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Double Rifles, Single Shots & Combinations >> Single Shots & Combination Guns
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Hauptjäger
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Reged: 03/01/04
Posts: 94
Loc: Hilo, Hawaii
Questions about the Ruger #1 for Alaska
      #16662 - 13/07/04 04:29 PM

I have been recently been turned on to the idea of a Ruger #1 in a 375 or bigger as a “good gun for Alaska” for moose and bear. I have been looking around and all of the 375’s I’ve seen are between $150 to $200 Dollars more than say the 416, Rem or Rigby, or even the 458 Win. I also see from the threads that some folks have rebarreled the #1 into 450#2 and other “classic British” rounds. Three Questions:
1. What might account for the price difference?
2. What would be the “best” cartridge for Alaska? (I have a hunt setup for next fall)
3. How fast can you get a second shot off accurately? (How much slower is the #1 compared to a Bolt Action?)

Thanks to all for the input.


--------------------
To a point you can never have too much horsepower!

Hauptjager

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DPhillips
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Reged: 09/10/03
Posts: 819
Loc: Alaska
Re: Questions about the Ruger #1 for Alaska [Re: Hauptjäger]
      #16692 - 14/07/04 07:02 AM

I have no idea why the 375 would be more.

You say you have a hunt scheduled here in Alaska for next year, what are you going to be hunting? (oops I see above you mentioned bear).

I've been using a No.1 in 338 for a long time now, for about 20 years. I've used it for sheep, moose, caribou, bear, and deer. I think it depends on where you are going and what you are going for, to decide on the chambering. If you are just going after brown bear in the thick stuff, a 416 or 458 would be the ticket. If you are doing moose and caribou, a 300 or 338 would fit the bill nicely. If it's sheep and bear in the high country, the 300 or 338 would be fine there also.

I wouldn't recommend a single shot rifle for the one rifle hunter in Alaska. For everything but the big bears in the really thick stuff, yes, it'll work fine. But, it's just not a comfortable feeling to go into zero-visibility brush after a wounded bear with a singleshot rifle.

The 375 would work, as would the 338.

It just depends on what you are hunting and where you will be hunting it.

I have never felt handicapped with my No.1's. But then again, I've never shelled out big bucks for a hunt either. The No.1 can be shot, reloaded and shot again surprisingly fast, with practice. I would still give the edge to a bolt action rifle, but for a second, well-aimed shot, it would be close.

The No.1 is a great rifle, I really enjoy mine, but I would want a repeater for tangling with a ticked off bear in the thick stuff.

Edited by DPhillips (14/07/04 02:02 PM)

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Hauptjäger
.275 member


Reged: 03/01/04
Posts: 94
Loc: Hilo, Hawaii
Re: Questions about the Ruger #1 for Alaska [Re: DPhillips]
      #16708 - 14/07/04 02:50 PM

Thanks for your insight. This year’s trip is planed for Prince of Wales Island. We will be looking for Dear and or black bear. Next years trip may be to the interior for caribou and I don’t know what else. (The plans are too far off) Last year one of my brothers-in-law took a very large black bear around 400 pounds (I was not there) and this spring my other brother-in-law shot a bigger bear, knocking the bear down twice with a 30-06 with 180 gr. Nosler partitions and still lost the critter! (Not enough gun! IMHP he’s a very good shot) I understand that the alders and willows are thick on POW island and that may be a consideration. How easy/pricy is it to rebarrel a #1? Any further thoughts?

--------------------
To a point you can never have too much horsepower!

Hauptjager

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Hauptjäger
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Reged: 03/01/04
Posts: 94
Loc: Hilo, Hawaii
Re: Questions about the Ruger #1 for Alaska [Re: DPhillips]
      #16709 - 14/07/04 02:57 PM

I was looking at that “the gun writers” Woods and Boddington say that they have used the Ruger #1 on dangerous game and they both say that they would never do it again… Bear especially big brownies do fall into that category; however I’m fairly sure that I will not be going to Africa any time soon so their advice doesn’t seem to fit. People used the Faquharson rifle for years in Africa till is was surpassed by the modern bolt actions. I lived in Fairbanks for years and only bird hunted; I never felt “undergunned” as long as I had a couple of good slugs for my OU shotgun. Is there an easy answer?

