I need to know the pros on a single shot. I use this forum for many of my research projects before I do any purchasing. Everyone seems very knowledgeable. I watch a guy use a single shot with a live cartridge in his other hand and was able to load just as fast as anyone using a bolt action, at least for me. So, are we using a single shoot because of weight during the hunt. I live in the southwest and backpack hunting is pretty much a must.
For many, the "pros" of a single shot are not technical - they have to do with the state of mind of the person that carries it. Is my Ruger #1 a strong action? Yep! Is the overall length of my rifle with a 26" tube shorter that bolts with 24"? Yep! Maybe even some 22" bolts. But I could care less about those things.
The real pros to me - is my Ruger #1 classy? Darn right! Is it different? Yep. It's satisfying to me shut the falling block on a single round and drop my quarry. It's cool to me when a guy walks by 1/2 dozen bolt guns at the range then pauses at mine and maybe asks, "what caliber you shooting?" Even to see a single shot in a trophy photo is a "pro" to me. I wonder what caliber it is. Did the guy tip toe through the thicks with a 45/70, or did he reach out cross-canyon with a single shot - hunt over! When it comes to carrying a single shot there is probably nothing technical about it you're really going to need, you just have to want the experience.
If you end up carrying a single shot one day and simply love the experience, and not for the weight or anything technical, then you'll understand and perhaps get to use the line a few get to throw out there every now and again when asked, "why in the world would you carry a single shot for hunting?" The simple reply, "if you have to ask the question, you wouldn't understand the answer."
