Who uses a single shot for deer

Muzzle loaders and my H&R Ultra Slug Hunter.

I am a big fan of single shot rifles, Ruger No.1s in .300 Win Mag and 7mm 08 have been my go to Deer rifles for years. Love'em to death. A No.1 in .243 would be a good deer rifle, .270 would be better, 30-06 or 7X57 if you've a taste for the classics.

Yup.

Nice rifle Poleaxman!

I hunt with a TC pro hunter 270, and never had any issues with a single shot. My 12 yr old daughter has taken 2 deer with it so far using hand loaded youth loads. As far as a 243 goes, it is plenty enough for deer hunting.

This year the 2 rifles that I'm planning on doing the majority of my hunting with are TC Contender carbine in .35 Rem,and a Remington M7 in .243.The 243 has an 18 1/2 barrel,and it only runs 100 gr Sierras at 2550 fps(chronographed).I have killed a lot of deer with both,and don't feel handicapped with either one out to 200 yards or maybe a tick farther than that.I can only remember one buck that took anything like rapid fire,and that was because he was loping across about 500 yards of open field.The 8th shot killed him at about 400 yards when he stopped to look back before he jumped a ditch and hit the woods.That was a rare exception,and the only time something like that happened in my years of hunting,and 293 dead deer for experience.

i've used a 270 in ruger #1 for a few years, this year i hope to take my t/c encore with 6.5 creedmoor. i've probably been 6 or 7 years since hunting with single shots. next year it will be 257 bob ai (i hope), and since i got a stroke, i'll be using a barnett crossbow.
if you do go, buy an encore frame, then get a high plains gunstock, and then when your done, buy an MGM barrel

http://matchgrademachine.com/

http://www.highplainsgunstocks.com/

http://www.encoreclassifieds.com/

I hunt a couple areas that are shotgun-only with my CVA Optima muzzle-loader rifle. Pennsylvania allows the use of a muzzle-loader for these zones. Same lethal results as a modern 12 gauge slug gun but far less recoil.

TR

I always try to of course but occasionally I have fire an anchor shot.

My muzzleloaders are all single-shot and I've been hunting & taking deer with them for over 10 years. But then I hunt from blinds and stands and will not take a shot at a running deer or one more than about 75 yards away.

I know many who will shoot at running deer. For them, a single shot would be a bad choice.

Here in the People's Republic of Taxachusetts many of my buddies like the Ultra Slug Hunter in 20 guage with sabots. About like shooting a rifle in a shotgun only state.

I use a Browning (Miroku) 1885 Low Wall in .243 Winchester for deer hunting. It is topped with a 3-9X Leupold and works just fine on deer as long as I do my part.

I shot two this year with an H&R Handi in 44 mag.

They were about half-a-minute apart, so I doubt the fact that I had a single shot hurt.....

In my opinion too many people worry about the follow up shot when they should be focusing on the first. Put it where it needs to be and most of the time a follow up will not be needed..... And if something goes wrong.....then follow up.

Been using nothing but traditional muzzleloaders for several years now and got my first this season last Monday with the new Pedersoli Rocky Mountain Hawken .54.

I've also been in situations where fast work with a levergun resulted in multiple deer on the ground.

I know a lot of folks do but I don't particularly care for the .243 or any other minimal cartridge that restricts me to perfect broadside shots. I've seen perfectly placed 100 grainers blow up on a rib bone and barely penetrate enough to get the lungs. For me, deer cartridges begin with the .250 Savage.

I've had good success with single shot weapons. I've been hunting whitetail in the MidWest for about 10 years now and have shot somewhere around 30 deer, all with bow, muzzleloader, and a single-shot H&R 12GA.

I've only wished for a second shot once. The deer went right down after being hit (I celebrated, and didn't reload). They he got back up and started to walk/trot off (I panicked, and fumbled while trying to reload). He made it to the trees before I could get a shot off at him. I think I could have had him if I hadn't stumbled on the reload or could have just worked a bolt. I found blood and searched for hours and hours over two days, and never found him. However, for the accuracy and price I love the the guns I've used.