--------------------
To a point you can never have too much horsepower!

Hauptjager

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DPhillips
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Reged: 09/10/03
Posts: 819
Loc: Alaska
Re: Questions about the Ruger #1 for Alaska [Re: Hauptjäger]
      #16710 - 14/07/04 03:24 PM

Alaska really is, ideally, at least a two rifle state. One gun can handle deer, goat, sheep, caribou, black bear, and even moose and mountain grizzly with relative ease. Throw in the big bruins in the thick alder jungles, it gets pretty tough for one rifle to be all things at once.

The sheep and goat rifles tend to be lightweight long range instruments. Because they are usually lightweight, there's a limit to the amount of recoil the shooter wants to handle. My sheep rifles have never been that specialized, but have been capable of long shots. 338, 300's, etc... You can do very well with a 30-06 or 270 class gun for these animals also. With any of these cartridges, caribou, moose, and black can be handled fairly well. Stay to the 30 cal or larger and they'll handle mountain grizzly pretty good.

The 375's and up are great for the coastal bruins, but I find their size and weight to be a hinderance in the sheep or goat mountains. The No.1 would negate that, but I just don't think the No.1 is a good "fighting" rifle for big bears. Things happen fast at close range in the alder thickets when things go wrong. That first shot is all important, but it is reassuring to have another right behind it without lowering the muzzle of the rifle or reaching for another cartridge.

Believe me, I hate to say anything bad about the Ruger No.1, they are a grand rifle and I've owned several. My No.1 S in 338 has been on more trips here than any rifle I've ever owned, probably more than all the rest combined. My No.1 RSI in 7x57 is the sweetest, most graceful rifle in my collection. Both shoot great and handle like I was born with them in my hands.

If you picked up a No.1 in your favorite flat shooting chambering, say 270 or up, and had a good bolt gun in 375, 416, 458, or more for the big bears, you'd be set.

I understand the attraction of one gun for all, but at best it's a damnable compromise. You give up too much at one end of the spectrum to satisfy the other end. There are those that come really close, the various 338's and 8mm Mags in a good bolt gun, but still not as good as a two gun battery.

For POW Island, I think you could probably get by with a one gun rig, but when you branch out to the other parts of the state and other game, it becomes quite a headache.

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Hauptjäger
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Reged: 03/01/04
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Loc: Hilo, Hawaii
Re: Questions about the Ruger #1 for Alaska [Re: DPhillips]
      #16833 - 17/07/04 11:43 AM

I have a very nice custom 7mm-08 that I dearly love. I a personally think the 7-08 would be plenty for POW. However I’m thinking that this is a great opportunity to get a big bore. Not that I need it for POW, but that I’m sure that I will “need” it on later trips. Now the question remains is the Ruger #1 a suitable platform for a DGR. I hear and read a lot about second shot follow up, verses the “romance” of shouting a single shot. Where doses one draw the line?

--------------------
To a point you can never have too much horsepower!

Hauptjager

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DPhillips
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Reged: 09/10/03
Posts: 819
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Re: Questions about the Ruger #1 for Alaska [Re: Hauptjäger]
      #16852 - 18/07/04 06:01 AM

My take on the No.1 as a DGR in Alaska is: It depends.

If you are going to hunt the coastal bruins in the thick stuff, no. I wouldn't consider it a good idea.

If you are talking about hunting the interior or northern reaches where you can see for a ways, I would not hesitate to take it.

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Hauptjäger
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Reged: 03/01/04
Posts: 94
Loc: Hilo, Hawaii
Re: Questions about the Ruger #1 for Alaska [Re: DPhillips]
      #16970 - 21/07/04 05:10 PM

Today I heard an interesting “point” about why the #1 is not a good choice for Alaska from a gun shop owner here in Dallas and I thought I would share it with everyone.

