DG with a single shot

cam1936

cam1936

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There are many on this forum with ample dangerous game experience. What is the consensus with using a Ruger No. 1 on dangerous game? For the sake of argument state your opinion as if one was both backed up by a PH with a stopping rifle and if one was self guided.

I have never hunted dangerous game so perhaps I am misguided. However after watching dozens of YouTube videos of various dangerous game charges, it is somewhat rare for a client to get off more than one shot anyways. I would think a double rifle would be ideal, but if it's a bolt vs. a No. 1 I would think with most charges in the thick stuff, one would be just as good as the other.

What do you guys think?
 
You'll want to ask your outfitter whether he will be OK with it. That's really all that matters in my limited experience.

That said, the ability to deliver a reasonably quick follow-up shot (or shots), under pressure, is really in your best interests, as far as self-preservation is concerned.

Sure, it's "your life", but I can't imagine an outfitter or PH being too keen on it. (Things can get "complicated" very quickly if the critter fails to fall down after your first shot.)

Hey, what's the worst that could happen?
 
Never give a PH any more excuse to put a shot into your animal than he already has. Never give a big animal any extra chance to escape. Too much is made of charges and not enough of lost animals.

You tube videos aside, its really easy to shoot a bolt gun dry on buffalo. Don't even think about quitting shooting while your animal is up, and you are unlikely be to done shooting after its down. I don't see where a singleshot fits into that.
 
Good point about the potential to lose an animal.

It was always surprising to see an animal hit "properly" and still keep running on its merry way. A certain three-shot waterbuck comes to mind. (three good hits with a .375 H&H, 300gr A-Frames, broken far front leg, kept running, trying to make it to the bush).

The ability to deliver quick, proper, follow-up shots is important. (Thankfully, my PH (Shaun Buffee) made it clear early on: "look, I'm not interested in shooting my client's animals". That was the arrangement in the absence of an imminent threat to life).
 
YouTube is not the place to get educated. YouTube is a place to be entertained.
Using a Ruger No. 1 on dangerous game would depend entirely on your skill. The No. 1 currently is 'distributor's exclusive' thing only according to Ruger's site. Most African countries only allow .375 H&H or over. The No. 1 Tropical in .375 H&H weighs 7.31 lbs. It'd hurt to shoot. Hard to get experience and skill with a rifle that hurts to shoot.
The FNG clients tend to rapidly succumb to 'buck fever' when confronted with something big, mean having ill intent. A Buff or elephant will stomp a human into a red smudge. A buff will actually hunt down and kill anything that annoys him.
Charges in the thick stuff can come from 5 feet. You wouldn't be allowed to go in there.
 
sunray said:
YouTube is not the place to get educated. YouTube is a place to be entertained.
Using a Ruger No. 1 on dangerous game would depend entirely on your skill. The No. 1 currently is 'distributor's exclusive' thing only according to Ruger's site. Most African countries only allow .375 H&H or over. The No. 1 Tropical in .375 H&H weighs 7.31 lbs. It'd hurt to shoot. Hard to get experience and skill with a rifle that hurts to shoot.
The FNG clients tend to rapidly succumb to 'buck fever' when confronted with something big, mean having ill intent. A Buff or elephant will stomp a human into a red smudge. A buff will actually hunt down and kill anything that annoys him.
Charges in the thick stuff can come from 5 feet. You wouldn't be allowed to go in there.
Click to expand...

YouTube can be a tool. You can see first hand how a dozens of charges from different animals play out. Obviously watching YouTube makes no one an expert, but it can be a learning tool.

The Ruger website is wrong on the weight of a 1H. The Ruger website often states incorrect weights. The tropicals are 8-9 lbs bare depending on chambering.