CraigC said:

I know a lot of folks do but I don't particularly care for the .243 or any other minimal cartridge that restricts me to perfect broadside shots. I've seen perfectly placed 100 grainers blow up on a rib bone and barely penetrate enough to get the lungs. For me, deer cartridges begin with the .250 Savage.

Click to expand...

This is why i only use NP's for deer in my .243 and 240Wby., so i'm NOT restricted to perfect broadside shots...

DM

I'm a huge fan of No.1's (in the lower 48). My .223 has killed numerous mule and whitetail deer

"Besides, I highly doubt it takes longer to load another round in the single shot than racking the bolt on your 30-06."

I've just got to say wow. Typical 30-06 bolt rifle. Shoot. Leave left hand grasping forearm and keeping stock planted into the shoulder. With your right hand, rack the bolt and replace your hand on the grip with finger on the trigger. Ready for follow up. The whole process shouldn't take more than 2 or 3 seconds and your eyes never have to leave the sights or scope. An almost impossible feat with any single shot where ammo is not in hand.

Mad minute @ wiki

I've whacked plenty of deer with my .243 single shot Handi Rifle.

No handicap with either the .243 or a single shot in my opinion. I've used a Ruger #1 in both .243 and .375 H & H....as well as a Remington Model Seven in .243, never needed a second shot and never needed to look for any of them.

Same with the muzzleloaders. Put the first shot where it belongs & you have meat on the table.

The gun with the most kills in my house is my 20ga H&R UltraSlugger. The most kills for a weapon in my house goes to my 2009 Rytera AlienX (bow). Between the two almost a hundred kills on deer.

I have taken deer with my AR15 and LR-308. Even with the .223 and 20 rounds loaded guess how many shots each has taken per deer. One. Don't let either the caliber or the capacity worry you. Just put the shot where it needs to be and eat some venison.

Here you go. The deer are tiny, but I am not a picky guy with 16 tags to fill each year. This just a few of the kills as I don't take one of each and every kill, but I have more should more proof be needed.


150yds H&R Ultra.


185yds H&R again.


226yds H&R once more. Longest shot with it on the smallest deer (before I put my scope on it, I thought it was a yote needing salvation)


25yds Alpine Micro. Even my daughter agrees only one shot is needed.

My other daughter got one with a single shot shotgun and muzzleloader so I think we can verify no need for second shots. 8 deer this year alone, and only one was with a repeating firearm.

Side note: I never realized how popular the H&R's were until this thread! Mine is a match for about any muzzleloader, and pretty much negates my need for a rifle in most situations. Just costs a bunch to shoot so it gets sighted, range checked (for each range out to 250), and put away after the season. My true "hunt only" gun where as my others get range time year round.

I've taken 3 deer with a muzzleloader. That's about as single shot as you can get.

I've also taken 2 deer with a .308 Encore single shot pistol.

The last 4 deer I've taken were with a bolt action .308. One shot required for each.

If I can't hit them when they are standing still with the first shot, I don't think I'd even try for a second shot when they are running as fast as they can.

Tom

I use a Ruger No. 1 in 7x57 and 175 grain Hornady round nose projectiles loaded stiff. Had to install a Hicks Accurizer to make it shoot -- but it sure shoots after the install. Perfect with a 6x42 scope.

coondogger,

I have used my Ruger #1A 7mm RM for deer with modest handloads since the rifle came out. I got one of the first #1's.

Also I hunt in Vermont and just like NH there are not many deer there.

I was sitting in the woods near my camp waiting for a buck to show. They had to have at least a 3" antler then. I was admiring my Ruger and opened it's action to look at the handload. It was the 140 Partition over 4831.

A buck stepped out of the woods and was looking at me. I was sitting at the base of a tree. He was very close.

Slowly I put the cartridge back in the #1 and closed the action. I raised the rifle and shot him there.

We can load our single shots again after a shot.

Also, get a handloading outfit. My late dad had arthritis and did not want heavy recoil. He liked his 30-06 however. I loaded the 125 Sierra over a modest charge of 3031. He liked that.

Who uses single-shots for deer? Better shots than me.