A friend of mine gave me a sporterized no 5. The barrel looked liked a sewer pipe. I went to work with Butches Bore Shine for several days. I wore out 3 or 4 bore brushes. I took it to the range and it was grouping much better so I made some hand loads and it tightened up more. I mounted an old Weaver k3 and loaded some 180 core locts. After several months of shooting she finally settled down and much to my amazement I shot 3 rounds off the bench into less than 3/4" at 100 yds. I had two friends as witnesses and we still talk about that old rifle.

The important thing with “barrel break ins” is to remove any msnufacture grease or chips. Not necessary breaking it in or lapping

Break-in in my imagination is like caulking. The barrel defects are filled with copper smoothing the bore. I think you are correct. Some rifles benefit more than others. Very nice rifle. I love #1s; the most beautiful rifle.

I think lapping or polishing a bore makes sense. Especially if your bore is a bit rough from the start.

Thanks Tom, I always learn something new watching you!

Thanks Tom!! Appreciate the steps taken for the break in.

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

8 ай бұрын

You bet!

I love watching your videos and I really love your choice of rifles to review.

I always learn something from your videos Tom, you have a very unique approach to your teaching and your philosophies of shooting, maintenance, loading, and hunting. I thoroughly enjoy your content and look forward to all of your presentations. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Cheers, from Texas! -Steve-

Always enjoy your talks and learning from your videos. Especially anything to do with 303 British. I absolutely love that cartridge. I have taken moose, caribou, mule and white tail with it. It’s been hard to find good ammo for it sometimes not being a reloaded. But I always had good luck with the federal blue box 180 grain.

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

8 ай бұрын

Martin I've been told Federal uses Speer Hotcore bullets with their blue box ammo and those have a reputation for shooting well in 303's so that might explain why you've had good luck with them.

What a sweet little rifle!

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

7 ай бұрын

Thanks!

Hay Tom, great video on the Ruger no.1 in .303, the good old .303 was very popular in Ireland at the end of the 19th and first half of the 20th century, in fact it was used in our war of independence in 1916 and subsequently used by our own military right up until the 80s in the lee enfield and Bren light machine gun. Most retired and older irish soldiers hold a special place in there heart for the old .303. Always thought it would make a great hunting cartridge very similar to the .308 from what ive heard..

Excellent content..

Good to see a video on a walnut and blued rifle.

Beautiful rifle. I just got a No1A in 280 Rem. Mounting a Meopta 6X scope on it. Can't wait to put it to work. Thanks, Tom!

What a nice rifle and to have it in .303 British puts the icing on the cake. I too am a huge .303 fan having used them for hunting for many years be it moose, deer and yotes. Looking forward to seeing this rifle in future video's . I have always used factory 180 gr and my two .303's shoot very well be it Winchester, Remington and Cabela's Herter's ammo. I have a box of Federal 180 gr just never tried them yet.

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

8 ай бұрын

I've been told that Federal uses Speer Hotcore bullets for their blue box ammo and Speers have a really good reputation for shooting well in 303's so that might be why this rifle is liking them so well? But I've had good results with the rest and I used to love the 180gr Remington Corelocks but those are tough to find these days.

Even if the manufacturer says no break in is needed. And it's something you have always done. Then do it! As my grandfather always said. You can't put a price on a piece of mind.

@luvtahandload7692

8 ай бұрын

You mean "peace of mind"? I hear ya. Grandfathers are smart people.

Tom once again has a great video. I have a 303 British Enfield I bought in 1980 in Maine . It's a nice Sporter . I was surprised that Ruger made a # 1 in 303. I'm planning to hunt with my 303 next week.

I always check the scope screws, after the first couple shots on a new setup. Sometimes they could be a little loose.

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

8 ай бұрын

Bill, I didn't check the screws after the first few shots but I did check everything well when I mounted the scope and I'm glad I did because the screws were loose from the factory on that rib on the barrel that serves as the base for the rings.

