We occasionally get a thread on here about hunting big game with single-shots, and there are the normal number of people who would NEVER do it, and those that do it all the time.

Out of curiousity I went through my hunting notes of the past 40 years and compiled some figures.

I have hunted big game with single-shots off and on since 1992, and have taken game from pronghorn to Cape buffalo with them. Calibers have ranged from .257 Bob to .375 H&H and .45-70. Of the animals taken, 78% were one-shot kills.

Of course, some of the 2-shot kills were like the kudu I took in Botswana with a Ruger Tropical in .375. The fist shot went through both lungs, as the bull ran between two bushes at about 75 yards. We took up the trail and maybe 100 yards later, one of the trackers spotted him ahead in the bush, standing spraddle-legged with his head down. I shot again and he fell. The second shot probably wasn't necessary, but the sun was going down....

Of the animals I've taken with repeaters (lever, pump and bolt, but no semiautos) 71% have been 1-shot kills. Again, I did not count kills like the 6-point bull elk I took 5 years ago with a .300 Winchester. Shot him in the shoulder as he quartered toward me, and the bullet busted the shoulder and top of the heart, and exited. He ran about 35 yards and stopped, same deal as the kudu: legs spraddled and head down. It was also about sunset so I shot again and he fell. So the 1-shot kills have been strictly that.

The higher percentage of 1-shot kills with single-shots may be due to more careful shooting--or just the fact that I didn't start using single-shots until I'd been hunting big game for 25 years or so. Don't know. Do know that I have yet to come close to losing a big game animal shot with a single-shot. Maybe that is indeed because I am kind of careful about the shots I do take when using one--or the terrain hunted. The first shot has either killed--or would have killed, if I hadn't put another one in there.

Oh, have missed a couple of shots with singles. Both times I just pulled it and shot under, at about 200 yards.

In the notges I also found several streaks of 1-shot kills, one of 8 animals, one of 9--and one of 18 out of 19, the other one of those unnecessary 2-shot kills. That is what is supposed to happen as we get older, and both shoot better and hunt more carefully.

JB

I know the topic of hunting with a loaded chamber is volitile, but I would like to know if single shot hunters hunt with or without loaded chambers, and if cold chamber hunters avoid single shot rifles more than hot chamber hunters do.

MD,

I have great respect of your honesty about hunting with single shot rifles. (Not to mention your record keeping and lessons learned)

I don't know what category I, personally, fall into; but I have hunted with single loaders off and on since I bought my first #1 in 1978.

Even tho' I have only a small percentage of the experiece of others in hunting and hunting success, I still enjoy it. Ironcically, I took my first big game animal with a T/C contender in .30-40 Krag in about '80 or '81. And since then only about a dozen whitetails; and only two of them with a sgl-shot. One with a #1 in .416 Rigby, and one with a T/C Encore muzzleloader.

As I get more mature... (And yes my birth year is prior to yours... ) HOW I harvest a deer is far more important than IF I take one.

Even tho' I have more than my share of high-tech Stainless, custom barreled, and McSwirley stocked bolt rifles, I find the gratifacation factor far higher if I hunt with a Ruger #1, an '03-A3 Sprg, or a Sav M-99. Especially if said rifle is equipped with a Peep sight or Low-powered scope with a post reticle... (No thanks to a certain unnamed gunscribe... )

Thus; I believe this attitude is a product of maturity. A maturity garnered by the passing of years not necessarily by the time spent afield.

Soon I will take to the woods again. I think this years "opening day" rifle with be a Ruger #1-A (Cal: .270 Win) with an aged 3x Scopechief with a "Post" reticle. Aaaahhh, Simplicity at it's finest! And if I should happen to be successful, you are going to see a hunter with a smile a mile wide.

Grasshopper

Youper,

I don't know what others do, I only know what I do. I hunt entirely out of a stationaly blind. When I go to the stand, the chamber is ALWAYS empty until I am sitting down, have all my accruments arranged and am ready to hunt. ONLY THEN do I chamber a live round! I am usually in my blind well before legal shooting hours (In Mich this is 30 min. prior to Sunrise) and when I can no longer see to shoot, I come in. When I make the decision to "Call it a day", the 1st thing I do is empty the chamber. Doesn't matter if it's a single shot or bolt gun. My philosophy is such that if I see a deer on my way out, doesn't matter, he'll likely be back tomorrow.

Be it right or wrong; "That's my story and I'm stickin' to it."

Grasshopper

Since I only hunt with single shots I really can't say if my kill rate is higher or lower. Wait, I hunt running rabbits with a lever rifle - yup, my performance is much better with single shots

I am hunting this week with a double rifle however. So far, no shots fired.

Brent

I always hunt with my chamber loaded unless there is a high chance of falling or I am following somebody while crawling. I try and use my head and keep thing safe.