I definitely hear you dogleg. From what I've heard it's best to plug them as many times as one can. A Ruger No. 1 can be shot quite rapidly by holding cartridges in the knuckles of the left hand. Rifle never leaves the shoulder. Fire, open action and grab a cartridge out of knuckles, put it in chamber and close the action. When practiced it can be done as fast as an inexperienced hunter can cycle a bolt and regain the target. Obviously a practiced shot can cycle a bolt faster. I plan on spending some time at the range with a shot clock to find out how much faster. The issue with reloading a No. 1 fast like that is it takes much more practice and muscle memory.
 
I love the Ruger #1. But you know what I love more? My ass. The Ruger can be shot, and shot well, quite quickly. By some people. Before their adrenal glands try to short-circuit their brain. When everything goes right there is no problem. But if something goes pear-shaped the vast majority will have their brain go into, what I like to call, "infinite loop".

"Dropped my spare rounds under recoil"
"Oh ####"
"I'm going to die here"
Oh ####"
"Need more rounds"
"Oh ####"
"Dropped my spare rounds under recoil"
"Oh ####"
"I'm going to die here"
Oh ####"
"Need more rounds"
"Oh ####"
"Dropped my spare rounds under recoil"
"Oh ####"
"I'm going to die here"
Oh ####"
"Need more rounds"
"Oh ####"
"Dropped my spare rounds under recoil"
"Oh ####"
"I'm going to die here"
Oh ####"
"Need more rounds"
"Oh ####"
"Dropped my spare rounds under recoil"
"Oh ####"
"I'm going to die here"
Oh ####"
"Need more rounds"
"Oh ####"

This is how it goes. And before you get through it two or three times the PH has shot your animal (best case), animal is gone (next best case) or you're dead (far from best case).

In the end I feel that you are putting too many people at risk by deliberately handicapping yourself. Now people will argue that bow-hunters and muzzleloader hunters of dangerous game handicap themselves as well. And they would be right. The problem is that with archery or muzzleloaders the PH can clearly see that the hunter is at a severe disadvantage. Less power, less margin for error and obviously slower follow up shots. But with a single shot rifle the PH can't immediately see whether the shooter has enough skill or even if something out of the blue will knock the situation on it's ass. You're dealing with someone with a firearm of sufficient power and lethality to dispatch the game. But when the action starts the PH won't be staring at you to see if you've just screwed the pooch on your reload.

I've seen it done and I know it can be done, but if I'm going to be standing next to a guy trying to do it I would like to have my Rigby or my double in my hands.

Just in case. Like I said...I love my ass the most.
 
I was once CHARGED by two very angry skunks and it took 2 magazines full of 55 grain soft points from my 22-250 Browning A-Bolt before I was able to stop the charge!! I am glad I was not shooting my #1 on that occasion, could have been a real stinking mess!! :p :ninja:
 
sunray said:
YouTube is not the place to get educated. YouTube is a place to be entertained.
Using a Ruger No. 1 on dangerous game would depend entirely on your skill. The No. 1 currently is 'distributor's exclusive' thing only according to Ruger's site. Most African countries only allow .375 H&H or over. The No. 1 Tropical in .375 H&H weighs 7.31 lbs. It'd hurt to shoot. Hard to get experience and skill with a rifle that hurts to shoot.
The FNG clients tend to rapidly succumb to 'buck fever' when confronted with something big, mean having ill intent. A Buff or elephant will stomp a human into a red smudge. A buff will actually hunt down and kill anything that annoys him.
Charges in the thick stuff can come from 5 feet. You wouldn't be allowed to go in there.
Click to expand...

I bring '0' experience to this posting other than a Ruger No. 1-T most assuredly does not weight only 7.31 pounds , lol.
That and they are pretty casual to shoot actually.
Other than that...taking notes. A fella's got to know his limitations; I'll pay attention when a member of SOMA says something about dangerous game...that's their thing. Why not pay attention to experience?
 
My Buffalo took 3 shots, in realty I could have used a No 1, it was that long between shots. If you use the No1 do lots of practice reloading it. I was very fast reloading my double on this hunt. I also have a 500/450 and a 450/400 in a Ruger No 1 I'm thinking of taking one next year.
 
Many dangerous animals exist in groups. That should enter into your planning.

