Who hunts with a single-shot rifle?

I’m in the process of building a single shot .300 PRC with a FN Mauser target action. Just need to find a nicely figured wood stock and I’m pretty much done

Going to try for the first time this year. Got a fair deal on a CVA Scout in 444 Marlin. Been working up a load with Speer 240 and 270 Deep Curl bullets. The CVA is a little heaver than I was hoping for but it will do.

Here's a complimentary pic of #1 son's #1 Ruger

No pics of my Handi-rifle family. The cloud isn't cooperating this evening.

Nature Boy said:

I’m in the process of building a single shot .300 PRC with a FN Mauser target action. Just need to find a nicely figured wood stock and I’m pretty much done

View attachment 1106179

View attachment 1106180

View attachment 1106181

Click to expand...

Looks nice @Nature Boy. Which timney trigger is that.

I've never hunted with a single shot centerfire rifle. Plenty of .22's though rabbits, squirrel, dove, quail and rattle snakes have all filled my game bag at one time or another. I can't forget the single shot shotguns that I've had and used over the years ranging from .410, 20 gauge and of course 12 gauge. The only single shot firearm I own now is a Winchester model 37 in 410 gauge it is a pre 64 with no serial# anywhere.

A range-acquaintance uses one, the new CVA, but mostly as a loaner or for his wife/kids who aren't super experienced.

I've considered it for a fun change up, but hunting big game is so dynamic, I'd rather just have a good repeater.

Especially considering weight and length is not much different.

stillquietvoice said:

Looks nice @Nature Boy. Which timney trigger is that.

Click to expand...

Thanks. Put a Brux #5 barrel on it so it should be an accurate rifle.

It’s a Timney Featherweight

I actually bought my first handi-rifle recently. I have not gotten to use it yet. But I hunted plenty with a single shot shotgun. 20 gauge Rossi combo was my sons first gun. I’ve used a 16 gauge that was given me by a friend. It was his grandfathers and he didn’t want to lose it. I can’t begin to figure out what all I have taken with it. I also have a old baikal 12 I haven’t ever used but plan on. Or it may one day become a lupara.

Not a rifle, but I will be hunting with a TC contender 7TCU for a special antlerless hunt this year. I must confess, it is not for the love of single shots though. Rather a means to extend my useful range for precision DRT shots vs a smoothbore shotgun. Handguns are legal in the shotgun zones in my state, including rifle caliber handguns.

Another single shot pict.,



DM

wgp said:

Over time it has not been my favorite rifle, but I'm getting more and more comfortable carrying my Ruger No. 1 .30-06 but I don't know anybody else who hunts with a single-shot rifle. Looking at prices these days, somebody out there sure likes these rifles. Why do you (or do not) use one of these or another single-shot (centerfire) rifle?

Click to expand...

I've used a No1 in 22-250. It was heavy. But handled well. I now have a Baikal 7.62x39. It has a light barrel. Nice trigger, and handles like an 870. It's going to be my primary deer rifle.

The first few deer I killed were with a NEF Handi Rifle in .280 Remington.
It went down the gun trade trail, and I regret it.
I want a Ruger No. 1 in .280 Rem. One day I'll find one and pull the trigger. They're not easy to come by and the few times I've came by them, funds have been an issue.

Time & money

When you have the time you don't have the money.

When you have the money you don't have the time.

I've seen some great deals on firearms and didn't have the money before, it sucks.

I just took $900 out of my hunting trip funds for this fall to buy a new Traditions single-shot rifle in 350 legend, scope mount & rings, ammo and for another dozen traps and trap supplies. Which kind of sucks because it will cut down on my fun activities back in New York for my month & a half of hunting and trapping.
I might sell a few guns that I bought years ago that I'll never use and get my cash back.

I hunt with a Thompson Center Renegade percussion in 50 cal from time to time. Probably the prettiest rifle I currently own.

Infrequently i will hunt with a Ruger Umber 1 in 9.3X62 or .243.

This is my favorite single shot rifle:

I hunt with a ML, but have always preferred a single shot. I think that, for me at least, it forces me to make that one shot count, which is an advantage for me. I've never missed with a single shot rifle, and never found them to be slow to reload. The Mle 1873 Springfield rifle is a favorite, and I took a nice cougar with a Savage 24-V, .30-30 over 20 gauge. I put two bullet holes in that cougar, almost touching each other. (turned out the second shot wasn't needed)

I lusted after a Ruger #1 in .30-06 for years, looked for one far and wide at the gun shows when I had the money, but every one I found was in 7mm Mag, which in hind-sight I think I would have been happy with...but the '06 was my holy grail. Never did find one.