Nice rifle man

Hello. Once again I will say that the 303 is a very underrated caliber, and still very potent. I strongly believe that many of these older calibers should be revisited and researched for more terminal yield. 303, 6.5x55, 8mm Mauser, 30-30, etc. all have the potential of being much better than their present state. Very nice rifle and another great video.

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

8 ай бұрын

Thanks reloadnorth, and it's funny you say that because one of the things I want to try with this rifle is to see if I can bump up the pressure on the old 303 British? This being a modern rifle with a strong action I'm thinking the 303 should easily be able to get close to a 308 WIn if not exceed it?

@reloadnorth7722

8 ай бұрын

@@TomRiverSimpleLiving Yes, agreed. I am a CDN infantry veteran, 60, and a proud owner of a 1942 Longbranch 303, made in the Longbranch Armories in Mississauga Ontario. I is in amazing condition and still shoots great. You now have a new subscriber. Stay safe and vigilant.

@michaelwilson9986

8 ай бұрын

Well another gooden Sir..

@anthonykaiser974

8 ай бұрын

"8mm Mauser" has the unfortunate double whammy of having been modernized and not given a different dimensional identity, as well as existence of older and weaker firearms, thus SAAMI spec ammo will always be extra weak to prevent a use of wrong ammo in pre-G98 rifles going kaboom.

The condition of a barrel changes some with each shot. I think having a clean but fouled bore is important for consistency. Whatever you do, keep it consistent.

Nice video, nice rifle. I have the No. 1 in 7mm mag , very same results.

As you know, light rifles are not designed for ultimate accuracy, they're designed for taking to the fields and woods where more weight really isn't welcomed. All things considered, I'd say that beautiful rifle is ready for hunting.

Well, now I wish I'd have bought the one I saw to buy the year they were made. I'd have been happy with the results you got. Good enough for still hunting. Nice rifle!

I think you're right about beak in . And who knows about factory ammo most of it is pretty good most of the time now days but nothing is going to be perfect. I hope that you have a great rifle there and it is a great shutter when you get to finding out what it likes. A #1 can be picky sometimes or that is my experience with them. God bless and have a great week and good luck on the house to.

the bearing on the front bag changes shot to shot; try resting the frame as your front rest and reshoot. ss are very sensitive to upward pressure. Also shooting with a sling will change the point of impact. good to see a 303 ss

Your video confirmed what I've read and experienced myself when breaking in a new barrel. That is, the first shot through a clean, cold bore that has seen a break-in process will be true and accurate without the need to foul it.

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

8 ай бұрын

David, interesting observation!

@davidlaney8254

8 ай бұрын

Discussions on rifle accuracy always focus on shot groups, with the belief that cold, clean bore shots produce shots that are high at best, or flyers at worst. Your video showed that isn't necessarily the case for a barrel that has gone through a break-in process. Many even go further and recommend shooting a rifle until the accuracy drops off. For a hunting rifle where cold barrel, first shot accuracy is paramount, does that mean I shoot and never clean the barrel until I miss? I have always broken in factory barrels and always clean them after each use. And their clean, cold bore accuracy has never disappointed me. @@TomRiverSimpleLiving

Hi Tom, this was the first videos of yours that I have watched, one of our Canadian gun forums had a link posted which led me your way. Firstly I would like to say thanks and very well done. I bought an identical rifle brand new from a local dealer a number of years back and am now getting a chance to play with it. Initially I sighted it in with Federal blue box but in the 150 grain bullet and not the 180's you experimented with. My results were a consistent 1 1/2 5 shot groups at 100 yards. my hand loads with Sierra and Hornady 150"s using IMR 4064 improved that grouping slightly to about 1 1/4 inch 5 shot groups. I have a 1970's steel tube Weaver in 6 power for a scope. Thanks again for your video and I look forward toy watching more of your presentations. Cheer's David.

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

7 ай бұрын

And thank you David for sharing your insights. The first powder I'm planning on trying is 4064. Now I've just got to find time to get to the range!

