 pm

Don't have a #1 in 45/70 but I do have a #3 which is a sweetheart. Accurate, handles well, and you can load it pretty stout.

Streetstar · Post by **Streetstar** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 5:19 pm

wolfdog wrote:D----, and you can load it pretty stout.

One of the gents who got me interested in these claims he was near .458 Magnum performance levels with his handloads out of his #1 ---- i thought he was a fruit loop for pushing a 45/70 that hard - but the gun can take it (they are chambered for big 'ol magnum loads in the safari packages on those guns after all )

The 45/70 load hierarchy has some Ruger #1 loads only
with a second category for loads rated up to MArlins and other leverguns -- and the first category is for BP era firearms

Post by **Old Savage** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 6:50 pm

Excellent, maybe the best for a wide range of loads into the heaviest. Handles the recoil very well on heavy loads. Great rifle in my opinion.

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 7:24 pm

.

Over the past 35 years, I've had 3 different .45-70 Ruger#1-S rifles & 2 different .45-70 Ruger #3 carbines, so I've gained some experience of them.

The #3's are too light, IMO, for a .45-70 rifle, especially shooting boolits weighing over 350gr.

While the #1's are a little heavier than the #3's, shooting them is bearable - moreso when a scope is added.

The best-handling .45-70 Ruger #1-S was the one I added a Simmons (horrors !) 2x20 scope ($45, new), that weighed only about 7oz, but had over 5" of eye relief.

Shooting it was like using a peep sight with magnification - sweet........

FWIW, for kicks & giggles one year, I converted one of my .45-70 Ruger #1-S rifles into a .45 cal muzzleloader via the simple expedient of fitting a Remington 700M (.50 cal muzzleloader) screw-in breechblock into the rear of the .45-70 chamber, adjusting the installation depth to reliably ignite the #11 cap on the nipple.

(I told the Game Warden, who checked that gun during frontstuffer deer season, that a muzzleloading #1 was one of the Ruger #1's model lineup......

- he believed me

)

.

crs · Post by **crs** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 7:31 pm

If you buy the rifle and really want to hop it up, you can ream the chamber out to .45-90 and still shoot 45-70 ammo when you like as I do in my 1886 45-90.

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 8:38 pm

Just don't get your "Ruger Only" loads mixed up with your ones for your vintage leverguns...

barbarossa · Post by **barbarossa** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 12:58 am

I have a Ruger no 3 in 44magand love it.The Ruger single shots are quality all the way.

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 1:02 am

#1s are great in any caliber. If the .45-70 and 45-90 aren't enough there's still the 45-120.

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 9:51 am

.

JMO, but if I wanted that level of power applied to my body, I'd just buy one in .458 Win Mag, or .458 Lott.

.

Canuck Bob · Post by **Canuck Bob** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 1:16 pm

That would be a dandy rifle cartridge combo. I had a #1 Tropical 375 H&H years ago. They are special rifles. However I see no need to load one above a modern Marlin level load. If I wanted real power I would opt for a 375, a real good power cartridge that is amazingly rangy.

A Marlin level 45-70 is an outstanding guide's grizz rifle already.

fordwannabe · Post by **fordwannabe** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 4:30 pm

ok here is the rest of the story. It is disassembled all internal parts in a bag. It looks good overall but no guarantee its all there but he thinks it is. he is asking $300 what say you?

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 4:44 pm

fordwannabe wrote:ok here is the rest of the story. It is disassembled all internal parts in a bag. It looks good overall but no guarantee its all there but he thinks it is. he is asking $300 what say you?

Tom,
You are beginning to sound like someone who is half Italian......like me....and.........I thought I taught you better than that..........snag it!

Parts are available and with Rugers customer service, my guess is you could send them the whole bag and you will get it back.....nice and complete.

Just tell them you are Italian and took the gun apart and while you were smoking a joint, you may have misplaced a part or two.-------yo 6

You buy it for 3 and I'll give you 4 and a half.....and ....I'll drive out your way to get it.

wolfdog · Post by **wolfdog** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 6:27 pm

For $300 jump on it!

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 6:30 pm

Sixgun wrote:
fordwannabe wrote:ok here is the rest of the story. It is disassembled all internal parts in a bag. It looks good overall but no guarantee its all there but he thinks it is. he is asking $300 what say you?
Tom,
You are beginning to sound like someone who is half Italian......like me....and.........I thought I taught you better than that..........snag it!

Parts are available and with Rugers customer service, my guess is you could send them the whole bag and you will get it back.....nice and complete. Just tell them you are Italian and took the gun apart and while you were smoking a joint, you may have misplaced a part or two.-------yo 6

You buy it for 3 and I'll give you 4 and a half.....and ....I'll drive out your way to get it.

As long as there is a receiver, I'd buy it...!

CowboyTutt · Post by **CowboyTutt** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 6:53 pm

If I wanted real power I would opt for a 375, a real good power cartridge that is amazingly rangy.

