Single shots for big game.

[Potashminer]

I really don't know why I don't hunt with my single shot rifles. For the most part, 99% that is, I kill my big game animal with the first shot. I have beautiful kipplauf and falling block rifles that are begging to be taken hunting. Maybe I'll start this November on my annual whitetail hunt.

Was my main impetus to get a Ruger #1 after the Win 70 left home with our son. Upon reflection, most all the deer that I had gotten to that point, were actually gotten with the first shot - most of the time the ones in the magazine just made the deer run faster - and I emptied the magazine many times - I could remember one white tail doe that I got with the third shot fired - other than that one, I could not remember any others, taken other than with the first shot. And I "missed" many, many times with the Ruger #1 - I wore a sleeve on the butt stock that held 9 cartridges - with the thing ejecting straight up and firing / reloading from the shoulder, the "rate of fire" about equivalent to my son, who apparently insisted to drop the butt off his shoulder to cycle that Win 70 bolt. Is still in my head that it is the first, cold barrel shot that matters most - after that, it gets fairly "crazy".

 

[jjohnwm]

I've always been a fan of single shots, and appreciate them now more than ever. Aside from a couple of old rifles with sentimental value, I don't even think I own any "nice" bolt guns anymore. Bolts have been demoted to the "tool" category in my mind; when I want to use a "nice" gun it will be a single, double or lever.

There's only one slight catch to this: While a bolt or lever gun can be carried loaded but with chamber empty, and then quickly racked and fired...most singles lack this ability. Not a huge deal most of the time, I have no problem sitting on stand or still-hunting down a trail with a rifle that is cocked-and-locked, ready for instant use. But if the rifle is slung (which in my case is very rarely, and usually after the kill), I want the chamber empty. This makes unslinging the rifle, chambering a round and firing a much slower operation with a single than a repeater. If I were hunting among grizzlies...I'm not sure I would ever sling my rifle...ever.

A single with an exposed hammer is the easy way around this, but plenty of folks don't seem to like such a configuration. I like 'em, but they do tend to have slow lock times and they also usually interfere with scope placement to some extent. With iron sights, they're great. Can you say Sharps?

I think that the ultimate is a single shot equipped with a decocking-safety on the tang; it can be carried with a round chambered and the firing pin spring de-tensioned, then cocked as it is brought to the shoulder for firing. My Haenel Jaeger is a reasonably-priced gun with this feature, and of course for more money there are Blasers, etc. It is literally effortless to use a safety like this, and adds zero time to that required just to shoulder it, aim it and fire. Perfection.

 

[dthunter]

About 15 years ago, I was looking for a change. I had been hunting with a Remington 7600 pump, but rearely found myself in a position where I needed a rapid follow up shot. I wasn’t ready to give up hunting a firearm, so started looking at single shot rifles. The more digging that I did, the more that I was drawn to the Browning B78. I ended up buying a used one online from Cabelas in Rapid City South Dakota and had Prophet River import it for me. Since buying it, I’ve bagged several moose and deer with itso I’m quite pleased with my acquisition.

Those B78's are gorgeous! I have had my share of Ruger number 1's, and they just never shot to my satisfaction. But every B78, or 1885 I have purchased over the years has shot VERY well indeed! Over all, the 1885 and B78 is a more accurate design that the no1's. At least in EVERY no1 that I have experienced. I wish I had a better experience with the no1, then I would have a reason to collect them too! Lol!

I really like the looks of the no1, and wished they shot as well as they look.

 

[Potashminer]

Ruger No. 1 - back in the day, that gun writer John Barsness had a whole series of articles about trying to accurize them - quarter rib mods, fore-end bedding, fore-end to receiver tension, Hicks Device for barrel tension and so on. Was like a "high end" girlfriend, I had read - really nice to look at - a "ton" of work to get to perform. And then I read of some people saying how accurate their's was - is borderline to feel sorry for those people - how much fussing they missed out on ...

 

[MiG25]

I like the simplicity of the No. 1; no magazine, it's loaded or it's not, etc.

 

[jjohnwm]

I have always loved the Ruger #1; Alex Henry fore-end only, the rounded one need not apply. II think a #1 is one of the most beautiful regular production rifles ever made.

But they are pretty porky...and, sadly, I find them somewhat uncomfortable to shoot because their stock design and my frame design just don't seem to work too well together. I notice the felt recoil of any given cartridge about twice as much with a #1 as I do with most bolt actions. So I tend to avoid smaller cartridges in a #1 because of their weight, and then I avoid the largest stuff because I know it won't be very comfortable to shoot. I only have a pair of #1 Rugers left, a .300WM and a .45-70, and they are in that middle ground of still very shootable, without feeling overweight for the power delivered.

And, yes, I read all those old articles about poor shooting #1's and how to "cure" it...but I never had one that I felt was sick. I owned over a dozen through the years and all shot very well, a couple of them extraordinarily well, with only one whose accuracy was a bit disappointing. It was one of the 9.3x74R guns, and its accuracy woes were fixed by playing around with the screw tension on the fore-end, following directions from an article in an old Guns&Ammo magazine. Shot great after that; should have kept it.

Oddly enough, I have also had several B78 and 1885 singles over the years, and only two...a B78 in .22-250 purchased new around 1974, and a Winchester-branded 1885 in .375H&H purchased new maybe a half-dozen years ago...were really good shooters. All the rest were indifferent at best.

That old .22-250 was one of Brownings with the blinding high-gloss blue and wood finish; it had a nice silver medallion on the grip cap intended for engraving. That damn thing fell out of the stock, perhaps propelled by the frightful recoil of the cartridge, and was never seen again. I eventually got another medallion from Browning because I just couldn't bear to look at the ugly scar, and went to a gunsmith to have it attached in some way that would hold. It fell off and was lost about a month later.