“In very cold conditions like those in Alaska, the fireing pin can jam (I assume by freezing) and thus cause a miss fire.” He then followed by saying the same would be true for someone hunting in a very dusty area as well. These problems will also effect the ejector as well. Thus I should buy a CRF bolt rifle and “know” that nothing can go wrong.”

I did not really buy the arguments but thought I should see if there is any truth to the story.


--------------------
To a point you can never have too much horsepower!

Hauptjager

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DPhillips
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Posts: 819
Loc: Alaska
Re: Questions about the Ruger #1 for Alaska [Re: Hauptjäger]
      #17007 - 22/07/04 04:47 AM

I don't think the No.1 would be any more susceptible to freezing than a bolt action, maybe less.

The number has an internal hammer that strikes the firing pin, it's not striker fired like a Dakota No.10. The hammer is held under some pretty heavy tension before release. I would think that this type of setup is less likely to freeze up than the typical bolt action.

I may be in left field on this, but I don't think the person that told you this knows what he is telling you. Even though I live and hunt here in Alaska, I have to admit, I haven't used my No.1's when it's been colder than about -40*F.

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mickey
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Reged: 05/01/03
Posts: 4647
Loc: Pend Oreille Valley, Idaho
Re: Questions about the Ruger #1 for Alaska [Re: DPhillips]
      #17157 - 25/07/04 11:51 AM

I think that the reason for the cheapness (relatively) of the 416 and 458 #1s is the market. A few people buy them because they think this is a DG rifle and it isn't. It is just a bad recoiling Big Bore. They try and sell them and the market determines the price based on level of interest, which is low.

As to how fast you can reload it, maybe twice to three times longer than a Bolt. That is if you don't drop the cartridge in your haste and are not wearing gloves that need to come off first.

You are right in commenting on the popularity of the single shot in the 1800's, before bolts rifles came on the scene, but they are all about nostalgia in the Big Bores now and are not a good choice for shooting things that bite and scratch in wet and or cold Alaska.

--------------------
Lovu Zdar
Mick

A Man of Pleasure, Enterprise, Wit and Spirit Rare Books, Big Game Hunting, English Rifles, Fishing, Explosives, Chauvinism, Insensitivity, Public Drunkenness and Sloth, Champion of Lost and Unpopular Causes.

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Hauptjäger
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Reged: 03/01/04
Posts: 94
Loc: Hilo, Hawaii
Re: Questions about the Ruger #1 for Alaska [Re: mickey]
      #17187 - 26/07/04 03:56 AM

Mick
I have spent about a little over a month looking in the #1 and I finally came to the point where it was going to come down to the fit of the gun. And with no hesitation the Ruger lost out to the CZ 550 safari in 375. I placed an order for my new DGR about 20 minuets after I got home from the gun show. The ruger I looked at was a #1 Tropical in 375 (not the 416) I was interested in, however the stock was about 1.5 inches too short for me. I felt that I was hunched up (not a good thing fin a big bore) the CZ on the other hand, fit (like a good woman ) like no other rifle I have short of my custom 7mm-08. I can not wait to get mine in.


--------------------
To a point you can never have too much horsepower!

Hauptjager

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atkinson6
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Reged: 26/01/04
Posts: 678
Loc: Idaho
Re: Questions about the Ruger #1 for Alaska [Re: Hauptjäger]
      #19305 - 19/09/04 09:33 AM

I have not noticed a price difference in those calibers in this area, they all bring about the same, but I would suggest the .375 being more of an all around caliber it would bring a premium in some areas....

I love the Ruger No. 1s and I have one in a 416 Rem. but I don't recommend them for dangerous game, one can really fumble with one in a hurry..I recall cutting an 06 case in half one time while closing the action and that was when I needed a loaded gun!

That said, and out of the way, I would hunt anything with a Ruger NO. 1 in .416 Rem persuasion and probably will...Using a single shot for dangerous game is just not smart, but I have never been accused of that....

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