Kind of like Nature Boy's rifle, I've thought about making a single shot out of a nice '91 Argentine Mauser I have. Without the magazine I think it would be a really cool single shot rifle. I would not change the caliber though, nothing wrong with the 7.65X54mm.

I started hunting with a #1 30-06 in 1987 and have hunted it ever since. At one time I had 9 #1's now down to 6!

Nine of them? That's crazy. In a good kind of crazy way. Or a crazy good way. If I were going to go cartridge rifle these days for hunting, I'd take a good look at the Henry single shot. I think they only make that in .308", but it would be simple to rechamber it to .30-06. But, I have a nice 03A3 that I really like, and on rare occasions take it out looking for bear, so I don't see any new cartridge rifles in my future. But it is fun to dream.

I do have a Savage 119 single shot in .30WCF, with a 26" barrel, it's a nice fast handling rifle. I hunted with it but never shot anything with it. It was a comfortable rifle to carry on the dirt bike, and never worried too much about taking a spill with it. With the long barrel and pointy bullets, and an extra grain or two of pixie dust it hits pretty good. I've thought about rechambering it to .30-40, but the ballistic gain would be only slight, probably not worth the effort and expense.

Fellas, think back on your past hunting experiences. How many times did you need more than one shot?

I’ll bet it’s not many.

I am in the ONE SHOT - ONE KILL group.

I hunt with either a Winchester 94 or handgun. I haven’t taken deer with a handgun yet. My first deer, taken with the 94 in 30-30, I used 5 shots, connecting with the first and another; the last I think.

I would hunt with a SS if I had one, but I also don’t subscribe to the “you’ll only get one shot anyway” theory, because of my experience with the 30-30. I could have gotten all three does in the string, if I’d been prepared to process that many. No, 5 shots wasn’t needed (the first was enough but I wasn’t sure where I hit it), and I want it anchored on property otherwise I lose the animal, or have to ask permission to retrieve.

I have all day - every day of the season to hunt so I take shots that I know will end the pursuit when I let the bullet fly.
I have taken a couple of doubles with my H&R 243 Handi-Rifle and could of taken a few more doubles with it.
I like to shoot the deer if they are standing still or walking at a slow pace.
Running deer are a target for another day. I do not and will not shoot at a running deer for any reason.i have the time and patience to wait for another opportunity for a good shot.
More deer are lost to die a slow antagonizing death from being gut shot by some idiots who think they are good enough to take a killing shot at a running deer.
My thinking is slow down and take one good shot and end that pursuit quickly.

Bazoo said:

I hunt with either a Winchester 94 or handgun. I haven’t taken deer with a handgun yet. My first deer, taken with the 94 in 30-30, I used 5 shots, connecting with the first and another; the last I think.

I would hunt with a SS if I had one, but I also don’t subscribe to the “you’ll only get one shot anyway” theory, because of my experience with the 30-30. I could have gotten all three does in the string, if I’d been prepared to process that many. No, 5 shots wasn’t needed (the first was enough but I wasn’t sure where I hit it), and I want it anchored on property otherwise I lose the animal, or have to ask permission to retrieve.

Click to expand...

I don't think it's so much of a "you'll only get one shot anyway" mentality, but more of a "if you only have one shot, you'll be more likely to make a perfect shot". Or something like that. For years my weapon of choice was a Ruger .44 Carbine. Some deer I dropped with one shot, once I missed one five times (!!!!!) because yeah, it was running...but with all that "firepower" I figured one of them bullets would connect. ! But I think it's the person and not the rifle. If you have the single-shot mentality, and the self discipline then one is not going to waste ammo be it a lever gun, bolt or semi-auto. But I think that is hard for the average person to do, and I know that the faster a rifle can be shot, the faster it will be shot, on average, most of the time, with most people.

My first deer, I shot at it four times with a SMLE, just to have it jump behind a bush. Bullet proof deer? I looked behind the bush, and there was a dead deer with four holes in it!!

I hunt deer with a Ruger #1 in .243 if in a ground blind. If in a tree stand it will be a T/C Contender in .35 Rem or Ruger Super Red Hawk in .454 Casul.