SprayAndPray
Member
`My reasoning goes like this, you only have one shot then animal is gone, maybe you become more concentrated since you only get once chance.
What do you guys think?
What do you guys think?
Will singleshot rifles make you shoot more accurately?
- Thread starter SprayAndPray
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I generally think not, because it takes so long between shots and generally you shift your cheek-weld and grip slightly between rounds, whereas with a repeater of some sort you can maintain position.
That said, you do get more practice lining everything up, so maybe it makes you more consistent about acquiring that hold.
That said, you do get more practice lining everything up, so maybe it makes you more consistent about acquiring that hold.
I shoot about the same with a single shot. What I gain in taking my time I lose in having to re-position the rifle and getting a new sight picture.
This is target plinking with .22s, by the way. No experience shooting game.
Something very peaceful and pleasant about them. Last time I had it at the range I just packed some ear plugs and 100 rounds in my pockets and grabbed the gun. Had a great morning.
This is target plinking with .22s, by the way. No experience shooting game.
Something very peaceful and pleasant about them. Last time I had it at the range I just packed some ear plugs and 100 rounds in my pockets and grabbed the gun. Had a great morning.
I doubt that a single shot will make you any better of a marksman on game.
But...
Once upon a time I bought a new Mossbert 835 12 gauge. Al in all it was a great gun. I found that when I took it squirrel hunting, everthing I shot got shot three times whether it needed it or not. I went back to a single barrel 12 gauge.
The amount of squirrels I killed remained the same. The amount of ammo I used to do it decreased by two thirds.
At the range I have found that shooting at smaller target makes me a better shot.
But...
Once upon a time I bought a new Mossbert 835 12 gauge. Al in all it was a great gun. I found that when I took it squirrel hunting, everthing I shot got shot three times whether it needed it or not. I went back to a single barrel 12 gauge.
The amount of squirrels I killed remained the same. The amount of ammo I used to do it decreased by two thirds.
At the range I have found that shooting at smaller target makes me a better shot.
SprayAndPray
Member
Thanks for your replies guys. I was thinking about the psychology of knowing that you only have that one shot. But yeah you might be right about having to reposition ever time, at least you get some practice 
Titan6
member
If it were that easy I would only own single shot rifles.
It might help you with discipline if you spent a bit of time training, maybe.
It might help you with discipline if you spent a bit of time training, maybe.
rangerruck
Member
Theoretically yes; single shots tend to be stiffer in all the places you want it to be, Physics say. Also, look at the new Savage f/tr and f/varmint class rifles. They are single shots. A dude on team savage, last name of Buell I think, took an out of the box savage f/tr, and in a competition shoot , just hit a .875 group at 600 yds, with one , in cal 308, pretty fantastic.
So there is some credence there, and physics are what they are, and yes, you have to move a bit, on a single shot, especially if it is a break open type; so it is what it is. That being said, it still will depend mostly on the finger on the trigger.
I myself know, that off of benches , and in the field, I have shot so much, that one of the biggest factors-hesitation, whether it be at game, or targets, is just non existent. So whether I concentrate on like 10 different control sets i need to do before I pull the trigger off of the bench , or am in a crap off hand position,poorly balanced, and can only get a good cheekweld, correct sight picture, and my finger is just so in the right place on the trigger, I know I am ready to go. I think for me, it is just that I shoot so many of my diff rifles, so much, that alot of it is just muscle memory at this point.
I like single shots, particularly bolties, and I like break opens as well.
I just found that, if I am paper punching, break open single shots were a hassle; too much repositioning on the bench, too much work allways unloading and reloading the breech, especially if i am going to put 50 or more rounds down range at one time...
So there is some credence there, and physics are what they are, and yes, you have to move a bit, on a single shot, especially if it is a break open type; so it is what it is. That being said, it still will depend mostly on the finger on the trigger.
I myself know, that off of benches , and in the field, I have shot so much, that one of the biggest factors-hesitation, whether it be at game, or targets, is just non existent. So whether I concentrate on like 10 different control sets i need to do before I pull the trigger off of the bench , or am in a crap off hand position,poorly balanced, and can only get a good cheekweld, correct sight picture, and my finger is just so in the right place on the trigger, I know I am ready to go. I think for me, it is just that I shoot so many of my diff rifles, so much, that alot of it is just muscle memory at this point.