I have hunted and shot more game with a single shot rifle, than any other, guess because I shoot mostly left handed, left eye dom. and right handed, most have fallen to a single shot, I place my shots, to count, i have taken alot of game with lever guns also, but still try to make that ONE shot count! I too hunt till I dont think I can take a clean shot, if your in the pines it means that you pack up a bit early ect, grasshopper i to am a fan of the post scopes, there on all my rifles, and a few sitting on the the bench! John

I got into hunting as a kid but left it as a young suburbanite with family and work commitments, only to return to it late -- about ten years ago, after retirement. My first serious rifle as an adult was a .280 #1B.

Most of the 15 or so deer I have taken since were with #1s and MLs; 3 were with bolt rifles. All fell to one shot and most -- say, 75% -- in their tracks. BUT this is not a claim to my consumate marksmanship! Read on...

One buck -- my biggest ever, a 16 pointer -- I shot twice with single shots, but a weekend in time apart. When being dressed out, he displayed a diagonal barber job across his back from a ML round ball of mine fired nearly point blank three days earlier. The .280 used later only took one shot, DRT.

I would say 90% + of my shots are taken in stalking/ambush from the ground situations. The deer are standing, unaware, within 150 yards. I mostly use lung shots and larger caliber --7mm or above -- bullets that tend to jelly the lungs. And all were smaller eastern deer, except for 3 good size exotics.

I also have lost several -- mayber 3-4 -- hard-hit deer, mostly on late evening shots with heavy brush/low light obscuring the blood trails, And I have cleanly missed more than a few -- 5-6?--due to pure buck fever in surprise (to me) encounters. (I usually shoot over their backs when flusticated.)

Just as John's list of unnecessary second shots tends to obscure some of the relevance of his 1 shot effectiveness data, I would cite a reverse phenomenon. 2 of the 3 big exotics I shot with a .270 bolt gun --dropped at one shot, but IMO seriously needed another poke. One huge bodied critter took a .270 round in the lungs but a little back, and just stood there w/o moving until bleedout. (I wanted to hit him again but the guide said no, he is toast.) The other was a nice Axis deer that also took one in the boiler as he was grazing and he bolted about a hundred and fifty yards with his heart shredded! (Again, the guide said no need to shot him again.) Luckily, he ran straightaway into an open field and not into the thick stuff with the rattlers and coral snakes. (The third was a very nice Sika that I took on the run at about 150 yards right through the neck -- one of two running deer I have taken -- and my best shot ever.)

Taken together then, my tally of downed deer would record one deer that needed a second shot using single shots, and no deer needing a second shot with bolt guns! A meaningless if not ultimately misleading statistic considering lost deer, blown shots, and deer that take a long time to drop after the initial hit.

1B

Sorry, but, the idea of HUNTING with an empty chamber (unless it's an old SA wheelgun) is completely foreign to my brain. I'd like to see these empty chamber folks TRY to get a deer, rabbit, coyote, squirrel, dove, hog, ANYTHING around here.


As for success, I started with single shot 410, graduated to a single shot 22lr, then a double 20ga (still have it). I can't say I do any better one way or the other. I pretty much take the same shots all the time. I do know I tend to go for bigger holes with a single shot than a repeater.

I stopped "trying" for one shot kills and concentrating on killing it ASAP a long time ago. I can get a 2nd shot off as fast as the typical bolt action shooter with one of my break actions.

Yes, I hunt with a chambered round in my singleshots. I also hunt with loaded chambers in rabbit rifles and pheasant guns. And with muzzleloaders,,,, what can I say?

Interestingly, to me at least, I almost always shoot a large animal that goes down immediately while it flops the last couple of times. My bullets cause little meat damage, ammo is cheap, and mistakes that could lead to lost game are avoided. While rarely needed in these instances, these 2-shot kills contrast with the cases where I don't use a follow up shot. Those are cases where the animal runs off or disappears at the shot. They occasionally would benefit from a follow up shot if only they had stuck around for it. I find them at the end of a blood trail nicely dead more often than not, but they would have died sooner had I the chance for a second shot. In few or no cases would a multishot gun have helped with that follow up however.

Brent

GH,

In my style of hunting -- still hunting/ambush from the ground --- and choice of rifle -- Ruger #1s -- a round goes in the chamber and the safety is set as soon as I am in active hunting mode. The round only comes out to cross difficult terrain or fences; during encounters with other hunters for a chin wag; or shutting down the active hunting mode for other reasons --lunch, call of nature, or a snooze. It is empty always in or around a vehicle, at base camp, and with an animal dead on the ground.

There is no way to silently load and lock a #1 just before pulling the trigger. It is hard enuff learning to work the safety w/o blowing the hunt! Blind hunters -- ground or tree stand -- and those who get away with having their guides jabber away all during a hunt -- those damn staged TV hunts are what I refer to here -- might not have the same need for bringing a rifle quietly into battery.

1B

I�ve hunt with a round in the chamber for years (since 1958 with my first rabbit and squirrel rifle). No one, that I�ve ever hunted with since then until just last week have ever hunted with an empty chamber, no matter what kind of rifle they carry.

