Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Why a Single Shot?

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.

Why not?
If I were calling coyotes on the prairie and I needed quick follow up shots, I'd use an AR style semi auto. If I were hunting dangerous game I'd probably use a double rifle. A lever gun is faster that a bolt if you know how to use it. How many times do you recall needing an immediate second shot. Single shots can be lighter and shorter. One is not limited to magazine length for cartridge OAL. Actions on single shots can be very strong. With single shots such as the Thompson/Center Contender or Encore one can interchange barrels ad infinitum.
Here are a few more reasons why I own single shots, but these are purely subjective.

Best

GWB


Cooper model 21, 20 Tactical,


Winchester High Wall, 270 WSM


Remington 700, 7 STW (yes its a singleshot)


Browning High Wall, 30-06


Cooper model 38, 22 hornet


Cooper model 22, 6.5 x 284

[img]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e129/glenn1221/latestgunstuff/DSCN7396.jpg[/img]
Remington 700, 22-250

[img]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e129/glenn1221/Bear%20Hunt/IMG_0161.jpg[/img]
Merkel K1 7mm-08

[img]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e129/glenn1221/DSCN5954.jpg[/img]
Ruger #1, 458 Lott
[img]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e129/glenn1221/DSCN5770.jpg[/img]
Martini custom, 30-30 WCF

I prefer single shots from an aesthetic standpoint. While I have a few bolt actions I just prefer the look and the function of a single shot. In my hunting years there have been very few times that a second shot fired quicker than I can load a round in a single shot would have changed the outcome. I sure don't use single shots for weight savings as some of my rifles go well into 9 pounds with scopes mounted. The lightest is the .30-06 No. 1 RSI at about 8 lbs scoped and the heaviest is a No. 1 in .223. My favorite shooter is a B78 in .25-06.

Why not a single shot, after all muzzleloaders are single shot arn't they.
Mine are all H&Rs an New England arms they are fun an deadly an great guns at a price everyone can afford

While I've had a bolt action rifles since 1964, I hunted exclusively with an TC Encore in blackpowder and rifle season for the last 10 years. As Geedubya said, they can be lighter an shorter than most other rifles and offer ecellent accuracy in a smaller package. I especially like hunting in tight cover and the TC fits my style of still hunting in the woods. In MHO, hunting with a single shot forces you to remember all those things you need to do to put the bullet in the right spot. Quick follow up shots be done with practice. By the way, there is a "Cool" factor associated with a single shot. It is hard to explain until you own it, shoot it and get passionate about it.

Mic McPherson's book, "Accurizing the Factory Rifle", section 17, has 7 pages on the Handi-Rifle exclusively, it's titled "The(Lack of!!) Trouble with the New England Firearms Handi-Rifle (H&R Ultra

GWB

Miss much, do you?

I could never pick a rifle based on a pros and cons list. Regardless of action, I choose a rifle because I like it. Looks mean a lot to me, and I have never really enjoyed shooting a firearm that I didn't like the looks of. And I don't mean fancy. Many of the classic style single shots have really graceful lines, and even with the plainest wood are things of beauty. One of the rifles I enjoyed shooting the most was an M1884 Trapdoor Springfield. Pulling back that big hammer and dropping a 45-70 into the chamber was a pure delight as was opening the breach and watching that big empty case flip out. Pure pleasure! If you need a reason to hunt with a single shot, just watch the movie "Quigley Down Under".

as with every rifle there will be pros and cons of it but like timbo said you should buy a rifle because you like it i have a few single shots i like the simplicity of it they also teach you to make your shot count my favorite is my H&R .45-70 its crazy accurate a easy gun to handle and just has a great look to it and i have dropped several animals with it just the other night i blew a fox in half with it at about 150 yards because it was stealing my chickens

There's no reason for it, we just like them. Well, they are compact and they DO reduce the number of "warning shots" for some shooters, but mostly we like them. How about this for a concept:

Bolts are for benches,
Autos are for trenches,
Levers are for cowboys,
Pumps are for plowboys.
A sportsman shoots a single!

Just kidding!

I don't hunt with a Ruger #1 because its a single shot, I hunt with a single shot because that's what a Ruger #1 is. IMHO it is the classiest rifle I can afford.

I've got a single single-shot, a Lo-Wall .22 Hornet bought this past year. Bought it for no other reason than I liked it and its not too common around here.

I was always fascinated by the Schuetzen rifle articles/pics in the Gun Digest/Shooter's Bible I used to get for Xmas as a kid. And the Ruger #1. My favorite, looks wise, is the Stevens 44-1/2. The lines of those guns just turn my crank. Looks wise, a bolt action just doesn't have "it" for me. So, I've had a 22-250 in a #1, and in an 1885, have an 1885 in .223, 32-40win amd 300H&H, and #1's in 32-30rem and 450-400NE, and a 044-1/2 in 218bee, and a Merkel in 7remmag. I will likely add an 1885 in 6.5x55 and maybe a 375H&H, and I wouldn't mind a CPA, can't decide on what cartridge for that gun(s). And every one I have and have had, was a good shooter.