My Buffalo took 3 shots,
Click to expand...

That's about average when things go right, for a fast shooter. Many of the buffalo that die with a single-bullet ran immediately out of sight and were recovered after smoking a half pack of cigarettes.
 
No experience here but I'm sure your ph would treat it like you're shooting a muzzle loader. If it doesn't drop he will probably shoot it for you. Great points about having problems reloading and possible awkward positions to reload from. Personally I would want to finish it myself and would prefer not to give the ph any necessity to need to, or my wife any reason to collect insurance money.
 
Hell...my buffalo died so fast after my single shot that he was down before I had the jam cleared. In that case a single would have been quite a bit faster.

But sometimes...
 
I have zero experience with DG. I only know what I have read 7 seen.

My opinion is that you should ask the PH if he will take you with a single shot. That might be the answer right there.
The PH's carry 2 shot rifles for a reason. That would be reason enough for me to either take one of those or take a bolt gun.


Good luck, have fun.
 
Cam1936...........there is a very good reason why most dedicated true DG bolt action rifles hold 5 rounds under and one up. My Sako safari does in 375 H&H and so does my Brno 602 and my Brno in 416 Rigby holds 4 under and one up. That really should tell you something. I can also tell you I shot my buffalo 9 times with a 416 Taylor. There was nothing wrong with either my shooting or the cartridge...................they just really are that tough, and I would never use solids again on buff. Most of the PHs I know are way to well mannered and diplomatic to tell you what they really think of guys who want to hunt buffalo with 45-70s or single shots.........I can tell you none of them think highly of it and it is usually considered a stunt and those who do to be avoided if possible. When they talk among themselves they usually say something like "why can't they just bring a bolt 375 or 458 and do it properly like everyone else"
They do not have time for shenanigans that could get clients hurt or killed which will cost them a black mark on their license or even the loss of it in some countries. Neither do they like to lose animals as this also hurts their reputation even if it is not their fault in the slightest. The client will still go home and bad mouth the PH for losing his/her buffalo and of course not accept any responsibility.........so the PHs rep is the only one tarnished and they don't need this either.
It is incumbent upon you to show up with the correct type of equipment and the ability to use it quite well. This means a double or bolt gun holding preferably no less than 4 rounds and 6 is better. This is the best way to impress your PH and then impress him even further by actually being able to shoot it well and hit what you shoot at......this is their best case scenario for a successful hunt for them and you. Brand spanking new unfired looking big bore rifles will not get oohs and aahs, what they get is sideways glances and he's thinking "oh sh!t...here we go again"........but if you show up with a rifle of appropriate caliber and cartridge that has some miles on it and you shoot it well, you'll be greeted with big smiles and a hard working hunting team.
 
I full intend to take my 375 #1 Grizz hunting this spring with a little luck on the LEH draw system... Certainly no pizzed off water buff in the thick but it has my attention. I was pretty good with the 2 cartridges hanging down from the left hand with my 270 #1 when I was a kid, but certainly not a high stress situation.

If I never post again after the May long weekend it you'll know what happened..... ;)

D.K.
 
What's the procedure, walk around all day everyday with a handful of finger held shells? Isn't that conceding that they will probably be needed? Once you admit that they will probably be needed, then the single shot makes little sense. I used the finger technique with a borrowed double rifle once, and shot up all the ammo as fast as you can say bbbbbboom. No faster than a bolt gun though.


I do understand the appeal of the #1 though, from a cool point of view if not from a practical one.
 
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Some really good well reasoned responses.

I really like Ruger No. 1s. A buff hunt is a ways off for me and I was planning on taking a bolt for my first anyways, however I have wondered what experienced people thought of using a No. 1 on DG. I do plan to take my .300 H&H to Africa in 2017, but it will be plains game only. I'm going to get a No. 1 in a NE cartridge because it is the cheapest platform to play around with those classic cartridges, but it looks like a bolt will be the clear choice when it comes time to actually head over there on a Cape Buffalo hunt. Thanks CGN.
 
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