I like single shots, particularly bolties, and I like break opens as well.
I just found that, if I am paper punching, break open single shots were a hassle; too much repositioning on the bench, too much work allways unloading and reloading the breech, especially if i am going to put 50 or more rounds down range at one time...
bogie
Member
1) It makes you think more.
2) Reposition? Are you SERIOUS? The first shot is the only one that matters. Anything else is just to scare the SOB after he ducks. Learn to shoot -consistently- for -any- shot. And you can do that with anything from a Ruger #1 (btw, a guy I know has a .45/70 that he uses for deer hunting - he takes three rounds with him) to an M4 with da switch...
2) Reposition? Are you SERIOUS? The first shot is the only one that matters. Anything else is just to scare the SOB after he ducks. Learn to shoot -consistently- for -any- shot. And you can do that with anything from a Ruger #1 (btw, a guy I know has a .45/70 that he uses for deer hunting - he takes three rounds with him) to an M4 with da switch...
U.S.SFC_RET
Member
My thoughts.
Single shot rifles encourage discipline to the shooting arts.
You are not burning up ammunition.
You are reinforcing the cheek weld every time you shoot.
Single shot rifles encourage discipline to the shooting arts.
You are not burning up ammunition.
You are reinforcing the cheek weld every time you shoot.
NCsmitty
Member
That is spot on U.S.SFC_RET. Some people's ideas of precision shooting is to use the highest capacity magazines possible in their AR or AK and hose the target.
Fortunately, disciplined shooting is not dead yet, and lives on in many of us here at this site. This is in spite of the dumbing down of America that occurs daily and seeps into the very fiber of our great country, including the shooting sports.
NCsmitty
Single-shot rifles and pistols are my favorite. I think the difference is that when people have extra rounds in a magazine, they tend to take risks.
Those who hunt with single shots know well that the first shot may be the last shot they can take, and so they take less risk. I also believe that most single-shot afficionados are precision shootists who possess the aim-small, miss-small mentality.
Those who hunt with single shots know well that the first shot may be the last shot they can take, and so they take less risk. I also believe that most single-shot afficionados are precision shootists who possess the aim-small, miss-small mentality.
Shawnee
member
If a shooter/hunter buys into the "make the first shot count" mentality, the type of action their rifle has isn't important (except, perhaps, with dangerous game).
I hunted for 25 years with Ruger #1 rifles and never felt I was handicapped. Friends who hunted with bolt-actions would question me but then realize they seldom - if ever - needed fast second shots even though their rifles were "repeaters". Even against dangerous African game in the Glory Days of African safaris the pro hunters and most of the clients carried double rifles - as in just one "emergency" shot. The whole "repeater" gig is just a military deal and Marketing Dept. apple sauce.
Muzzleloader hunters kill thousands of deer per year here - that fact ought to turn a light bulb on. The "one-shot-kill" mindset has to come from the shooter. A shooter can be just as wreckless and ineffective with a single-shot as with anything else.
As for "repositioning" - it's pretty rare to find a hunter who can cycle the action of a centerfire of any type without having to reposition. More often they just blaze away with 2nd., 3rd., and 4th shots withOUT repositioning correctly and thus with predictably little success.
I hunted for 25 years with Ruger #1 rifles and never felt I was handicapped. Friends who hunted with bolt-actions would question me but then realize they seldom - if ever - needed fast second shots even though their rifles were "repeaters". Even against dangerous African game in the Glory Days of African safaris the pro hunters and most of the clients carried double rifles - as in just one "emergency" shot. The whole "repeater" gig is just a military deal and Marketing Dept. apple sauce.
Muzzleloader hunters kill thousands of deer per year here - that fact ought to turn a light bulb on. The "one-shot-kill" mindset has to come from the shooter. A shooter can be just as wreckless and ineffective with a single-shot as with anything else.
As for "repositioning" - it's pretty rare to find a hunter who can cycle the action of a centerfire of any type without having to reposition. More often they just blaze away with 2nd., 3rd., and 4th shots withOUT repositioning correctly and thus with predictably little success.
TexasRifleman
Moderator Emeritus
That's a mental problem, not an equipment problem.
