Ruger #3 45-70 Government.

[oso grande]

I wanted to buy one of these from a guy here on Calguns.
Then I happened on this:
"The man who designed the Ruger #3 in 45/70 Govt. should be beaten to within an inch of his life, and then kicked in the face. The Ruger #3 in 45/70 the most miserable rifle to shoot of any rifle I've ever owned. Even with standard 45/70 loads it will jump up and bust you right in the cheek while crushing your knuckles at the same time. I'm not sure what it does to the shoulder, the other beatings were too distracting. I've owned and shot, extensively, several 375 H&H Magnums and 416 Remingtons. My elk and similar sized game rifle is a 340 Weatherby throwing 250 grain bullets at 2800 fps. These rifle kick, but they don't hold a candle to the brutality inflicted by the rotten, ill conceived, poorly designed piece of junk called the Ruger #3 in 45/70.
The moral of the story is this, the Ruger #3 isn't worth owning even if the seller paid you $500 to take the misery stick off his hands. Walking around with a fresh pile of dog poop in your shirt pocket while someone big continues to punch you in the face would be more pleasant than owning that abomination. You savvy?"
Makes me rethink my choice.

Oso Grande

[Jujuklr]

Wow "don't mince words bones,
Tell me how you really feel"
With a larger stock it balances
the gun out nicely

[oso grande]

Wow "don't mince words bones,
Tell me how you really feel"
With a larger stock it balances
the gun out nicely

Larger stock?

[CoopsDad]

I inherited a Ruger #1 in 45/70 and it is not quite as brutal to shoot as stated above. Close, but not quite. It's unenjoyable to sight in and I wouldn't shoot it for fun. The rate of fire doesn't lend itself to a quick follow up shot, so it's not even worth carrying as an anti-bear gun.

Mine arrived in my hands with a half-box of the shells my stepdad bought when he bought the gun itself, and the gun is still in new condition. If I've put 40 rounds downrange, I'm guessing on the high side. The only reason I still have it is a purely sentimental one.

[Simply115]

Sounds like someone's a lightweight.

[bill_k_lopez]

I shoot a lot of 45/70 and I'm here to tell you - make your loads for around 900ft/sec and you can shoot it all day. I don't see any reason why people think that you have to shoot 45/70 with the hottest load you can get. Doesn't matter what you shoot it through, it hurts.

Last time I was out at Angeles me and my shooting buddy were hitting steel out to 300 yards - scope is zeroed at 100 so this was pushing the limit of the BDC reticle.

450grn cast bullet with 10 grns Unique - right around 900ft/sec - almost zero recoil.

[6079Winston]

I shoot mine with the 330gr Gould bullet and a moderate load of SR4759, I think of it as a pleasant woodsy hunting load.

[shooting4life]

Sounds like someone's a lightweight.

I was going to say the same thing.

[6079Winston]

This is a 6 pound .45-70 with a Trapdoor buttstock and Winchester 1885 trigger guard, I have no doubt it is just as miserable as described with maximum loads.

[oso grande]

Sounds like someone's a lightweight.

Hey man...how would you like walkin' around with your shirt pocket full of dog poop while some guy was hitten' you in the mouth?

[Shoot-it]

Hey man...how would you like walkin' around with your shirt pocket full of dog poop while some guy was hitten' you in the mouth?

Just sell it to some other poor fool.

[mark501w]

You can load them as high as you can stand.

[Jujuklr]

I spent about $1500 turning my #3 into a #1 in 338 WM,
shoots like a dream now
J

I agree,
the stock rifle is fairly miserable to shoot,
though there is something about the #1s, and even the #3,
which is the only possible explanation for me completely rebuilding it

[Simply115]

Hey man...how would you like walkin' around with your shirt pocket full of dog poop while some guy was hitten' you in the mouth?

But, you savvy?

[Annex138]

I have a #1 in 45-70 and its not bad to shoot at all. Shooting hot loads off a bench is not that fun but shooting factory loads is not bad at all.