@davidhenry5112

7 ай бұрын

Tom If I may just add one observation, and I mean this most constructively. Many young shooters north of the 49th start with the Lee Enfield service rifle, which is a sturdy rifle but may be as much as 100 years old. The issue that concerns me is naturally, headspace and war time tolerances. Without being a blowhole about safety and range procedures, I think it prudent that our younger viewers observe every precaution available to them when they get the opportunity to practice at the range. Safety glasses, safety glasses, safety glasses. I don't mean to detract from your great video but this is a collective chance as elders to show how important these simple steps can be. Acknowledged the Ruger #1 ain't gonna pass gas like the old Enfield's but let's show the next generation how not to loose an eye. Cheers, David.

This is interesting, maybe 35 years ago I had a No1 tropical rebarreled to .303 British. I used a Shillen barrel and did it in the heavier tropical exterior taper. I loved the rifle, my goal was to create a rifle reminiscent of the old British single shot rifles. I've always liked the .303 round and the gun was very accurate. I did the barrel pressure modification under the frond and glass bedded the stock to the action.

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

8 ай бұрын

Flether, what you said about it being reminiscent of the old British single shots is big part of the appeal of the rifle for me.

Keep it up and your No. 4 Mk. I will get jealous.

It all has to do with trigger control and the fact that the bullet takes time to lay down a fine layer of copper. Every time you clean you’re starting from scratch. The bullet does not contact the inside of the barrel as it’s travelling in a consistent way until the layer of copper is somewhat consistent.

Boy what a beautiful rifle. Nothing quite like a fine single shot rifle.

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

8 ай бұрын

Thanks Txhuntsman! And I agree about the single shots.

Great video, Mr. Tom. Beautiful gun. I didn't know ruger made those in a 303

@johnnyholland8765

8 ай бұрын

Ruger made those rifles in several "odd" calibers. Those are the ones that bring the most money.

In my experience, a barrel break-in can and will make a difference many times. Not always, but it's worth doing

@tomskimcdouglegaming806

8 ай бұрын

Yeah, tell us what difference it has made?

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

8 ай бұрын

It seems to have made a difference on the one in this link? kzread.info/dash/bejne/poOWmLiAnM3QhdI.html

@wesleywhitworth2424

8 ай бұрын

I've certainly seen it tighten up the grouping of a few rifles , and it will smooth out many imperfections in the barrel. I don't enjoy it, and it's no magic pill to instant success, but it has worked for me more than a few times.

GREAT!!!

Having hunted,reloaded and collecting guns for 60+ years that some rifles will shoot better after breaking in and some won’t and this applies to factor or custom built rifles! But what can it hurt to do the break in and let the gun decide if it’s going to shoot better and the worst you have spent an afternoon at the range and got to shoot and know your gun a little better!

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

8 ай бұрын

My thoughts exactly Edward!

I find it a strange choice of calibre for the 1a, but 303 worked for 2 world wars, and i have shot a pie plate at 300 yards open sights with an 1895 winchester in 303, the 303 rocks on.

I'd imagine that's a damn nice shooting rifle with a coupler flyers. Some super short load development with some good, fast burning single base extruded powder like AA 2495, 4064 maybe or 4895 might be the money in no time at all!

I went through a similar process with a #1 in 7mm Mauser years ago. I still have that rifle, it's my favorite rifle even though it's not exactly a tack driver. They are quirky. One known issue is forearm pressure changing with each shot and as the barrel warms and through shock on the metal to metal attachments of the forearm. The barrel does not lie in the channel like other rifles (with consistent pressure or free-floated), instead it's mechanically attached both to the barrel and the receiver. It's metal to metal (in two separate places) instead of wood to metal. With each shot the slight change in those attachments can change the barrel harmonics and create flyers. You can check that issue by lying a business card or matchbook cover in the forward channel as a cushion so the shock is largely taken off the metal to metal attachment. You should see a dramatic improvement. I had my #1 smithed to put a permanent screw in the forward channel that can be tightened and loosened until the harmonics gave me reasonable accuracy. I've since learned that it's cheaper and easier to just bed the barrel with epoxy resin all the way down the channel. You can do that yourself with a kit from Brownells. You do not want to free-float the barrel like a standard rifle because of those metal to metal attachments, you want consistent upward pressure all along the forearm to cushion the barrel when firing and take most of the shock off those metal to metal attachments. You probably still won't get sub-moa groups with a #1, but you'll remove the flyers and get consistent groups.

