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#1/H&R Questions

5K views 32 replies 19 participants last post by  Lone Star 
#1 ·
I've been lurking here for about a week absorbing information, but I think it's time to outright ask.  I'm in the process of getting a new whitetail rifle.  The caliber will be .25-06.  I've narrowed down my choices to a H&R Ultra Hunter, Ruger #1 Standard, or a Ruger Mk 77.  For some reason, I'm really leaning towards a single shot rifle. 

Anyways, to get to the point, is the Ruger #1 really worth the 500ish dollars more?  I've read that some lefties have trouble realoading #1's as well (I'm a lefty). 

Any opinions or ideas that I'm missing would be great.  Thanks.
 
#27 ·
This may sound like a bit of a ramble...my pain meds are kicking in :D :D :D

I am a fan of both rifles...for many reasons...Each have had their places in my gunsafe over the years...I had to choose a couple months ago on my birthday...A #1 Tropical in 375H&H...or a Marlin XLR in 45-70...As much as I liked the #1...I went with the XLR...Why??? Simple...I have my Handi's for my single shot needs...Now...If I hadn't never owned a Handi...or a Marlin lever gun...or a #1...and I had to choose between the 3...The #1 would have come home with me...but I do own several Handi's...and have owned plenty of Marlin levers...and have owned a bunch of #1's.....I've found you can get outstanding individual rifles from all threee...and you can get some real dogs too...More often than not...correcting a bad Marlin..or Handi..isn't such a big deal...time or moneywise...But..in a Ruger...that's a whole different situation...Check with a gunsmith on the cost to work on a #1.....I have..and the Rugers I have owned have been more problematic than any of the Hand'si..or the Marlin I have ever owned...and turn around time is 10x better from NEF & Marlin than Ruger...

Do I think the Ruger is worth more $$$ than a Handi...Certainly...Do I think it's a "better" gun...in some ways absolutly...in others...NOPE...I'm sure other folks can and do feel differently...but...as MSP put it...
Then the correct answer would be, to some it is and to some is not, it depends more on the person than the gun....<><.... ;D
...and the luck each has had with each..or what trips you trigger ;)

Mac
 
#28 ·
Genlemen I just read the replys and find it amusing at best. What one man finds beautiful another sees as ugly. The point is beauty is in the eye of you know. Both rifles are great tools in the field. One is finished to a higher standard the other is a working man's rifle. I like both I am looking for a big bore and found a No. 1 in 375H&H and have put it on layaway. My Handi 25-06 I wouldn't trade for any gun it shoots that well. Frankly the answer is both yes and no. If the pleasure of a highly polished rifle is what rings your bell then the No. 1 is worth every penny. On the other hand if a rifle is a tool to get the job done the Handi will do it as well or better than most so then the extra $ may not be worth it. It's your nickle so pick what feels best to you and your're comfortable with and enjoy. So the banter between members is amusing but is it needed....na its not. Like the man said it's Ford vs Chevy get what floats your boat. Jess ::) ::) ::)
 
#29 ·
What I need and what I want are often two different things. I have a Handi in .223, .308 and 45/70. These three barrels shoot well enough to handle my realistic hunting needs. Did I need the Marlin 1895 45/70 or the Stevens 200 .308 I bought this year? Probably not, but getting them made me happy and as I had saved the money out of the allowance my wife gives me, I wasn’t hurting the family budget. Would I want a #1 in a caliber I don’t have (or for that matter one that I did have)? You betja! Do I need one? Not at this moment with a daughter in college. But some day, some day, just to feel the finish on the wood, to be able to take it to the range and see others wishing they had one. Do I need one? Well anyhow, some day I want one, just call it a flaw in my character. ;)
RJ
 
#31 ·
Hey
Im going to throw in here. i OWN 2 NBR1'S and handis and encores. I always reach for my handis for a thip in the woods or most hunting trips. My nbr 1's are to pretty and dont want to scratch them. My encore just dont shoot well. My handi's do everything well and ballance good also. I have to learn to shoot left hand also do to an eye problem but still shoot right also. I have also had to cut down my stocks to fit my stature. It is alot easier to put the saw to a handi than the others. The Handi's are just as accurate as my nbr 1's. To each his own.
Bearbeater
 
#32 ·
Well thought out and well said bearbeater, and Welcome Aboard!!!....<><.... :)
 
#33 ·
If the OP hasn't already made his purchase - the thread started in September afterall - the three obvious choices are the H&R, the Ruger and the Encore. All three can shoot well, and all three can have poor accuracy - they are mass-produced items remember. Anyone who says they have not had a good shooting H&R, No_One or Encore just had bad luck since all three can do very well. Divide the cost by the group size and the H&R is the winner - but so what?

What is important is what makes the OP happy. If he is made happy by paying as little as possible for his firearms, then the H&R is the obvious choice. If he is made happy by owning a beautifully-made rifle, then the Ruger is the hands-down winner. If he is made happy by carrying a high-quality break-open rifle, the Encore wins. I've owned all three, and still own an old H&R Shikari and four Ruger No Ones. I shoot the Rugers the most; my rifles are tools, not decorations. Tools get wear marks on them. ;)

.
 
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