I never have to wonder where I dropped,lost or put the magazine!

I find myself to be a bit more careful about choosing my shots with a single, something is in the back of my mind reminding me that I don't have an instant 2nd shot so I must make the first one perfect. This makes me a better hunter. Having said that, I have found that I can reload the single very quickly.

Second, there is something about the look and feel of the No. 1 that I can't quite describe, it is just "right" to me. Grace or class are terms others have used; I don't know but there is something there when I pick one up that I don't feel with other rifles. Probably I'd feel the same about an 1885 or a Merkel or one of the others.

Much about hunting or other shooting is purely utilitarian, but there is a lot of art imbued into a good single.

The majority of my guns anymore, are single shots. I've shot everything from elephant anf cape buffalo, down to squirrels with them. At my age, the single shot simply adds more fun to the hunt.


maddog

Not a single shot addict per se, but I am er #1 fan big time.

The #1's top rnaking in ergonomics, balance, asthetic appeal, ruggedness, affordabilty and flexibilty as a donor platform make them the dominant rilfe in my house.

Their many shortcomings -- mostly fixable -- by no means alter that picture.

1B

I started hunting with single shots as a kid. When it was time to buy my first rifle, I was hell bent on a 270 Weatherby Magnum. At that time, there were 3 rifles that I could afford in that caliber. Winchester's Model 70, Browning BAR & Ruger No. 1. An old Major I knew had a No. 1 and let me use it for a while. I was sold and found my 1st No. 1 in Jackson, MS for around $550 new. Ever since, I've been collecting No. 1's.

I believe that using a single shot, just makes you a better hunter. When using a muzzleloader, you learn to get up close to that big buck or bull. Those skills you learn, carry over to any type hunting you choose.
I too like the look and feel of single shot rifles. They are usually more of an art form. A lot of modern firearms are just more high tech gadgetts that I try to get away from. To me, hunting is all about the basics. Getting back to a slower time I guess. I strongly recommend starting out a new hunter with a single shot. Just makes sence to me.

I really like the feel of the things, especially the Ruger #1S. Great dynamics, 26" barrel that feels like a bolt action 22", carry nice in the hand. My attraction to the single shot is less about the single shot psychology and more about practicality. Okay, maybe a little about the make one shot count, but I sure like these rifles.

You feel the need to fill a nitch for some reason or you wouldn�t have asked. So let�s see what you value as a pro and what is a con. Perhaps you feel like you�re missing out, somehow you need one or to dismiss the idea to be something you feel you�re not.
�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.�
Considering there is not enough marketing BS on a single shot rifle for you to see the value of a single shot rifle. Plenty of replies here on the various forms of value everyone here puts on a single shot. What do you value in a firearm? Do you value anything about the single shot rifle? Some like it because it is a causation for better hunting skills or a more deliberate approach to marksmanship. To some the look and feel�
� 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�
It appears that you value the rate of fire using the bolt action as a measurement standard for effectiveness. So the pros and cons come from what you value. Many folks here can look at or handle a rifle admiring the balance or feel of certain models. The looks or the nostalgia of a single shot might be a pro. For me it�s not just any single shot. I�m not a big fan of a camo T/C, but a Sharps or an 1885 gets the motor running. I love most Ruger Number 1�s and the Coopers out there are pretty sexy. If sexy to you is light weight, multiple rounds in a magazine, sustained rate of fire and you can stuff it in a back pack, there may not be very many pros. What do you value in a gun, and is it found in only one gun or is your taste a bit more complex than, light weight, multiple rounds in a magazine, sustained rate of fire you can stuff it in a back pack, because that�s the only way you hunt and it must be that way?
Most folks here probably have other models they enjoy as well. Lever guns, precision bolt� So what do you see when you look at a single shot?

The reason for hunting with a single shot is simply because you want to. Period.

There are no advantages. You CAN'T reload and shoot a second shot as fast. the Army proved that in 18 and 92. And it won't make your shot placement more precise. It will, however, prevent you from getting in a follow-on shot if you wound an animal and make it easier to escape.

So shoot one if you like. That's all.

I adopted the single shot as my primary choice due to my reloading interests. Every time I fire my first shot on paper I want it to hit the point of aim with boring regularity/dependability. It is what I strive for in my loading.

Once I began hunting, that first shot expectation of accuracy on paper led me to pick a single shot. And, it was a Browning 1885.

One shot, one kill is necessary to me as I am a perfectionist. Too, even with a 28" barrel I am still a couple of inches shy of a bolt gun o.a.l..

Indy

I have to agree. I really enjoy the look and feel of a single shot, but when hunting game that bites back I use a repeater.

I have Remington, Ruger, Ranger, TC and Stevens single shots. I enjoy them all and for diffeering reasons. I have bolt, pump, semi auto and break action rifles that I also enjoy and with wich I hunt.

Diversity breeds interest and I am interested in shooting and hunting.