I have always liked Ruger #1's and came very, very close to buying one as my first rifle. That being said, my CZ 550 American Safari in 375 H&H and converted to Ackley Improved is the flattest shooting, heavy hitting cartridge at long range, in my whole modest collection. It shoots as flat as a laser beam and hits at long range harder than 458 cartridges because of the better BC's involved.

How about a 350 grain Match King BT bullet at 2500 fps with a BC of 0.7 plus? It stays supersonic to well over 1538 yards! You can't do that with the 45-70.

Just sayin' folks.

-Tutt

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 8:42 pm

fordwannabe wrote:
ok here is the rest of the story. It is disassembled all internal parts in a bag. It looks good overall but no guarantee its all there but he thinks it is. he is asking $300

what say you ?

I say: Why aren't you showing us the before pics of your new basket case ?

.

Post by **Old Savage** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 9:29 pm

Ok Tutti, but what about with real bullets?

I say buy it.

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 10:02 pm

Old Savage wrote:Ok Tutti, but what about with real bullets?

I say buy it.

OS, what's this "tutti" thing? Did you mean "titti"?

------6

Post by **Old Savage** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 10:35 pm

A mere slip 6, a mere slip. Nothing intended.

fordwannabe · Post by **fordwannabe** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 4:41 pm

Well I called the shop at 10am (they open at 1pm) and left a message I wanted the Ruger. I got a call at 1:30 stating a customer who came right after me paid $675 if the shopput it back together. Well I hate to lose the deal but wasn't sure soI waited. Something else will pop up.

CowboyTutt · Post by **CowboyTutt** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 5:04 pm

Not quite sure about the "Tutti" thing either? Old Savage, a joke about me calling you "Freddie" on occasion? Not sure. If so, OK by me I guess. Fun is fun.

Old Savage, as to your comment about a "real bullet" in the 375 H&H AI not sure what that means either? The 350 Match King bullets are not really expensive at all, are probably more of a "target bullet" then a hunting one, but there are other 350 grain 375 caliber bullets out there. When is a bullet "not real"?

You keep coming back to conventional stuff. Why? Where would our industry be if someone did not innovate?

-Tutt

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 7:08 pm

Hey Tutt....I can easily see you are a guy who loves life.....always a smile and a positive note in your words......you and I could get along real well, and I'll add my good friend Old Savage. You guys know how to take a joke. Dang! I wish you guys were closer.

AND OS......it's been a while my friend.....you know.................pics of the "soft stuff".

-------6

CowboyTutt · Post by **CowboyTutt** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 7:30 pm

Six, Old Savage is a wonderful guy, just met up with him and Jim Williamson for pizza last Wednesday night during my Spring Break, and yes, I think we all share a sense of decrepitating humor to be sure! Regards my friend, -Tutt

Post by **Old Savage** » Tue Apr 07, 2015 7:19 pm

Ok then. Tutti was a typo but, since Six picked it out I let it run. Now ... Real bullets ... Target bullets are not real bullets. The 375 H&H is a hunting tool pure and simple. Only hunting bullets count in describing its performance .... And only at hunting distances there Tuttster. Now get out and get you a 20 ga. 870 and a 30/30 and a .270. Tutt does have a great group of interesting guns. Six, you would certainly like it out here with us.

But Six, ask your wife what the Italian word tutti means.

BILLYDIXON · Post by **BILLYDIXON** » Wed Apr 08, 2015 4:54 am

I bought one in 1976 for about $300. The guy I bought it from had a scope on it that was the first thing I took off. I wanted a Sharps but I'm glad I bought it. I shot some really hot hand loads thru it. That rifle was so accurate I wish I hadn't sold it. The rifle shot jkt and lead bullets and never had one problem with it. I even shot black powder out of it. When I bought my first Shiloh Sharps I had to let it go to pay for it. I wanted to get one later on but didn't expect the price to go up so high. I've got a 45/90 Sharps and a 45/70 86.

6pt-sika · Post by **6pt-sika** » Wed Apr 08, 2015 5:00 am

Streetstar wrote:
wolfdog wrote:D----, and you can load it pretty stout.

One of the gents who got me interested in these claims he was near .458 Magnum performance levels with his handloads out of his #1 ---- i thought he was a fruit loop for pushing a 45/70 that hard - but the gun can take it (they are chambered for big 'ol magnum loads in the safari packages on those guns after all )

The 45/70 load hierarchy has some Ruger #1 loads only
with a second category for loads rated up to MArlins and other leverguns -- and the first category is for BP era firearms

I had a Ruger #1H in 458 Win Mag for awhile . Thing was very accurate , but with standard 458 Win Mag loads it would stomp you pretty good at the bench . Made the 1H 416 Rem Mag I used to have seem like a pussycat .

