Thread: Ruger #1 303s of NZ

Greetings All,
I have always lusted after a Ruger No 1 but my near terminal procrastination coupled with the natural frugality of my ancestral land have resulted in no such rifle residing in my rifle cupboard. There is however a Martini in .30-40 Krag that shoots a great deal better than at least some of the No 1 rifles. Accuracy with the No 1 .303 rifles seems variable. I believe that the earlier barrels followed the English bore and groove dimensions but not the wide robust English lands (needed to resist the erosive cordite powder). Some later rifles seem to have shot really well. John Barsness, in an article in Handloader tested one that was a real tack driver. Added to this is the rather variable accuracy of especially the earlier No 1 rifles. It seems that what you get in a Ruger No 1 is a bit of a lottery. Perhaps that is part of the allure.
Regards Grandpamac.
PS. There was an earlier thread on this subject that may be worth looking at.