Single shot shotgun recommendations

[pazz]

I know that autos, pumps etc are more "tactical" but for
some reason I have been really wanting to get a basic single
shot shotgun here lately.

Looked at the one made by H&R and saw that Rossi also had
a few models. Can anyone here give me some advice and
feedback of what to look for in purchasing one?

Mostly it will be for camping use or target shooting in the
woods for fun. Just want a basic shotgun that is simple to
use and clean.

I really liked the H&R Tamer model that held the shells in
the stock but, unfortunately it only comes in .410 and 20
gauge..no 12 gauge models. Still I really liked the Tracker
20 gauge model with it's 20 inch barrel. Their 12 gauge
had like a 28 inches barrel.


H&R Tamer 20 gauge

H&R Tracker 12 gauge


Rossi 12 gauge

 

[kimbershot]

i had a t/c encore with 12ga. slug barrel--a tack driver and deer slayer. never felt that i was lacking firepower or functionality. i now have a contender carbine--223/45-70 and 22 match cut and threaded for my suppressor.

 

[Dr Dave]

How could you go wrong with any of those? My NEF pardner single shot 20ga is my favorite firearm. What is important to you?

Do you like the thumbhole grip of the H&R Tamer?
Do you want wood or synthetic?
Blued or stainless?
Gold bead or the sights on the H&R Tracker?
Do you need the sling swivels?
Do you have to have the buttpad?

My NEF Pardner 20ga has a 26" blued barrel, fixed MOD choke, wood stocks, pistol grip, simple gold bead, no buttpad or sling swivels, and I paid $98 from budsgunshop.com. Now it's about $130. Can't get any more basic than that.

 

[HiWayMan]

Try to get a left side view of those Rossis before making a decision. Dad bought some 12 ga. singles of Rossi manufacture and they have a weird azz safety on the left side. They are also considerable lighter in weight than their H&R counterparts.

H&R all the way.

 

[spazman]

I love my Baikal .410 single shot with the wood stock. The fixed choke can't do slugs, but it groups tight at 40 yards with 000 buck. I paid in the neighborhood of $120 for it. I find the reduced weight and recoil worth the higher cost of .410 shells.

 

[DLEJones]

You wrote "Mostly it will be for camping use or target shooting in the
woods for fun. Just want a basic shotgun that is simple to
use and clean."

I purchased an old Stevens Model 94C at a garage sale for $20 that I use all the time to hunt with. It rides in a case in the trunk of my car most days. I have killed a fall turkey with it, squirrel, rabbits and dove. I do not loose sleep if it gets a ding or a scratch or if it is raining or snowing. I am very happy with it. Of the 7 other shotguns I own, this one gets used the most. I would keep an eye out for this classic single shot 12 ga.

 

[KevininPa]

About the Tamers lack of a 12g,.......

......trust me when I say you might not be interested. I had a H&R "Survivor" shotgun in 12g, basically the same except with a stock that had a storage compartment. The stock was made by Choate and still available from them. The stock was also more "shoulderable".

Anyway,I digress. The shotgun was so light that the recoil is really harsh. And I'm not a recoil shy type of person. A lot of people end up changing stocks out on these synthetic 12s. A buddy of mine had a H&R 20g and it shot pretty nice! I still have the Survivor stock. Keep waiting for a 20 to cross my path to put it on. Would like to have a polychoke put on it to make it multi-purpose. Never get around to this project 'cause I have other shotguns. BTW, I have a Snake Charmer that's a lot of fun. That little .410 has gotten rid of more pests in the last 15-16 years than I can count.

 

[DaleCooper51]

As a hiking / camp gun, it's hard to beat the H&R 20 ga youth gun. The one I had sported a 22" modified choke barrel. I switched out the stock for a full length synthetic. It makes for a nice compact useful package.

 

[USAF_Vet]

I've got a couple single shots, a dime store 20 gauge and a H&R .410 Tamer The .410 Tamer is really a kids gun. It's neither easy, nor comfortable for me to shoulder. Recoil is next to nothing, but that's got a lot to do with my size. The one I have takes 3" shells with a fixed full choke.

I wouldn't recommend the .410 to anyone but a small adult or a kid. Go with the 20 gauge. Friend of mine got one for his son (an H&R of some sort, wood furniture, blued) and I like it a lot more then the .410 I got for my step-son. It's something that could be used by a smaller framed adult or a child.

 

[Armored farmer]

Most of my singe-shot experience is with H&R slug guns. I have two, they are accurate and simple, and compact. I like them so well in fact that I bought .30-06 and .204 Handi-rifles as well.
My latest, an Ultra-lite Slug gun, I added a collapsable stock with ammo saddle and fore end from Advanced Technologies, along with a 1.75X4 Bushnell scope. It is very light and accurate. It sure looks cool, and is a joy to carry, esp when carrying other gear like a climber stand.
I almost always suggest 12ga because it is the 'gold stamdard' and can be loaded up or down......but be advised.....those light single shots do recoil, be prepared for that.

H&R all the way!

 

[Noah]

I have 3 and used to have 4 H&R singles, 3 12 gauge, 1 20 gauge. I love them all, they are easy to clean, and they always go bang. The 20 gauge is particularly handy, since it is a little lighter and has a lot less recoil. The 12's kick pretty bad, but they have made my H&R pump, Mossberg 500, and Mosin seem gentle. Filling the stock with .177 airgun BBs solved the problem, mostly.

