Fellas... Fellas... Fellas...
The first thing you must do with a Ruger #1 RSI if you are trying for maximum accuracy is
LET THE BARREL COOL DOWN PRIOR TO SHOOTING EACH ROUND!!!My RSI in 7x57mm LOVES any amount of H4350, but with just 47.2 grains of it, it shoots 3-shot groups of .176 inches to .179 inches off the bench-rest (at 50 yards) with boring consistency.
Why? Because I allow the short, light 20-inch barrel to
COOL DOWN to "barely warm" BEFORE shooting the next shot.
In the heat of summer, that can take up to 15 minutes which is a long "wait" during a hot, humid day in south-western Ohio. So now, I found something else to do while waiting for the RSI's barrel to cool down... and it's put the FUN back into shooting very satisfying little groups with both the RSI and the .22 rimfire CZ453 "varmint" model which I had my gunsmith pillar-bed the 2 action screws, glass-bed the action and float the heavy 20-inch barrel. The CZ453 is a Model 452 with a single-set trigger installed at the factory.
Oh, yeah... did I mention that I had a German Kepplinger Single-Set Trigger installed on my RSI? They ain't cheap, but good golly, are they sweet to shoot !~!~! That's why I bought the CZ453 'cause it has a factory-installed single-set trigger as well.
To top off both rifles, I added the same model scope (a 4-12x40 with A/O) to both rifles so they tend to shoot very much alike whether I'm shooting the 7x57 or the .22 rimfire. About the ONLY difference between 'em is the amount of recoil each has... very light recoil from the "accuracy load" in the 7x57 and literally "non-existent" recoil in the .22 rimfire shooting Wolf Match/Target ammo.
Ya gotta realize that with all that wood surrounding the little RSI's barrel, you usually can't just shoot small groups from a hot barrel and hope nothing will change as the barrel gets hot.
Besides... think about it. If you're hunting with the Ruger #1 RSI
SINGLE SHOT rifle, how many shots will you 'most likely get at big game... yeah, right...
ONE SHOT!!! And are you shooting that ONE SHOT from a
hot or
cold barrel?!?
'Nuff said...
Strength & Honor...
Ron T.