Dusty Ed · Post by **Dusty Ed** » Wed Apr 08, 2015 7:09 am

Howdy Folks
I had one for a while years ago.
Like Sixgun said you can shoot just about anything in it ,if you can stand it.
I was chronographing loads ,one was a 500gr. Lead bullet 1925fps., 3 shots was all I could do.
I settled on 405gr. 24grs.of 4759 ,at 1350 fps
From my experience it will shoot clean through a deer at 125yds.

Dusty Ed

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Wed Apr 08, 2015 2:46 pm

Hey Dusty......How's things up in Mainville? Are the buffalo shoots still going on? You gonna be up in Hamburg at their shoot in May, I think.----6

Bullard4075 · Post by **Bullard4075** » Thu Apr 09, 2015 9:53 pm

It will hurt you long before you can hurt it.
Always wanted to convert a #1 into a 40-90-370 (3 1/4 ) Sharps Straight.

Hairtrigger · Post by **Hairtrigger** » Sat Apr 11, 2015 5:15 pm

$300 go for it
I paid more than that for one in 6PPC that was rusted bad enough you could not chamber a round

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Sat Apr 11, 2015 6:04 pm

OS...been a very long day....shot three matches today at the Gunclub and guess who showed up....the very fine shooter and national champion, Al Faust........along with the best of the best.....I did not have a snowballs chance in hell of winning anything but......we had plenty of laughs.

Anyway, on to your question as to what "tutti" means in Italian. I did ask my sweet, loving and understandable full blooded Italian wife and she told me that, "I don't know who told you that word, but whoever it is tell him I'll yank his pecker off and show him the other side of it".

Dang! I let it go at that.

------6

Post by **Old Savage** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 6:05 am

Well, Six, now I can't moderate your lovely wife there can I so.... Tutti means all or together in Italian. Appropriate for the Tuttster because he is always trying to get us all together but, I cannot take credit for that stretch as it was just a typo.

Post by **Old Savage** » Mon Apr 13, 2015 6:56 pm

Not sure of the definition?

CowboyTutt · Post by **CowboyTutt** » Mon Apr 13, 2015 7:06 pm

You guys are killing me!!!!!!!!

-Tutti the Tuttster

CowboyTutt · Post by **CowboyTutt** » Mon Apr 13, 2015 7:55 pm

Fred, regarding the comment about "real bullets" in the 375 H&H? Do these count?

I could get these up to 2500 fps in my 375 Ackley too I'm sure as they are about the same length or less than the Match King bullet:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/187502 ... -box-of-50

At a guess, 2400 fps with these:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/735495 ... -box-of-50

These look interesting but are so long I have to wonder what the velocity would be. 2300 fps maybe?

http://www.northforkbullets.com/magento ... -221.html/

Woodleigh has something similar but the page has stopped loading now, and its only available in 300 grain which might make sense given the length.

What makes the CZ 550 rifle so cool is the extra long magazine. The stock chamber length is also pretty long so converting to 375 H&H AI yielded some real ballistic improvements. Sorry to hi-jack the thread, sure we will get back to that soon.

-Tutt

Post by **Old Savage** » Tue Apr 14, 2015 4:04 am

Well now, Tutti ain't so frutti here now is he, hangin' on to this 460 snubbie

And yes, they would qualify as real bullets. But why don't you load it up and see what it will do with a .270 gr.

CowboyTutt · Post by **CowboyTutt** » Tue Apr 14, 2015 9:22 pm

Fred, I do appreciate the kind words but my heavy recoiling handgun skills have atrophied as Old Guy and the Shadow saw at our recent shoot. I did manage to do pretty good with the Raging Bull at 200 yards on rocks, but the snubbie 460 was a handful for me, and not so accurate at 200 yards. Part of the problem was the shorter sight radius of the snubbie at that range, but part of it was also my shaky hands. My Dad's father had Parkinson's and I hope I do not have the same condition but I am worried. I have spent the last two shooting events shooting rifles, the next one I plan on dedicating to shooting handguns to get my game back if I can.

Thanks though. Age and family history is catching up with me. But I'm not giving up just yet.

Regards my friend,

-Tutt

CowboyTutt · Post by **CowboyTutt** » Tue Apr 14, 2015 9:28 pm

Old Savage, the 270 bullets are no match in sectional density or penetration to the 350 grain bullets in the 375 H&H on African game much less the AI, and furthermore, the 350 grain bullets offer more in long range (maybe I should say extreme long range shooting?) than the 270 trajectory ever could. The Match King bullet you so derided is the king at extreme long range with a ballistic coefficient of 0.7 something. I wouldn't want to be at the receiving end of that bullet no matter how light it's construction may appear to be. No way! -Tutt

Post by **Old Savage** » Tue Apr 14, 2015 10:26 pm

Man, I see you need my help here. Snubbie .... Not a 200 yd gun

we were shooting it at 100. Now, Africa??? I am thinking more likely hogs in northern CA.