I generally leave the chamber empty anytime the rifle is not in my hands, whether SS or repeater. The exception is my Merkel .308, which has one of those "cocking" tang safeties, so it simply cannot go off with round in the chamber unless the tang button is shoved (not clicked) forward. I have carried that slung over my back wiith a round in the chamber in rough country, mostly because it was too rough to have it in my hands with 75 pounds of caribou on my back--and I did not want to unload it in grizzly country.

But that's the exception.

JB

I can agree with that.

Started my hunting with a single shot 22, with cartridges grudgingly doled out by my granfather. Learned to make my shots count. That lesson has stayed with me every since and I tend to pass on iffy shots regardless of the repeat shot capability of the firearm I am useing at the time. Have not kept notes on kills over the years never felt the need, but I am confident that my one shot kills far out number any that required a follow up shot. I have used the unecessary second shot a few times. I have been very lucky and have only lost one big game animal, and that was due to my stupidity at not taking the second shot, was carrying a bolt action repeater at the time. Have hunted over the years with various single shot rifles and never felt handicapped and will do it again. I do tend to have a round chambered when hunting with the single shots but have done it the other way also, depends on the game, terrain, and hunting method.

Dave, your grandfather and my grandfather must have taken lessons from each other.

I rarely carry a rifle - any rifle- with the chamber loaded unless it is in my hands. I can't honestly say I've missed any important opportunities, but I can say that I have had a few loaded chamber "what-ifs" mostly prior to adopting that practice.

As for shooting once or more than once, I do it all the time if the animal doesn't go down immediately. A second bullet is never bad insurance whether needed or not. I know some folks have a sense of pride in "doing it right one time." I left that behind nearly three decades ago when I moved north. I guess I never really thought about a single shot being at a disadvantage when shooting a second shot. I suppose one box of ammo per year or only bench work with the rifle could create bad habits or prevent the good ones necessary though.

In 2000 I purchased my first single shot deer rifle. Since then I have purchased 3 moore.
In the last 7 years I have shot at 10 deer with one one of my ss's. All 10 were DRT, one shot kills. The ranges were from 20 yards to just shy of 300 yards.
During the same 7 years I shot at 14 deer with one of my bolt action rifles. 10 were DRT, one shot kills. 1 went about 40 yards before it bleed out. 1 went about 70 yards and required a finishing shot. 2 were clean misses. The ranges were from 7 yards to 400 yards.
Do I feel handicapped with a SS? No, I do not.
Do I take high risk shots? No, I do not. I have gotten to d**n old to chase wounded deer through the briars.
Am I a great shot? No, I am not. I try to be a careful shot.

For me, my recent success has been because I have become a much better hunter. Now I'll say I've only taken a hand full of game, but I use the word success meaning I am becoming much more consistent at seeing game before they see me. And in most cases here lately, I am getting shots most every time I go out. Unfortunatey, every time I go out might mean once every few years. This 'success' really has had nothing to do with the rifle I was carrying. So in my case, when working in for that one good shot, I've had the attitude to just carry what I wanted. For me, that means a Ruger #1. My first bull elk came a couple seasons back while creeping through some thick pines. I jumped him out of his bed at 40 yards and a snap shot from my #1 in .338 caught him tight behind the shoulder - he melted to the ground 30 yards downhill from there. Before that, a cross canyon javelina only needed one shot from a #1 in 25/06. Then there was a 3x3 mule deer that I caught walking through the woods about 115 yards away. When I swung my #1 in 7x57 into position, I looked up to see a deer frozen and staring right at me. I didn't squeeze off because I knew things weren't perfect and I had 'only' a single shot, I didn't squeeze because as I stared at the entire body of this deer, the only part of him I couldn't see was the very top of his head. The first thing I though of was, "what if a doe slipped in behind the buck and I'm holding on her." Rule #1 is know your target. I didn't 100%, so I didn't shoot - and, didn't get a shot on him as he moved off. A bolt action wouldn't have given me any advantage here.

Now that I think of it, the only time here lately I've had to take multiple shots at anything with a high powered rifle, I've had a bolt action in-hand. The one exception is the first critter I ever took with a #1. Many years ago I had a jack rabbit running parallel to me about 125 yards away across a ravine. I don't know if people think you have to stop shooting after one shot with a single shot, or maybe they think to reload will just take too long so why take the chance carrying the rifle at all...I got that rabbit with my 3rd shot. I don't know if I would have done any better with a bolt.

I've only recently started hunting with a single shot, taking a couple whitetails, a mule deer, a few Sitka blacktails, and most recently, a pronghorn. I've always been fairly conservative in when I choose to pull the trigger, but may be a little more so, since I began hunting with single shots and drillings(which from a rifle standpoint I also put in the SS category). As I "mature", I've found that I, like Grasshopper has mentioned, care more about how I kill my game, as opposed to how much game I kill.

Jeff

I do all of my deer hunting the T/C Encores/Pro hunters now and my groundhog shooting with Ruger #1. I shoot mostly the .50 Ml and sometimes drag out the 20 ga Encore slug gun. I have had only 1 missed shot in the last 6 years which I think was a deflected 20 ga slug. I quickly reloaded and "dropped" her.