@revcdp

8 ай бұрын

I think your problem is your sight picture. You’ve that thing zeroed well…the variable is your sight picture.

I bought a used Ruger 1A in 7X57 about 35 years ago. It shot 1 MOA or under. Great hunting rifle. It's as accurate today as it was when i bought it. I know your a fan of the 7X57. I am also. Good luck.

@hondoh5720

2 ай бұрын

I envy you. I’ve had 2 7x57 reloading from 160 grain down and rarely produced a decent group. My bolt 7x57 shot everything pretty well. No1 is in my opinion the best looking rifle. My 416 Rigby shoots very nicely. Haha! So practical

@GoetzFamilyAsia

Ай бұрын

@@hondoh5720 I went hunting in the Czech Republic in the 90s with a Ruger No. 1 with Mannlicher stock and 20" barrel and caliber 7x57mm. I shot a roe buck there at 180 m. 7x57 is a good hunting cartridge. I also had a pre-war Mauser in 7x57 (1937) and an FN Mauser in 9.3x62 caliber. Sako are good weapons too. Back then, I had a Sako 375 H&H converted to the 404 Jeffery caliber by a Nuremberg gunsmith. I had a Ruger #1 in .416 Rigby too. I am a German from Franconia and now live in Thailand.

@hondoh5720

Ай бұрын

@@GoetzFamilyAsia Love the old calibers. Have the 7x57 and 9.3x62 which covers pretty much all hunting except DG (and even that for the brave). I have used 9.3 and .308 with a 2-barrel Merkel KR1 in Africa. We would enjoy talking hunting.

I have one of the Uberti Courteney Stalking rifles in 303 and after trying 7 different loads it shoots cloverleaf groups at a 100 with the Federal 180 grain. Not as fast but more enjoyable shooting than my old Enfield rifles.

Your change in position could have changed your perspective in relation to the crosshairs, unless you adjusted for parallax, and that could account for the difference in your aim - they weren't necessarily misses, they could have just been where you were aiming, because your aim point was not centered through the crosshairs, because you weren't positioned properly. Maybe I'm mistaken - but it would be interesting to know for sure - since you were the one who described how you were accurate when you were behind the rifle in proper position - our view down the tube of the scope changes, depending on how we lean and/or tilt our head, and where everything is positioned. My scope doesn't have a parallax adjustment, so I have to keep that discipline in mind.

I believe once you shoot the rifle more that, it and you will become better shooting partners. I never had a rifle that shot perfect the first time out. Truthfully, I believe the first time out you had with your new rifle was a success to be happy with.👍🙂

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

8 ай бұрын

Gizmo, I really am thrilled with it. I wasn't expecting it to shoot this well first time out either. I was just getting a little worried with the fliers for a minute there! LOL

Ruger #1 rifles can have weird harmonics. The shank on the barrel is short and even though this has the lighter barrel, there's not much support. The forend should have a pressure point from the factory, so screw tension can be important. There's also a device called the Hick's Acccurizer (I guess it's still available) that can be installed on the barrel to help tune. Of course, trying different loads will help as well. I used to have one in 7x57 that was a 3/4" gun with Remington 140gr Core-lokt as if came from the factory. I never tried anything else, that was good enough for me. Also, .303 isn't the common .308 bore size, and there have been instances of US manufacturers using .308 bullets instead of the .311. Same with barrels, earlier Ruger rifles in 7.62x39 were actually .308 size barrels instead of .310.