I use them for plinking and varmint control (flying and not), and every part of my body but my left shoulder would be happy to use them for Coyotes, Deer, or two legged pests. But hey, some people like a 45* muzzle climb and a tingling, numb arm when shooting 3" 00BK.

EDIT: A friend suggested that I clarify that I shoot left handed, so as to not seriously confuse anyone haha.

Also, I picked up 2 of mine, both 12s, at a gunshow, one NOOB (new out of box ) for $90 and one lightly used from the early 70s, with a 36" barrel, for $80. The other two were passed down to me by my grandfather the next week, for free.

 

[LibShooter]

I have a Rossi in .410 much like the 12 gauge pictured. I like it a lot. However it is very light. The plastic stock on mine is hollow. It wouldn't offer much mass to help tame 12 gauge recoil. Unless you're backpacking you might consider a good solid wooden stock.

 

[huntsman]

I would buy a double over a single (I've owned both) to me the fatal flaw of a single is the need to decock if a shot isn't taken.

 

[Armored farmer]

to me the fatal flaw of a single is the need to decock if a shot isn't taken

Huh?? You just carefully let the hammer down.
Those doubles you speak of are 'cocked' all the time.

 

[kayak-man]

I have an H&R Pardner 12. Its a good gun, although it doesn't see much use, with the 870 being the go to gun.

I'd recomend doing your homework on chokes, and deciding which choke will work best for what you need the gun to do. In my experiance, most of the single shots have a fixed choke.

I wouldn't be too concerned with the barrel length: You can always cut it down a bit. I'm not saying that it is easy/cost effective (I've never done, so I don't know) but you're not really "stuck" with the barrel that comes with the gun. I think Rossi, and maybe H&R, have it set up so you can buy additional barrels and swap them out pretty easily.

The pardner may not have the butt-stock storage like that stainless steel gun. I just put an Uncle Mike's butt-stock cuff on there for about $12, and it holds 5 rounds.

I think they can be pretty neat guns, and good tools, as long as you do your homework ahead of time and make sure you're getting the gun that works best for what you want.

Chris "the Kayak-Man" Johnson

 

[SwampWolf]

The op might want to consider looking for a nice used single-shot @ gun shows, pawn shops, etc. There was a time when affordable single shots were common for use as a kid's "starter" gun or for use as a farmer's "behind the mud room" door gun to dispatch skunks, coons, foxes, etc. from raiding the chicken house. Sadly, those offerings are scarce today but nice Winchester Model 37s, H&R Toppers and Iver Johnson Champions are still available at reasonable prices.

 

[huntsman]

Huh?? You just carefully let the hammer down.
Those doubles you speak of are 'cocked' all the time.

I've witnessed two separate occurrences where the thumb slipped on the hammer and it resulted in an AD, not going to happen with internal hammered double.

 

[Ed N.]

I've witnessed two separate occurrences where the thumb slipped on the hammer and it resulted in an AD, not going to happen with internal hammered double.

I've witnessed a thumb slip off while cocking when a covey of quail flushed. Gun went off with the shooter having the gun about halfway to his shoulder, pointed in a safe direction, but still an unintended, premature firing.

If you can find a singleshot with an internal hammer and a safety, that might be a better choice.

 

[bassdogs]

Who do you hang out with? Do you have the same concern about DA revolvers and auto's w/ hammers?

Assuming you only cock the hammer when there is a potential for a shot being fired, point the single shot in a safe direction and lower the hammer. Granted it should not be done where an errant shot would be dangerous. But then again, If you cock your shotgun in your living room, you have already created a dangerous situation. Step outside and lower the hammer.

Don't share your concern. My single is a houseboat gun. Use to have a dual role when we were RV'ing, but now take my Rem 870 short barrel.

 

[MOTOM]

My first was a H&R 410. They are great guns and at the time the hammer struck the firing pin directly. That would be a concern for me. If the hammer got caught on clothing or brush and partially cocked it could break free and discharge.I haven't used a single shot in about 30 years but I think they come with a transfer bar now. I would check on that . It's something to think about.

 

[Onmilo]

I have a Tamer .410 and changed the stock and forend out for Choate.
My arms are way too long for the stubby hole stock and I can carry spare shells on an elastic band on the stock just as easy.
The overall quality of the gun is quite good.
It patterns well, doesn't "blow open" when fired as many claim, has a transfer bar to prevent accidental discharge.

To decock an H&R, pull back slighly on the hammer, trip the trigger to release the hammer and then get your finger off the trigger.
The hammer can be lowered under control and the transfer bar remains up so any possibility of an AD is averted.

 

[Virginian]

My recommendation - For anything other than keeping it behind the back door of the farm house, get something else. SxS or pump, almost anything has better ergonomics.

 

[NCsmitty]

Most of the single shot versions are wonderfully simple and quite reliable, and will do the job for most people. I need to echo the caution that others have mentioned, and that's the recoil factor of the 12ga in the light singles. I would recommend the 20ga over the 12ga because the 12ga will pound you, especially if you weigh under 150lb. Some brands offer 28ga and most have 410 chambering available, and they work well for their designed intentions, but unless one reloads the smaller gauges, ammunition costs can be steep for them.
I have an NEF 410 with Tamer stock and Remington rifle sights, and a 12ga Springfield single that wears rifle sights and a thick recoil pad.


NCsmitty

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I'd just hit the gun show with about five 20's in my pocket and go to shopping. With a little patience you can walk out with one of those bills still on you. This little Winchester set me back less than a tank of gas.

 

[Ozark Guy]

Hit your local pawn shops. Any that pawn or buy guns will always have a couple of old single shot shotguns.