I had one occurance when I shot a large Doe and her young one's stayed so I kept loading the 20 ga slug gun from the tree stand and tagged 2 more as well. We have unlimited Doe tags and donate the meat to the D.C. soup kitchens.

I don't load or prime with the 209 primer (ML) untill I am seated in my stand. The single shots( #1 & Encore's) are so perfect for tree stand shooting IMO.

Doc

I'm a relatively new "member" of the Ruger #1 Rifle Club having purchased my little RSI in 7x57 just a tad over a year ago... and the more I read what the #1 owners say about hunting with a single shot, the more I consider using my "ding-less" RSI as a "hunter" rather than just as a "shooter" at my club's rifle range which is what I've done so far with it.

My first big game kill (a running mule deer buck at 425 yards in 1962) was a "dumb" shot on which I never should have pulled the trigger... even though I was laying on a rock outcropping on a Colorado mountain with the rifle resting on my day-pack in a very solid "bench-rest-like" solid position.

It took 45 minutes to climb down the "mountain" (actually just a "tall hill") I was on, cross the narrow valley and climb back up to the same level on the next "mountain" to get to the deer. Then it took a second shot from my rifle and another shot from my pistol to "finish" the suffering buck.

Even though I knew the ballistics on my handloaded .338 Win. Mag. cartridge out to 500 yards, I mis-judged the distance and shot a bit too high and too far back breaking the deer's back. The 210 grain Nosler Partition bullet blew out 4-inches of his spine just ahead of his "hips"... taking out or ruining all of his steaks... leaving a small, football-shaped hole in the top of his back with his intestines "sucked-up" through the hole. A very "nasty" shot I truly regretted.

I felt so bad about the suffering I caused that I vowed to never take another shot beyond my rifle's "point-blank-range" (250-300 yards depending on what rifle I'm using)... and I never have.

But I digress.

I currently hunt with my handloads (150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip @ 2680 fps) in a 1953 Savage Model 99 "EG" in .300 Savage and don't consider any shot over 250 yards. I like a "repeater" in country that holds bears even though I'm hunting for deer simply because I might run into a "grouchy" ol' bear that doesn't want me on HIS mountain who might decide to "teach" me a lesson in respect.

However, the more I "hang around" guys who "hunt" single shot rifles, the more I find I'm beginning to consider using my "purdy", ding-free RSI for my annual deer hunting trek in the territory around my bestest buddy's cozy cabin in Pennsylvania where we hunt white-tails.

As far as feeling at a disadvantage with a single shot, all of my kills since that first "goof" have been one-shot kills, so a single shot would have not been... nor would be a disadvantage.

I don't feel a single shot rifle would be a "disadvantage" during ANY hunt for non-dangerous game, but admittedly, I believe it is "natural & normal" for a man using a single shot rifle to "choose" his shots a bit more carefully.

If I were hunting dangerous game (I'm thinking mostly of the BIG bears since I don't hunt outside of North America), I'd want a repeating rifle "just-in-case".

If I were hunting things at CAN "eat" me or hunting in an area where such animals are found, I'd definitely want a "repeating" rifle.

As far as carrying a round in the chamber, once I am out of the cabin, I load my rifle's chamber, put the safety "on" and, naturally... keep the muzzle of my rifle pointing in a SAFE direction (loaded or not) at ALL times both "going" and "coming" from the hunt. I unload the rifle once I get back to camp, but BEFORE I enter the cabin. Our camp rule is "no loaded guns in the cabin"... a "rule" with which I completely agree.

In summary, I frankly don't see any big disadvantage in hunting non-dangerous game with a single shot rifle. I do believe it tends to make most hunters "choose" their shots more carefully which isn't a "bad" thing.


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

Since getting my #1 13 years ago it has accounted for 1 deer and most of my antelope since. Last Monday was the latest antelope. It makes you put all your stalking and shooting skills to work to make that one good shot. Mine isn't as light and responsive as yours. I have a 28" barrel on it in .264 Win. Mag.. Yours would have been just the ticket at the 30 yards from the herd I found myself in, but mine is too heavy for quick off-hand shooting that would have been called for.

Good luck hunting with your #1!

"Oh, have missed a couple of shots with singles. Both times I just pulled it and shot under, at about 200 yards."

I just did the exact same thing yesterday on an antelope doe. I would have been home buy 10 o'clock in the morning. Came home empty instead.

Youper

I hunt the big empty with mine in central and eastern MT so I only load it when I spot the animal and start the stalk. I think if I hunted in thicker country I would go loaded and keep all aspects of weapons safety in mind as with any other type of action.

I hunt using a G2 Contender pistol in 35 REM and a G2 Contender Rifle in 6.8 SPC. I killed 6 deer last year using these two weapons. Ranges were from about 50 yards out to about 200 yards. I do cary them loaded if I am still hunting (moving slowly). If I am stand hunting and I am just walking to my tree stand or tripod stand, then the weapon is unloaded.