That 180 grain load is not very fast, but it will catch any game it is used on. Sub 2500 FPS usually does not dynamite deer size game, but does its work in a very business like fashion. This rifle probably will be a meat hunters delight with mild easy shooting handloads or that 180 grain Blue Box Federal.

What’s with the shoulder tampon

A lot of barrel makes state to do it, even if you don't believe it does anything, it doesn't cost anything to just do it anyway, for the peace of mind.

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

8 ай бұрын

I agree completely Paul.

Why did nobody notice that it is actually 2 first shots, which were flyers, and THEN went into 2 tight ones? Also, I couldn't understand if Tom did adjust the scope after the first shot and the following ones. One of the problems with some rifles is not a loose group but a wandering though tight group.

Just like people. Everyone is unique. But I agree that I do not believe it hurts any of them.

Your scope looks mounted a little bit high? Is that for ejection? I would think perhaps a lightweight comb riser might help with consistently aligning your eye with the scope? My father and I added a wooden comb riser onto my .303 which looks awful and changed the balance of the rifle but it works well. My .303 No1 MkIII barrel is really worn, and I get 1.5 - 2" groups at 100m with 180 grain Sierra Pro Hunter bullets which really helped with the accuracy. I can really recommend these bullets except we can't get them in South Africa any more unfortunately (apparently Sierra has stopped making them?).

I always do a barrel break in on a new rifle never had any problems with accuracy with my rifles, if I did it was my fault

Tom, really nice rifle. Beautiful wood. I know you're encouraged with first results. I looked up the numbers on the back of the box and it shows 2460fps at the muzzle. That's about 200fps more than a 170gr 30-30 (comm ammo here is always loaded light for old military rifle calibers) so I was wondering if you will go for a more robust velocity or are you planning on keeping the velocities low? Also, is the 180gr going to be your ammo choice or maybe back down to the 150?

@tomskimcdouglegaming806

8 ай бұрын

You won't get too much more out of a .303 than that.

Suppressor!

All barrels have their own personality. No 2 barrels are exactly the same. I don't care if it is a custom target grade barrel or off the shelf factory barrel. One can never predict how the going to shoot . A ruff and pitted barrel can shoot surprisingly well and sometimes a smooth barrel can suck.

After shooting dozens of rifles, both new and used, for decades, my thoughts on "break in" are this: take your time, and don't get the barrel too hot at first, some cleaning isn't a bad idea. I've also had used barrels that shot like crap, then after cleaning and "rebreaking in" through a series of shooting and cleaning, then conditioning bore, shot great :) others required scrubbing with JB bore paste, then shot OK. 2 (used rifles) needed recrowning... If I bought a new (relatively cheap) rifle these days, i might give it a scrub with JB out of the box, just to save on ammo... if I bought a premium rifle/ barrel I'd just start load testing..

Nice No1, it should group tighter as it gets shot more. How did that TC Icon project work out?

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

8 ай бұрын

It worked out ok but like with most rifles I have some work to do still. I actually used that TC in the last video trying out a lead sled and the reason I used it was to check the zero and make sure it was ready to go hunting incase I get a chance to go. I'm sure that rifle is going to shoot a lot better after I work up some loads for it but it's more than accurate enough to take a deer right now as is and that's the rifle I'll be carrying if I get a chance.

SPEER 180 hot cores shoot god in mine Tom. i use Varget. also woodleigh 174gr- these are similiar shape, an long rounded nose.... seems to help the long throat. keen to follow. will be dusting off my 303 over summer down here in AU- hunting videos on my channel page with 303 ;)

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

8 ай бұрын

Thanks for the tip HillDog! And I'm glad to hear it because I picked up 150 and 180gr Speer Hotcores for load testing. And I'm not sure if it's true or not but I've been told that the bullets used with the old Federal blue box ammo are Speer Hotcores. If so then this one seems to like them as well. And I'll have to check out your channel!

I don't think barrel brake in is going to hurt anything it could help.

Eric Cortina has some strong opinions. Check him out.

