Revised July 1/05
An accuracy upgrade and repair for used Ruger #1 in 25-06.
The scope is a Sightron SII 3-9x42 in Ruger Mounts.
For sometime I had been contemplating of owning a Ruger#1. My first idea was to have a 257 Weatherby magnum. But I since have stepped down to a much more pleasant 25 Hunter. Last spring I found a used Ruger#1 in 25-06. This caliber uses more powder than I like for my use. Since the rifle weighs 9-1/4 lbs it not all that unpleasant to shoot. Eventually I may install a new barrel chambered with a modified 25Hunter design using a full-sized 243 case? This cartridge will do as well as a 25-06 with 10gr less powder.
The rifle was much-mistreated, particular the forearm, and needed a lot of repairs. Someone had tried to re-inlet the forearm to the receiver and made a big mess of it. I used brown colored Brownell Steel bed to get a proper fit again. After researching and reading all about how to improve the accuracy, since the rifle shot very poorly, I set out to install an adjustable barrel tuner.
The tuner is an 8-32 screw drilled and tapped in the forearm hanger, at the front where the forearm attachment screw enters into the hanger. I found there was a hole already drilled but too large for an 8-32 tap. Not only that but the hole infringed on the angled forearm screw. Welding the hole shut was not an option, because of the forearm screw. So I made two small hardwood blocks 1/2x1/2" fitted to the barrel radius and flat against the hanger and 0.030 or 0.060" bigger than the existing space between the hanger and the barrel. This puts the hanger in tension and puts pressure on the barrel.
Wood block under hanger and initial temporary bedding of hanger and forearm bedding to the action.
The only difference between the wood block and the screw tuner is that the screw is adjustable for various tensions. I tried both these blocks and found the 0.030" block produced better accuracy. Since the lower hanger also moves the forearm down I removed the existing glass bedding under the hanger and replaced it with pieces of cardboard until the forearm was level again with the screw tight, since it had previously been free floated. I found a right size spacer to put under the fore-end with some uplift pressure. This set up produced 3-shot 3/4" groups with 100gr Hornady bullets and H1000 powder at 100m, very good indeed.
Counting the number of turns on the forearm screw when taking it a part. Leaving the forearm tip spacer in place and removing the spacers under the hanger, I proceeded to bed the hanger with Steel Bed and tightening the forearm with the counted turns minus a ½ turn and let things set up for a three days. Then you can tighten the forearm screw tight with a bit of blue lock-tight on the thread.
During the next range session I played with the forearm tip spacer and increased the pressure some more and shrank the groups to 5/8. This is how I left it. The big surprise came when I tried the new 100gr Barnes-x Triple Shock bullets. I had these bullets Moly plated, with a stiff load of Reloader 22, the three shots group went into less than 1/4" as close as I can measure. Two other groups were just a tad bigger at 1/4 and 5/16".
These bullets are claimed by Barnes to have less friction, less fouling, higher velocities and better accuracy. I can vouch for this claim and the velocity is 3440 ft/sec with my load and no signs of high pressure. The inside of the barrel does not look like it can produce such accuracy. There is a bit of throat wear but not too serious and only at the start of the throat. Also the bore was very neglected with fouling and carbon when I first got the rifle.
The use of Moly plated bullets will also help to reduce copper fouling and prolong barrel life.
The OAL with the Barnes-x Triple shock bullets is 3.221" and loaded into the lands 0.015". I had the barrel broken in with Moly bullets. But did some comparison testing with factory loads and really had to do clean the barrel, because of the bare bullets. It is not a good idea to shoot bare bullets in a Moly treated barrel, there is no harm, but a total down to bare metal barrel cleaning should follow with a Moly/Oil paste rub treatment after.
With this treatment only one fouling shot will restore the point of impact as before when using Moly bullets.
I found one more very bad item; the previous owner had removed all the wood under the forearm screw escutcheon and replaced it with some very poor epoxy type material. I was wondering why the screw always came loose after a few shots. The screw escutcheon would act like a wedge and actually opened up a small crack on the forearm. I removed all the deleterious material and rebedded the escutcheon with bulb of Steel bed with some more wood removed to form a lock under the escutcheon. This turned out a very tricky job and had to be done in several stages.
The crack was addressed with a full length strip of S-glass cloth fabric bedded in the bottom of the forearm groove with "51 Cure" epoxy, this should stop the stock from further cracking and stabilize the forearm. The forearm was subsequently hollowed out forward of the stock bolt to a thickness of a 1/4" to within an inch of the end. The hole was the filled with layers of fiberglass mat to the near underside of the barrel. This prevents warping of the wood in front of the forearm screw. Then the forearm was fully bedded with .006" clearance, with pressure on the tip without clearance of the last ½". The pressure on the tip is by trial and about 10-15lbs.
I have done this forearm treatment on another wood stock and the impact of this rifle has not changed due to wood movement or warping in three years. Since the Ruger #1 forearm is not the same as a bolt gun forearm I have to wait and see of its effectiveness.