If you have a nice #1, T/C Encores are relatively cheap, easy to replace wood (or synthetic), and swappable barrels. The NEF's are even cheaper (again with the synthetic option).

I tend to use Contender pistols in 7-30 Waters and 30-30. I'll probably get a 16" barrel in 7-30 and use that as a rifle (right about 5lbs scoped). I do have a 243 NEF (I want to get a 45/70 barrel for it).

I use an Encore and a Number One as well as bolt guns, lever actions and a few autoloaders. Like many of you, I'm at a point in life where magazine capacity may be a political issue, but (for me) it's not a hunting issue. Even by being very, very careful of when and how I pull that trigger I seem to be able to put enough meat in the freezer and the occassional rack on the wall.

Hunting success with a single shot. ONE shot, this critter literally dropped flat on his belly. Put one into the back of his neck at 3 feet but it really wasn't needed. Original Sharps 45-110.

500gr paper patch, 105 gr GOEX FFG Express.

That's how ya deal with a rainbow trajectory.

Way to go ET.....too cool!

Jeff

I am 100% using my Ruger No1 in 405 Win, only have hunted one time with it




Need to hunt more with it, really like it, just a little too big of a caliber for the midwest, little over kill for whitetail using a 400 gr Barnes SP doing 1900 fps. Need to find a No1 in 6.5 Swede for that.

I always carry a round in the chamber, safety on, once I start hunting. Never know when a shot on a animal will happen.

41Gunner

I know there are more than a few folks who would feel undergunned with a single when hunting dangerous game. And I have actually pondered and questioned the utility and purpose of the Tropical versions (like the 416s and 458s). Yet, if you think about it, in just about any DG scenario one will have back-up of some kind, often professional. Combine that with the great familiarity with your rifle that most "rifle loonies" (it is easier to spell than afficiando) who might choose a single to hunt with will have and you still have a very useful hunting combination.

Besides, when hunting in some of the perverse conditions one can encounter in remote places, I like the fact that I can peek into the bore from the breech to quickly prove that my three or four hundred grain bullet is not going to meet at least that much mud or snow before it exits the barrel. As a final bonus, I have found that the simple combination of moving parts, at least in the Ruger #1, is less inclined to get sticky in the cold than are bolt rifles with longer parallel sliding surfaces. That's a value that has proved itself on several moose hunts.

This bear never knew that it was a single shot which launched the 350 grain bullet.

Probably didn't know my backup was five years old either.

The FIRST shot wuz 75 yards. The neck shot was to pay the insurance.

I've done well with a Ruger#1 in 416 Rigby -- only on elk so far. I've also shot two buffalo with a Browning 1885 High Wall in .454. A few deer with an Encore in .454 (hey, it is a single shot! )

have put in a finisher after the first shot dropped (all the larger animals) and had no trouble reloading quickly.

When you tire of shooting that big 4-1-6 perhaps I could try it for awhile.

it's a pretty one for sure...might not fair too well up your way

Yup, it is. At least it's walnut - I won't have any other kind of #1. My 45-70 has nice wood if less so than yours. 'Course the corners on the metal are a bit bluing "faded' and some of the wood finish has been polished a bit "deep." Still, as far as I'm concerned, it hasn't lost any value even if I'm the only one who is likely to view it that way. Wear has a way of looking so honest on a blued/walnut gun.

Evil Twin--Way to go. Using an ORIGINAL bull barreled Sharps 45-110 and traditional paper patched bullets is really special. Think about it--that old rifle has surely killed buffalo in years past, maybe even thousands of them. Here it is today putting moose on the ground with one shot.

Your experience with the moose adds to my sense that these rifles and this caliber are truly Something Special. I have hunted with Sharps rifles and lead bullets pushed by black powder for years, and have enjoyed a bit of success. I finally got a 45-110 about four years ago, and its effect in the game fields, ESPECIALLY on large animals, has been dramatic. While I haven't taken a moose, I have seen Wyoming buffalo and South African kudu, black wildebeast, blue wildebeast, and gemsbok simply melt when hit with a 511 grain 30-1 paper patched bullet out of my rifle. All of these animals are larger than an American elk, and when we put your moose into the mix, I get the sense that there is something extraordinary about the load and cartridge. It simply flattens them.

I am going for a buffalo again in December with a friend of mine, and we will both be using Shiloh Sharps in 45-110. We will also be shooting the traditional 500 grain 30-1 paper patched bullets pushed by 106 grains of Goex Express black powder. We have good rifles and will have a good hunt--every hunt you take with that original Sharps is truly special. Congratulations, and thanks for sharing.

I have hunted many years with single shots. I started with a Browning 78 in 7mag back around 1979. I killed a good many Texas whitetails with it. There have been many other rifles along the way but the singles have always been my favorites. The last decade or so I have hunted with Sharps and black powder but have tapered off the black powder because of the "low and slow" problems with cleanly killing animals. The Sharps 40-70ss with 300gr Hawk bullets and H4895 are great killers, especially hard on hogs.