We’re you changing your sights between groups?

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

8 ай бұрын

I only adjusted the scope after the bore sight shot. All of the rest were variation in POI, but the average seemed to be about a 1/2in right of the bull and for elevation a 1/4in low to level?

As a viewer, I had the benefit of watching the rifle’s muzzle jump when you shot it. Unless you plan to hunt with it by waiting for a deer to walk in front of your bench, with your left had tucked under the back end of the stock, try shooting it like you would in the field, with your left hand holding onto the rifle.

@Studentofthegun45

7 ай бұрын

He’s not practicing for deer hunting, he’s doing initial rifle impressions and then load development, which is to optimize the rifle, not the shooter. That way when he goes to the field, he knows with absolutely certainty that the rifle will do it’s part, and any shortcomings are the fault of the shooter.

I'm not to familiar with a 303 British besides blastically a 308 is really close sorry about my ignorance but is the 303 bullet diameter a little bigger than .308 diameter

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

8 ай бұрын

Gary, for not being familiar with 303 Brit that was a really great question because your instincts are spot on. The 303 is .311" in diameter instead of .308" like a standard 30 cal.

i thnk youl find there is issues with the 303 #1 shooting groups--- its finicky at best. an oversized prjectiles work best. i also load .323 170gr that have been Re sized to .3135 an they work good.......... best .310-.312 bullet ive found is Speer hot cor 180 and Woodleigh 174 an if ya can find them, the 215gr Woodleighs work good. lot of internet info on these being poor shooters with old school bore size specs. be good to slug your bore an see what it measures :)

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

8 ай бұрын

HillDog, I've heard a lot of things about No1's in general being finicky or just plain out not shooting good at all. I also know they're pretty light rifles and something I've wondered for years is how much of them being finicky is due to the weight of the rifle rather than the rifle itself? Now, I'm really starting to think the weight is the reason but I'm going to have to shoot a lot more rounds to see.

Your process has worked for you and you have moderated/modified it as you have gone along. That is the difference between learning and religion. Every new machine needs some break in/settling. Some people sharpen their new knives, are they wrong? I would say no.

😊

A 303 is a good gun i like the 303 better than the 308 the 303 is 31 Cal a 308 don't like much being a 31 Cal.

my ruger no1 in 2506 hates being cleaned..lol evrything comes together after 10 shots for that dang finicky girl

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

8 ай бұрын

I have a Remington 5R in 308 that's the same way.

If it's a hammer forged barrel then obviously break in will do nothing. For cut rifling it can't hurt to follow a process. Who knows what's left inside...

I shoot better on bags, leaned over to almost the same angle as prone. When I am upright, my recoil management ain't good...lol.

free oh free brih-ish

No one will ever know if it makes a difference because once you've done it one way you can't go back and do it the other way.

@anthonykaiser974

8 ай бұрын

What happens with one rifle is an anecdote, not a statistic. It's like a one-shot "zero."

Your voice should be used for voice over work lol

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

8 ай бұрын

I'm just afraid to see what character it would be for! LOL

I love your videos, but after every first couple of shots on a clean barrel are going to be off. It's not possible for completely clean lands to shoot the same as fouled lands. Each shot leaves a layer of copper in the lands, filling in any cross drag marks from tooling. If your going to sight in after cleaning, you have to clean between every shot. If shooting a high quality hammer forged barrel then it's a different game. You notice your last group had two flyers, then two touching. The last two were on the fouled lands. I would bet if you shot two more they would have been in there. All that being said, that rifle is shooting great, I think your not giving yourself enough credit. In my opinion it had nothing to do with your shooting, it's all about those lands, let them fill in and they shoot great in most all rifles. Thanks for the videos, keep them coming, and God bless you and your family.

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

8 ай бұрын

Ray, every bore is a unique creature. I've seen some shoot great with a fresh clean bore, but with that said almost all of them shoot better after they get some fouling in the barrel. And the ones that shoot great with a clean bore tend to be exceptional shooters.