That is why I like single shots.

Randy

I hunt doves with a single shot 12ga. I get just about as many birds, with two thirds less shells!

Why a single shot? Sometimes I want to hunt a longer range than my recurve will shoot.

Why a single shot?

Nothing is classier.... My opinion.

Most of the time I don't even bother putting a second cartridge into the magazine of my bolt actions either.

If I was truly in need of a swift second round, I'd go with a double.

The title reminds me of a story.

A friend of mine who was a guide had a hunter show up to camp one time with a Browning BAR in .300 Winchester mag and enough ammo to start a war.

The hunter spent two weeks hunting elk and expanded almost all of his ammo. The elk were safe. My friend the guide hid the hunter's BAR the night before the hunter's last day to hunt. My friend then loaned the hunter his Ruger #1 in .300 Win mag. and one round. My friend than announced that to day the hunter would get his elk. And the Hunter did get an elk a nice bull.

I asked my friend why the turn around in the hunter's attitude. My friend said one shot, one round settles a man down to concentrating on the job at hand. As long as a man has a repeater and lots of ammo he just shoots. One shot, one round now a man hunts.

Yes, I think the single shot deal can do quite a bit to settle one down and get them to focus. I've counted some barrages of 20 to 30 rounds on some of my Wy elk outings. That would have me in my pickup headed to town for more ammo.

I typically carry 3 rds. If that gets expended, then it's time to go back to camp and check zero.

I am a bit late weighing in on this subject, but I thought that the words from the very first Ruger No.1 Advertisement in 1967 were instructional as to the question posted by the Poster.
"Why have we built a single shot in this day of self loaders and repeaters? Today's reason for the single-shot is oddly analagous to that which inspired the great single-shot rifles of the 1870's: To produce a more efficient long range rifle. In the '70's, the single shot was the most powerful type because it could digest outsized cartridges. Today, the Ruger Single-Shot can have a 4 1/2" longer barrel than a comparable bolt-action rifle of the same overall length. Accordingly, the Ruger Single-Shot obtains greatly increased velocity from modern magnum cartridges. In addition to this significant ballistic advantage, the Ruger No. 1 Single-Shot combines handsome lines and perfect balance with the luxury of a closely fitted action-- a rifle to appeal to the connoisseur,
Beyond these physical advantages is the challenge of the single shot--which puts to the test the true skill and marksmanship of the hunter who works hard stalking, loves life in the open, and never hunts in a way that takes unfair advantage of the game."
To read the accounts of the day, many thought Bill Ruger had lost his marbles to even contemplate a high quality single shot rifle in 1966! Obviously, it still is not for every hunter, but over 400,000 Ruger No.1 rifles have been made and sold in the last 45 years. the No.1 is all I have used in the last 40!

I guess I will weigh in too, though many good points have been made.

The #1 (or other modern strong variants, like reproduction High Walls) allow one to optimize ballistics for the best possible first shot. Bullet choice and seating can be as desired, magazine length is not a factor. Short overall length, relative to barrel length also improves handling. The actions are brutally strong, capable of taking anything the brass can take.

And yes, they are pretty.



even if you work with less strong actions, or blackpowder cartridges, the single shot allows one to optimize the load, to whatever is best for the rifle and game at hand. In lightweight actions, like say a T/C Contender, one can have a fairly light rifle, but still have a fairly stout barrel. I also have bolt actions, lever guns, and semi-autos, and all bring their own interesting strengths and weaknesses, but the single shot remains a pure shooting experience.

That one is........

I was going to say I don't always hunt with a single shot but then maybe I do. Often I hunt with a flintlock muzzleloader and mine are all single shots. My combination gun and drillings are all single rifle barreled and my Shiloh Sharps and Ballard need no explanation. So maybe I do always hunt with a single shot rifle. Evidently I prefer them. To my eye, with the possible exception of a full length stock Mannlicher/Schoenaur no repeater is as classy looking as a finely wrought single shot.

Ahhh....I do not always hunt with a single shot. On occasion I carry one of my double rifles or double guns.

tex n cal.

And they can be made even prettier and more desirable!

The #1 is a reliable and flexible platform for a custom rifle project in any caliber. The end product can be as elaborate and stunning as your financial means permit. Or, it can be improved greatly over the factory model with almost no ornamentation but a few relatively minor functional improvements to fit hunters' wants/needs. And you do not need to throw everything but the receiver away.

1B

Derby_Dude,

I like that story... It about sums up the reasons I hunt with a sgl shot.

To me, How I take a game animal, is far more important than IF I take one at all... AFAIC, the only reason God put horns on a game animal, is so we can tell the difference... (Tho' I will admit that pics of a dead doe, or cow elk, arent' all the enjoyable... )

GH

Why use a single shot? Just to piss off the guys that insist on needing a 30rd mag or 5 down in a bolt gun just to shoot a deer!
P.S. Those No.1's are some of the most elegant rifles ever built.

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."

+1 Well said!!