I have always had a Ruger #1 or several in the rack and have recently added a Hagn in 300 win mag. It went to Africa and I have zero complaints about the single. Short of dangerous game I believe a single shot is just fine.

Here's a Hartebeest that I shot at a little over 200yds. The Hartebeest was quartering away trotting and the partition hit him behind the last rib on the left side and broke the shoulder on the right.

Sorry about the pained look on my face. I had blown out a disc in my neck and the pain was brutal by this point in the hunt.

Here's my Hartebeest:

sharpsguy,
Why so little powder in that beast of your's? I get 105 gr of the Express in my .45-90 for a target load

Josh, have you ever tried hollowpoints in your Sharps. The fabled Gould bullet?

That's Hagn is about as pretty as a hammerless gun can get.

Brent

Brent--I shoot 106 grains of 2f Express for three reasons. One is it is ACCURATE with the 511 grain round nosed paper patched bullet I use for hunting. Second, that powder charge burns really clean--I mean REALLY clean--at that particular level of compression with that bullet. I can shoot without wiping or using a blow tube while hunting. I don't even carry a blow tube, in fact. Just load and shoot. The third reason is that the velocity I get from that bullet across my Oehler with that charge is 1382 fps, and for some reason it puts them on the ground like they have been hit with Thor's hammer.

I have used the Gould hollowpoint in year's past. They are unbelievably destructive in flesh and ruin a lot of meat. I honestly don't see that they put animals on the ground as well as the 511 paper patch bullet. They also don't give complete pass through, whereas the 511 paper patch does.

Josh does have a really handsome rifle in that Hagin. I wish he had tried a 45-110 before he went the smokeless route, though. Josh is one tough cookie. There is no doubt that he went to Africa and had a great safari with what actually amounted to a broken back.

Guy, I know, you gotta use what works. I was just pullin' your leg. I would think it would be faster though. My 550s go 1418 with 105 of the same. I gave a buddy a few boxes of my extras and he shot them at the same velocity.

I was thinking that Josh might like the hollowpoints. I've been happy with my flat points.

Tried to call you tonight but your phone was running hard.

I'm off to bed now, but I was loading some .45-70 stuff. I ain't really experiences with the little bitty and stubby cartridges like that.

Brent

At first hunting big game with a single shot seemed to be an obvious disadvantage. When I was a kid I poured over the Soegers and Gun Guide and the one that held the most shots impressed me the most.

I had started with a Stevens Favorite in .25 then .22. All of our target rifles were loaded single shot and then I got Schuetzens. I craved a High Wall for varminting in the late 50's and early 60's. They were not easy to find.

Not until Ruger came out with the #1 did I even consider using one for big game but I got one in 1969. I did get a drilling in 1968 but thats not really a single shot.

Hunting was pretty easy for me then and with that fact I used the SS. As of late I have moved away from them for big game. I still have the old 1A and now its a 30-06. Other rifles interest me more these days.

Reading your "gun Techs" talk about your 50-100 cartridges and paper patched bullets one would think that you were on the set of a part 2 of "Quigley Down Under".

Doc

My son has used a single shot shotgun or rifle since he was 11 years old[he's 25 now]. He has taken about 20 whitetails with a H&R tracker II 20 ga. He bought an H&R Ultra Hunter in .30-06, and used it to take a black bear in Idaho, last year[1 shot 200 yds.]. Matter of fact, he's taking it to RSA, next summer on our plains game hunt. Other than shooting my lever actions, a few times, he's never shot anything BUT a single shot.

Mad Dog

the "quigley" rifle was/is a .45/110. Sort of a highbrow sophisticated big sister to the .50-110.

Brent

Thanx Sharpsguy. IMHO, the 45-110 IS a first class big game cartridge. As for hunting with the original, I HAD to do it!! It got wet in the rain, it got banged on the stock in the woods, but it was and is a hunting rifle. I am very pleased to relate that all the other hunters were using 300 ultramags, 300 Winnies, a 300 weatherby and a big 7 mag. NONE of them dropped their moose with just one shot. They were using Accubonds, Failsafes and Noslers. It was very satisfying that a cast paperpatched low tech slug hammered the moose (like you said) like the Hammer of Thor. Believe me there are now some men and a woman who will never disparage our artillery pieces ever again

Brent, I have never tried the Gould bullet. I do have an old Ideal mold that is a hollow point in the .45 government bullet. It works pretty good on hogs if you drive it fast, 1300fps+. I used it in my 45-100. Its an 11 pound rifle and too heavy for me to lug around day in and day out.

I don't know if I told you this or not, but before I started lining out for Africa I had Brooks cut me a stepped paper patch bullet for my 40-70ss. It is a flat base and with a .060" LDPE it shoots OK. Doesn't kill all that well. I took the same bullet and wad and drove it to 1750fps with H4895 and shot a couple of hogs with it. It was like those hogs got electrocuted. Those 40-1 paper patch bullets turn themselves inside out, almost like a little cup. It was a fun experiment, but when you start driving 375-400gr bullets in the 1800fps to 2100fps range in a 9lb rifle the recoil begins to play a part. In truth I am a little recoil sensitive. I need to keep recoil mild to shoot my best in the field.

