Which Single-shot rifle would you choose?

Over the years, i always like the H&R and NEF single shot rifle, i guess i have around 15 in all different calibers, i think i have all the caliber they ever made, they are workhorse.
 
I have both, my main hunting system is the Thompson Center encore. I have 2 frames and five barrels, so most of my bases are covered. I find it more than accurate enough.

I also have a ruger no.1 that I have yet to shoot an animal with, I think that will change this fall(hopefully). There is also an 1874 sharps that needs to do its thing.... in just waiting for a rogue buffalo to wander by( local guy has a huge bison operation and when an animal gets out usually it is put down. Eagerly waiting my turn. Lol)
 
Just to confirm I am talking about a lower rent brand, not the effect produced by CZ.

Mine was in 243, if anyone bought it from Calgary shooting centre and wants to sell it please send me a message.

A few years ago, I looked one over at Sportsmens Den in Red Deer. It also was a .243.
 
Id buy a Brno Effect FS. Good luck finding one though.

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If you like the Brno Effect FS, then you're going to love the Blazer K95 Stutzen Edition . . .

That's right up there on the attractiveness scale, as giving Wendy Cukier designer clothes and a five hour paint job. Still ugly on the inside.
never really bothered to give the crack open guns a first look, let alone a second one.
 
That's right up there on the attractiveness scale, as giving Wendy Cukier designer clothes and a five hour paint job. Still ugly on the inside.
never really bothered to give the crack open guns a first look, let alone a second one.

Hey that's pretty good.:d Additionally you could point out that the uber expensive K95 does nothing an H&R Handi Rifle can, at a fraction of the price. Then again, chambered for a high velocity small bore cartridge, and equipped with a low to mid power scope, these short handy rifles could find their niche, although I agree a single shot rifle fashioned after a Farquharson, a Martini, is superior and more attractive.
 
Hey that's pretty good.:d Additionally you could point out that the uber expensive K95 does nothing an H&R Handi Rifle can, at a fraction of the price. Then again, chambered for a high velocity small bore cartridge, and equipped with a low to mid power scope, these short handy rifles could find their niche, although I agree a single shot rifle fashioned after a Farquharson, a Martini, is superior and more attractive.

Won't own a cheap break open rifle by my choice. (Hey, I'll take a gimme, of any flavor, eh?).
My interest, as limited as that is, in break open type actions, is pretty much in the realm of a decent English Double shotgun, or a very high end double rifle.
 
When it comes to hunting bush and hiking the big hills, hard to beat a break action for carry pleasure and handling. I find the falling blocks I have are marginal to clunky for that other than the new 1A, it isn't bad, but, still not as good. My SxS is equally nice to carry, even better to handle, but doesn't have the overall versatility of the single shot break action in some situations. But, I haven't got close to finished wringing it out yet, either, it may turn out to be as good yet.
 
I love the look of a Ruger #1, and especially enjoy the mechanical sound and feel of dropping the block, inserting the cartridge, and then raising the lever and snapping it shut. I always thought that #1's were the classiest regular production rifle available for purchase by the average working man...but their prices have absolutely skyrocketed in recent years, so they're no longer the terrific value they once were. The 1885 is a distant second.

The H&R singles were a favourite, always shot and functioned well for me. I had a couple of Buffalo Classics and still can't figure out why I didn't keep one. Mine shot 90% as well as my C.Sharps 1875, for only about 20% of the price. But the eyes aren't what they used to be, so this type of gun is just a toy for me now, no serious iron-sight hunting anymore.

Played with Contenders and Encores for a bunch of years, always liked the way they shot, never cared for their 2x4 handling qualities...and, man, ugly with a capital ugh!

I circled around getting a Blaser K95 for awhile, almost bought one a couple times...and then stumbled upon the gun that is now the apple of my single-shot eye. It's a Haenel Jaeger model 9, a sort of poor-man's K95. Same tilting-block action, terrific set trigger, de-cocking safety, weighs nothing, aiming is like pointing your finger. The QD scope mount system is just as good as the Blaser one...which is to say, it is perfect. No discernible change in POI after multiple disassembly/reassembly cycles.

I got mine from Wolverine; sadly, it looks like they are no longer importing them. A shame, because they are delightful little guns.
 
I have a bit of experience with single shots. No experience with Merkel or Blaser yet but so far my preference is definitely for the falling blocks. Over the years I have had one H&R and it's long gone. My Savage 219 was quite accurate and nice to carry but traded away. Remington Rolling Block is fun but is currently up for sale.

Ruger no 1, I have owned more than a dozen #1's and a couple #3's and will probably always have at least one. My current #1 is the 275 Rigby with the 26" barrel. That longer barrel really helps to balance the 1A model. It's hard to say anything negative about the Ruger no 1. I have a Browning B78 with the tapered octagonal barrel in 243 Win that I will eventually sell or trade away. It is nice to shoot and would be great for varmints or from a deer stand but it's not great to carry all day. I have handled a few of Ralph Martini's rifles and they are amazing I would recommend them hands down.

Last and definitely not least though is my personal favourite falling block the 1885 Low Wall. Miroku made, Browning or Winchester, these modern rifles are technically a mid wall and thus can be chambered in cartridges like the 243 win, 260 rem, 556 nato and 6.5x55 SE. These little rifles are a joy to carry all day. When I head out deer hunting this is the falling block I sling over my shoulder.
 
Ya, I don't understand Winchester's marketing notions on the Low wall. They'd have a gun to compete with Ruger on that platform in the short action rounds at least, maybe even if they could chamber them for the -06 size cases, that is comfortably light enough to pack around for hunting. They haven't done a centrefire run on them in about 8-9 yrs now, and the rimfire version doesn't sell worth krap due to the price. Not sure what their thought lines are on that, certainly seems to be skewed the wrong way. I liked the idea of the Haenel when I saw them at Wolverine, but, didn't want the cartridges they were brought in with.
 
Won't the stock be in the way of using the opening lever and what looks like the safety? Any kind of thumb hole stock or whatever you call them is counter productive for most hunting in my opinion.

Yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder; not much in my eye for this rifle, sadly. I agree that a thumbhole stock is a poor choice for any rifle with an exposed hammer, a top-mounted opening lever or a tang safety. This one has two of those things!

holzmeister, one thing that I hear a lot of Blaser naysayers complain about is the pressure required to operate the "safety", which is really a cocking/de-cocking button. I never even noticed this supposed issue, but I've read about it on several occasions. How do you feel about it on this gun? The design of that stock appears that it would really interfere with the decocker operation, especially if you are trying to do it quietly.
 
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