The .375 was a beauty, 28-inch barrel, straight stock, low-gloss wood; I think it was called the Safari model? I scoped it and used it a bit, but sold it off when I got yet another .375 and have regretted it ever since. Lovely rifle; I wish I still had it. If the guy who bought if from me, here on the EE, wants to get rid of it...PM me first!

 

[nomad 68]

I wish CVA and Traditions offered their singles in .308.

 

[sam menard]

When I bought my B78, it came with the original bases but no rings. I tried Leupold rings and bases (high front/med rear) but they seemed off. I ended up buying custom rings and bases from Conetrol and they were the ticket.

The forend was a bit tight, so I shimmed it with a washer on the hanger screw, that fixed it.

At the same time, I was getting into reloading and discovered that my rifle and Winchester 760 powder didn’t get along so I switched to R22 and now the thing is a tack-driver.

 

[Butcherbill]

I'd much prefer a traditions g3 or CVA scout. Scope can be mounted alot lower on those than the Henry.
The last couple henry singles I played with had horrible triggers. I've heard the newer ones are better

The only thing the cva scout v2 is missing is iron sights, the 45-70 and their pistol calibers should come with irons

 

[SHELL SHUCKER]

Those B78's are gorgeous! I have had my share of Ruger number 1's, and they just never shot to my satisfaction. But every B78, or 1885 I have purchased over the years has shot VERY well indeed! Over all, the 1885 and B78 is a more accurate design that the no1's. At least in EVERY no1 that I have experienced. I wish I had a better experience with the no1, then I would have a reason to collect them too! Lol!

I really like the looks of the no1, and wished they shot as well as they look.

I prefer the B78/1885's meself over the Ruger No1 & No3 units mainly because I like hammer guns best for my uses.
My B78 in 25-06 shot like a champ over my No1 in 22-250 back in the day. Yep, the No1's be pretty, but they take a bit of work to get 'em
dialed in right for numerous folks.

 

[blakeyboy]

Loved blaser k95 for when hunting the high volume ‘encased/unloaded’ boundary intensive kanaskis areas of southern Alberta, just take it down and pop it in the pack when needed.

Otherwise more is more, sending more lead whenever possible(without breaking position) is just more fun, regardless if more even needed . We don’t get to do it enough as it is.

 

[Potashminer]

...

Otherwise more is more, sending more lead whenever possible(without breaking position) is just more fun, regardless if more even needed . We don’t get to do it enough as it is.

We think differently, and that is probably what makes the world go around - I would fire several hundred rounds in July, August, September and October in preparation to pull off one cold bore shot in November - when we had the deer season open.

I had loaded up circa 150 rounds for my wife, when she was to go deer hunting the first time - she used them all up over the summer. She fired once to get her one and only mule deer buck, back then.

 

[mikeyb]

I love my CVA in .35 Whelen. I would also love to pick up a Ruger #1 in .35 Whelen or 9.3x62 eventually. Or a .405 Win or .450/400. Browning B78s are also lovely. I've never really been too concerned with the limitation of a single shot, but a falling block is a bit easier to reload than a break-action.

I think they're fun and classy and that's part of the experience.

 

[brybenn]

W

The only thing the cva scout v2 is missing is iron sights, the 45-70 and their pistol calibers should come with irons

While I agree with you my vision just can't do irons well enough anymore. I need the optic so factory irons are less of a concern nowadays.
An express v rear and white bead I can still handle well though

 

[iron cat]

My love of single shots started with .22 match rifles and has not wavered at all over the years.
I was taught to make the first shot count, and to shoot every shot like it is the only one that matters, be it in a 10 shot target string or on an animal.
Here are a few from over the years.
Cat

 

[Butcherbill]

W
While I agree with you my vision just can't do irons well enough anymore. I need the optic so factory irons are less of a concern nowadays.
An express v rear and white bead I can still handle well though

I’ve got a plan for a set of irons on my 45-70, the rear is easy. Just have to decide how I want to approach the front site.

 

[BigUglyMan]

I used a little Thompson Center TCR 83 for a bit and always regretted not taking it off the old man's hands before he sold it. he had barrels in 22-250 and 30-06. I only ever used the 22-250 but it was a fun little walking around rifle.

Now I have an 1885 that I took my first mule deer with in 2002. And a pre-64 Model 70 that was built ages ago to be a single shot target/varmint rifle in 219 Donaldson-Wasp. Also have a couple more 45-70s for BPCR...a Shiloh Sharps and an original Rolling Block.

 

[boxhitch]

BigUglyMan, in regard to your BPCR shooting, is it restricted to BP or can smokeless be used in the same cartridge? w/ a max velocity maybe?

 

[iron cat]

BigUglyMan, in regard to your BPCR shooting, is it restricted to BP or can smokeless be used in the same cartridge? w/ a max velocity maybe?

Sanctioned BPCR silhouette is black powder only. The DCRA also prohibits duplex loads, all ammo must be loaded with genuine black powder or a BP substitute .Other matches like Shuetzen allow Smokeless powder .
Cat

 

[BigUglyMan]

BigUglyMan, in regard to your BPCR shooting, is it restricted to BP or can smokeless be used in the same cartridge? w/ a max velocity maybe?

No, BPCR can only be shot with actual black powder. Even modern BP replacements aren't allowed. The other main restriction is that the rifle has to have an exposed hammer.

As the song goes...the Cat in The Hat knows a lot about that!