SS
Josh

I love hunting with my 1885 in 45-70. Nice and trim, easy to carry. I hunt with the chamber loaded and the hammer down. An unloaded rifle is the most useless creation you can have in your hands, next to an unloaded handgun...only because your reach is better with an unloaded rifle.

I've hunted with a #1 in 7x57 since 1983 or so. My Dad had given me a very nice custom .308 win. (Mod 700) for a HS grad present, but it got stolen. So I started using the 7x57 he had bought for my younger brother (who never really liked hunting and maybe fired the rifle 5 times).

I killed dozens of Texas whitetails with it, only one took more than one shot, and that was due to my poor shooting.

I just killed the biggest buck of my life with it tonight at dusk, just finished getting it cut up and cooling in the shop. I was still hunting and he popped up at maybe 30 yards, one shot spined him and the next was a finisher in the neck.

I always have carried a round in the chamber while hunting, but unload if the ground is rough, climbing a fence, in the truck, etc.

I don't recall ever being handicapped on a second shot with the #1. I suppose I could be, but I rarely if ever shoot at running game.

Besides, the #1 is such a beautiful rifle, even with all the dings and scratches in the stock.

REgards.

I have hunted big game with singleshots since 1986 when I started using specialty handguns. I do not hunt dangerous game, but most shots are one-shot kills. With elk, if the animal is still up I will send another shot until it is down though.
I sure do not feel handicapped.

The 1885 in 45/70 has been on my wish list for a long time. I would love to work my way up to 500 yards with a gun like that and do a big game hunt out west.

I love Quigley Down Under. But am I the only one that thinks a 4 inch group at 700 yards, open handed is a reach?

Anyhoot, One day I'll have one.

Hoot, all the shooting in the Quigley movie is a bit of a stretch. All you have to do is go to your local NRA BPCR silhouette match and watch the folks shoot the 200 meter chickens offhand. 5 chickens out of ten is very good shooting.

Still a pretty neat movie.

SS

Sharpshooter,

What did the "Quigley" movie do for Sharps Rifle Co. in Big Timber,Montana business??

Just curious as to the impact as "Jerimiah Johnson" did for the T/C Hawkin and "Dirty Harry" for S&W and so on.

Doc

Doc.

Speaking of Dirty Harry...A friend of mines grandfather worked on the set of The Enforcer. He said it wasnt a Model 29 S&W he used in the movie. It was a Model 25. Same N frame gun but in 45 LC. They went with the 25 because the barrel looked larger in the close ups. The 25 shot 45 LC's and 45 ACP's with the half moon clips.

Doctor, I don't really know how the Quigley movie impacted the two Sharps outfits in Big Timber. My guess is that there are a lot of Sharps 45-110's in the hands of a lot of guys that wouldn't have had any idea what a Sharps was before watching the movie.

NRA BPCR silhouette probably gained them alot of sales, too.

Regardless, its nice to see a couple of American rifle companies still making a living building American rifles.

SS

Well if the Shiloh Sharps web site is any indication a heck of a lot. I have a thread on the Long Range Express on "VarmintandPredator" Forum and as I mention there Shiloh plays the "Quigley Down Under" music in the background. If that doesn't make you want to buy a Sharps nothing will and you aren't a Sharps Shooter.

Here's the web site for those interested: www.shilohrifle.com

If this is any indication, after Quigley came out the wait for a Shiloh Sharps went to about five years. These days it is about 22 months. My son is on the waiting list.

Shiloh hasn't let demand lower their commitment to quality and service. If anything, the current Shilohs are the best ever.

Paul

I'll jump into this late. I hunt quite a bit with my No.1s, but I've been enamoured with M77s since I was 18 years old, so they get the nod some, too. I usually pick a rifle each year and do most of my hunting with it. Next year, a different rifle. I ran a string of ten or twelve one shot kills on deer, antelope, and coyote with a 1B in .25-06 back in the 80s. Missed a running doe with it (shot in front of her) to end the streak. That rifle was magic with a Speer 120gr flatbase at 3100fps.

Much of my hunting in Idaho the last few years has been with a Lyman Great Plains. Had to shoot an elk twice with it. My fault, angle was steep and I only hit one lung with the first shot.

Last year I hunted mostly with my No.1S in .300H&H, but alas, no elk volunteers.

No hunting this year. My move took up all of the season and all of my money. My wife says if I sell a couple of rifles, I could finance a hunt. Huh!

Next year the .300H&H will go moose hunting, or maybe the M77RS in .350RemMag. Or maybe the Lyman on a late muzzleloader.

But, no I've never felt undergunned with a single, nor can I blame any lack of success to only having one up the snout. But, I have saved some blood-shot meat with only one shot.

