No. 1 questions

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magothy1

Bearcat
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Messages
2
Hello folks, I'm trying to get my No. 1 to shoot more consistently and have read a few things here and elsewhere. My rifle is chambered in .25-06, it has a 26" Douglas barrel with a 1x10 twist. It's been fitted with aftermarket walnut that's pretty nice.

The forearm is fitted rather tightly, seems to me, when I first took it off to clean inside it was a bit of an effort to re-install. I had to stand the rifle on the butt end and push down hard to get the forearm screw to engage the threads in the take down nut.

I read on here about the forearm fit being an issue. I also saw something on varmithuntinginternational.com about installing a shim between the barrel and forearm hanger. I removed the forearm to look, and now I see there's a machine screw that's mounted at the forward end of the hanger. The forward end of it contacts the barrel, or I should say contacts a piece fitted to the underside of the barrel. It runs at an angle back from that contact point into the forward end of the forearm hanger. I can't see the end, it's hidden by the front end of the metal piece holding the forward end of that spring. I'm pretty far removed from being a gun mechanic, but it looks to me as tho this screw would be adjusted to regulate tension between the hanger and barrel.

The rifle seems to shoot more consistently in cooler weather. This being southern coastal South Carolina, that's not a common weather pattern these days. The last time out I did try shooting with the front rest way back under the receiver end of the forearm. That seemed to help a bit. Next time out I'll try with the forearm removed, that seems to be an oft repeated piece of advice.

Best performance so far has been with 100 gr Sierras, over 52 gr of 4831, and 100 gr Nosler BT's, over the same charge. It's just been very inconsistent, which has been disappointing. I've tried 7828 with some ok results, but again, it's inconsistent.

I googled Hicks accurizer, this rig doesn't look like that to me, but again, I'm green as fresh grass on this sort of thing.

Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated. I've always wanted one of these rifles, I like this one, I'm hoping I can get it to shoot as good as it looks.

Thanks,
Steve
 
I fitted a 1B forearm to my 1v and with the 1v bbl being larger in at the breech end I had to do some bedding. The bedding was a little tight, tho not so tight as yours...as soon as I loosened the fit to a slip-on fit the thing began to perform. Lately with the heat here the gun just quit shooting well so off came the forearm and it had got a new grip on the bbl...a little sandpaper in the channel and back to good shooting again...I only tighten the screw enuf to keep the forend from moving...my story, hope you can get yours working well.
 
Maogthy1,

Sounds to me like you have two issues -- wood/metal contact and hanger/barrel vibrations -- to consider.

A tight fore end could mean the wood is swelling in the changing humidity in your area. If the wood is not stable -- and Ruger does not seal their stocks very well -- the contact points can vary in location and intensity thereby playing hob with the rifles POI. Free floating the wood and sealing the stock tight with verathane can help reduce that problem of shifting POIs. A dab of fiberglass bedding material on the fore end at the barrel where it joins the receiver also will help keep it uniformly positioned whenever you reinstall it. Also, seal the butt stock and make sure the long screw holding it to the receiver is tight.

With POI solidly dependable, then you can adjust the set screw from the hanger to the barrel so that the load you are using keeps the hanger and barrel harmonics in synch rather than working randomly against each other. Changing bullet weights and powders might require more adjustments of the set screw.

Good luck,
wunbe
 
I could write several pages and NOT cover it all. #1s are finicky and accuracy usually has to do with a combination of forearm pressure and barrel harmonics, along with a host of other issues but "Hunting accuracy can usually be achieved with those two.

Your forearm should be free of the forearm EXCEPT at the tip. Most #1s shoot best with a bit of up pressure at the tip. The amount of forearm tension is really individual from rifle to rifle and has a lot to do with barrel harmonics. That's pretty much an issue of bullet weight and velocity (But also other issues)

I own a bunch of #1s and have hunted with them for 30+ years/ I've also shot varmints and more recently shot holes in paper.

Some of mine have Hicks some don't. Long before the Hicks came out some of were drilling and tapping the forearm hanger and installing a set screw to exert up pressure on the bottom of the barrel. Some swear by a rubber washer inside the forearm and the hanger. Sometimes it works and a small O ring can and has helped with SOME #1s.

In the last ten years or so one of the mods that has seemed to help MOST #1s is to sand away the factory pressure pad in the tip of the forearm barrel channel and replace it with a piece of rubber from a truck inner tube. It seems to exert more consistent pressure and alows the rifle barrel to return to the same position ofter each shot more consistently.

If I were offering advice for the quickest fix would be to relieve the forearm of any pressure points from the receiver to the factory pressure pad at the tip. Then seal the channel as suggested. Then remove the forearm and shoot the rifle without it. Try several loads and after finding the one that works best install the forearm and just snug it up and try again. Then continue to increase screw tension and see if it improves or accuracy falls off. The is SOME point that your rifle likes. Record that. , either in inch pounds or simply screw turns and always repeat that with the same load. It may in fat be different from load to load.

IF what your looking for is absolutely the best accuracy possible, Those are the starting points. From there I'd try replacing the pressure pad with the rubber. Then try an O ring around the forearm screw, between the forearm and the hanger. Then the hicks. At some point if you are REALLY striving for accuracy, replace the hammer and main spring with an after market speed or comp hammer/spring. If you can adjust the trigger great if not consider an aftermarket trigger...........................................it never ends.

But all but one of my #1s in hunting cartridges from 243 up to 338 Win Mag and most factory rounds and many wildcats have been able to get to MOA. Varmint rifles, both "V" and "B" from 17 Rem up to 22-6mmAI and every factory round between along with many wildcats have eventually yeilds sub MOA groups.

The really serious one with cartridge know to be accurate, 22BR, 22PPC etc have yeild groups in the mid .3s to the mid .4s. Thos are 5 shot groups from the bench. The smallest 5 shot group I've ever shot with a #1 was with a semi custom (Shilen barrel) 257 Roberts in "V" configuration, .315.

There are pages of tuning tips in the files section over on the #1 Group on Yahoo. It might be worth a read. Most #1s shoot best with some forearm TIP pressure and few shoot best with a completely free floated barrel.

Good luck and enjoy the process

Ross

A good #1 with attention to detail will out shoot many/most bolt guns. The BEST #1 won't out shoot the BEST bolt guns. It's the nature of the beast
 
Thanks very much to all for your time. I had hoped to shoot tomorrow but work interferes. Gads, I hate that. I'll keep trying, starting with shooting without the forearm.
Again, thanks.
Steve
 
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