When cleaning the barrel I try to remove the carbon and copper fouling only but leave the Moly in place. If no copper fouling is present then the cleaning is easy. With copper present I use Butches bore shine or Shooters Choice with Kroil and a good bronze brush wrapped with a cotton patch. For the Ruger #1 is most important to use a bore guide, so no fluids and debris run into the action and keeps the chamber clean from solvents and oil. This of course goes for any other action.
The bore guide was made with fired 25-06 case with the bottom cut off. Then the center section of a 300 Wby case soldered to the bottom of the 25-06 case. This guide can be tapped into the chamber for a tide fit. A 1/4" hole in the end makes for easy removal with a suitable pin.
The reader will notice that a Ruger #1 takes somewhat more care and attention to details to make them shoot.
For a long time I had refrained from the Ruger# 1 because of unfavorable comments about inaccuracy. But I have since dispelled that notion.
There was also the question of the front trigger adjustment screw that nobody could tell me
about, which I thought was lost but after another close look I found it to be there, but quite far
down.
This screw adjusts the trigger over travel. I turned it all the way in until the trigger didn't move
anymore. While pulling on the trigger with the trigger scale I turned the screw out until the
trigger broke plus another 1/4 turn. In this position the trigger is now without back lash.
By the way my Jewell triggers adjust the same way, they come with a complete manual how to
adjust them. You don't have to frig around trying to figure out how to adjust them
The rear screw adjusts the pull weight from 33 to 40 oz with a ½ turn. A ½ turn back and we
are at 33 oz again.
Which was the pull weight when I got the rifle, and that is a good weight. I prefer a 24oz weight but that can wait for a while. . According to Ruger's serial numbers data the rifle left the factory 1976. This rifle is in very good shape being 28 years old. I think it is a keeper. Could not find out when the adjustable trigger was discontinued and replaced with a single screw by Ruger?
I had since a "MOULDS Speed Lock Hammer and spring installed by Bill Leeper, This made a big difference in the way the trigger works. At the same time he adjusted the sear engagement to 28oz. The heavy hammer spring is quite hard to install and the safety notch in the hammer needed to be honed for the safety to completely engage. This Moulds speed lock hammer is available from Brownell.
The Sightron SII 3-9x42 could not be brought back far enough for instant clear view with the medium or high Ruger rings. I elected to install Burris, Ruger to Weaver conversion and used Burris medium Z-rings, which located the scope in a more comfortable position, but still not far enough back and much too high. The scope is now 1.960" above the bore, not as neat as the lower position but that can't be helped at present. I had to install a foam comb to get my face to the stock.
By removing the 1/4 rib and installing scope blocks directly to the barrel the scope could be lowered by a ½".
There are a few things I would like better, but at present I can't complain too much about a 1/4" shooter.
Part Two.>
Now with all my deer and Antelope tags filled with the Ruger#1 I removed the scope, rings, the Burris conversion and the Ruger 1/4 rib and installed two Weaver bases. The rear base is a #57, which is 2-3/8 long the two holes almost match the rear hole spacing of the Ruger 1/4 rib. The rear hole needed a bit elongation. The two holes in the base were redrilled to suit the larger 8x40 Ruger screws and the counter sink. The recoil stud was left in place and a hole drilled into the new base to take the stud. You want to make sure you start with the reticle in the optical center of the scope before starting.
The new base overlaps the action to a perfect position so the scope ring sits on the action. The part of the new base that sits on the action needs the bottom ground down so the base sits level on the barrel. Wash the contact areas with acetone. The base is then bedded with Steel Bed for solid contact and the screws tightened down. The stud and screws are treated with release agent if ever the need arises to remove the bases.
The rear ring is now installed with the scope and tightened solid. The front ring is located for the best location and measurements taken for the front base. Remove the clamp screw form the ring so you can slide the front base #45 in place and see how much metal you have to remove to fit the #45 base to the barrel. This work has to be done with a collimator and a predetermined zero so the base is fitted in perfect alignment.
Once the base is fitted reinstall the clamp screw and clamp the base to the ring. Make sure now the scope is aligned to zero elevation and windage. Mark the front base location with two strips of masking tape on the barrel.
Remove the scope with the rings by loosening the rear clamp screw. Wash the barrel and the front base and apply J-B epoxy Weld and install the scope, pushing the rings against the forward edge of the cross slot. The front base should also touch the front edge of the cross slot in the base. Now tap the base in place and set the scope to zero and hold things in place with electric tape until the J-B Weld sets up.
Next you drill and tap the two 6x48 base screws. Take some careful measurements so you wont drill into the bore.
I used a drill press for this job for both drilling and tapping. The low Weaver rings will accommodate an objective bell of 2" with a few thou space between the scope objective bell and barrel.
By using the Weaver bases and rings I reduced the weight by 10 oz and put the scope in the best possible position and eliminated the temporary raised comb. I also reduced the L.O.P to 13" for a more dynamic gun mount. I now can say the rifle fits me pretty good.
The Sightron 3-9x42 was replaced with the Bushnell 3200 3-9x4 for a better more liberal less critical eye relief for this rifle. I had this scope on my 25 Hunter and I really like it. I now have to switch more scopes around. I was also thinking of cutting the barrel off at 24" or have it fluted for a bit less weight but I changed my mind about that?
Fred the Reloader and Wildcatter
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