YMMV,
Jim

Coming in late too. I've used a #1 7mm Rem mag for years on pronghorn, deer, and elk. Initally, I think the thought of being single made me a better shot. At least I put more conscious effort into assuring that rests were snug and breathing and trigger squeeze well deciplined. The barrel is getting rough now, but it still shoots, and I've never once wished for a repeater. If I've had the drop on the animal (which is normally the case in big sky country) I stick a second cartridge between my trigger hand fingers and can have it dropped in probably a second later. The real time consumer is getting back on target and executing a proper trigger squeeze.

If out with a bolt action, I still load and shoot single, just because I don't want to induce run out by cycling cartridges through the magazine and action. Likely being anal, but I've never seen the bench boys stacking rounds in a clip

Just starting to work up a Shiloh now (a 45-90 tricked out Long Range Express). Got the big octagon barrel, so it weighs a ton. The wait was initially reported at 14 months but ended up being 24. The wood, workmanship, and wood to metal fit is the best of anything in the safe and well worth the wait. Looking forward to blowing some serious smoke, and hope to break it in on an 400 yard elk someday. Have a good fall out there. 1Minute

I began hunting with single shots in 1987. I have over 30 one shot kills, 90% with Encores & 10% with bolt guns (Ruger 77 & Wby Mk V). While I do not possess any magical shooting prowess I must say I much prefer the s.s. over the bolt gun.

I don't think Encores are high end guns but I do like mine. My current heartthrob is a Wby Mk V but my Encore two barrel set in 7 Wby and 280 Rem is sitting on HOT standby!

I hunt almost exclusively with singleshots - preferably very old ones and loaded with black powder and paper patched bullets. I do not fine it to be a handicap.

From a 10 days ago in Wyoming...

I like hunting with single-shots. It gives more of a sense of accomplishment. Usually, I'll hunt with a bolt-action repeater until I 'get my buck', then switch over to a single. I'm just slow enough with a bolt-action to make me focus and concentrate on shooting well. I'm not as good with an autoloader. With a single, I have to be good.

_

Brent your rifle looks alot like a Ballard or Meacham Hi Wall. Is it? What's the caliber?

DD, it is neither. It is an original made 120 yrs ago and restored with some help from Ballard and many other people. It was pretty boogered when I got it. The wood is untouched however.

It is .38-72-300

Brent

I hunt with single shots (#1 and Encores) as well as Levers and Bolts. I do not view single shots as a handicap at all. The particular rifle or hand gun that I may hunt with is simple the one I want to hunt with that day. My single shots are #1 in 7MM Rem, 270 Weatherby and a new #1 in 6.5x55 and Encores in 223 Rem, 7mm08, 308 and 260 with 15" barrels. I have levers in 45-70, 450 Marlin and 358 Win. I have bolts in just about everything under 30 cal. and some I have two in. I'm 62 years old, shot my first deer at age 12 with dads Model 94. I have hunted most seasons since except for a couple when I was in the military. Only once did I need two shots and that was a close in running shot with 270, deer stopped about 20 yds away and I put another one through the lungs. Lost a deer about 5 years ago when on doe management on my lease. I shot the deer in the shoulder at about 70 yds, deer ran into the next county leaving a good blood trail.

Have never kept records, but don't consider single shots be be a handicap. Most of my shots have been at less than 100 yds. Even antelope in Montana and South Dakota. I will be hunting a different lease in Jan and will be using my 257 Roy and 7SAUM and maybe the #1 Swede if it works out ok.

That is one nice lookin rifle. I read that the 38-78-300 can be made from blown out 30-40 Kreg brass. Is that what you do?

Error on my part, I meant 38-72-300.

Nope, mine are made from squeezed down Hornady .405 Win brass. One stroke in the press and a nice perfect case ready to go. If there are a few minor dimensional differences, the reamer I borrowed/rented was made for using this particular brass with RCBS dies. Works like a champ.

Brent

I finished up the season last weekend, deer, elk and antelope all taken with a No. 1. I shot the elk with a No. 1 in 375 H&H, the deer and the antelope both fell to a No. 1 in .243 AI. This makes three years since i've carried a bolt action.

Been hunting and shooting single shot rifles for nye on 30yrs. I hunt elk, bears, antelope, muledeer, whitetails, javelina, pasture poodles and other critters with them. Never felt handicapped nor hampered by using single shots. I feel they make you a far better hunter. Don't own a bolt action centerfire, Just Ruger #1's, Browning 78's, TC Encores, Model 1874 Sharps, assorted flintlock and percussion BP guns.

I shot a buck and a doe with my T/C pro hunter 20 gauge slug gun last Saturday. I shot the doe on a quick reload.

The Hornady 20 gauge SST slug ammo is very accurate at 100 yards with 3 shot groups less than 1 1/2 inches,but bullet performance was less than stellar.

Doc

I hunt occasionally with one of my antique rifles. Sometimes it's a lever action repeater, and sometimes an old singleshot rifle.
Last year it was a Ballard Union Hill in .38-55 that I took this 5x4 mulie with. Midrange vernier rear and globe front. Took him at a bit under 150 yds. from a seated position.