You can achieve the exact same thing with an AR and a full 30 round magazine.
If you can't control your shooting speed and concentrate on each shot you have bigger problems than the kind of gun you are holding.
NCsmitty
Member
I'm sure you know who they are!
Not everyone is as disciplined as you are TexasRifleman, and I commend you for it. For some, it's all about the firepower and the back to back full mags. You know what I'm talking about. I'm sure the vast majority of people who practice and hunt with single shot rifles are more careful in shot selection than the slickers who take "sound" shots in the woods.
NCsmitty
TexasRifleman
Moderator Emeritus
Doesn't change the fact that it's mental.
Forcing yourself to deal with the mental piece by an artificial handicap is fine I guess but it never solves the problem it just hides it.
Hunting with a single shot rifle because it's a challenging thing to do? Sure, I do that. It's fun.
But to shoot single shot solely with the intent of making you shoot better doesn't seem like a plan. Eventually you'll go back to a multiple shot rifle and, having never dealt with the mental piece of it, be tempted to spray and pray again
Forcing yourself to deal with the mental piece by an artificial handicap is fine I guess but it never solves the problem it just hides it.
Hunting with a single shot rifle because it's a challenging thing to do? Sure, I do that. It's fun.
But to shoot single shot solely with the intent of making you shoot better doesn't seem like a plan. Eventually you'll go back to a multiple shot rifle and, having never dealt with the mental piece of it, be tempted to spray and pray again
SprayAndPray
Member
I was thinking like this, if you have a whole mag to spend a miss is relly no big deal, but with only one you may feel forced to really make it count. I'm not saying you cant do it with an AR and a 100rd drum mag, but at least I would probably try harder if I only had that one chance (and probably practice harder too to make sure I could do it), but thats just me. The question is using a singe shot to practice and hunt with to get better diciplince, and if its a good idea. This is all in mental, since you can do just as well with any kind of rifle but you would still know that if you miss, just pull the trigger once again.
My first rifle was a single shot .22. My dad, who taught me to shoot, was a firm believer in the one shot, one hit concept. This attitude has served me well throughout my shooting days. I tend to shoot all of my rifles like they are single shots, no matter how many are in the magazine.
More than anything else, single shots teach discipline. If you take an 18 year old recruit, who has never shot a rifle before and give him a rifle with a 30 round magazine to lean on, the next round will always be there, in his mind. He will probably never reach his full potential.
I realize that there are exceptions to this, such as what the military requires for its' needs, but I really believe that a single shot will teach you the mental aspects of shooting in a way that sticks.
More than anything else, single shots teach discipline. If you take an 18 year old recruit, who has never shot a rifle before and give him a rifle with a 30 round magazine to lean on, the next round will always be there, in his mind. He will probably never reach his full potential.
I realize that there are exceptions to this, such as what the military requires for its' needs, but I really believe that a single shot will teach you the mental aspects of shooting in a way that sticks.
Shawnee
member
Fact is - the "spray and pray" mentality that is so wrong (and dangerous) in the hunting fields comes straight from the military, and always has. Thanks to that bad influence we have thousands of dimwits who happily accept the braindead practice of shooting at game rather than shooting game.
Excepting a rare case with dangerous game, there are virtually no situations in the course of hunting here that really require fast repeat fire with centerfire rifles. Claiming to need a fast second shot is pretty much just an admission that the shooter is a worshiper of half-baked first shots... often someone who still thinks it's the noise of the shot that kills the game animal. Such "hunters" are often also devotees of ridiculously over-powered rifles, especially for deer.
Use of a single-shot rifle may teach someone, or cause them to realize, that they don't need "repeaters". But when that realization has been made I doubt if the person is prone to change their "make the first shot count" habits when they pick up something else - unless they are just a knucklehead. My neighbor and I both have bolt-action repeaters we use when cropping deer and both of us carry extra rounds in a shirt pocket rather than the magazine simply bcause we know that for making good shots - loading from the shirt pocket is fast enough. Both of us have shot four deer in the same group with four shots - elapsed time maybe three minutes. Our bolt-action rifles are used because they are accurate, not because they are "repeaters". I would bet 99% of today's deer hunters could do exactly the same if they ditched that military "intelligence" and simply decided to shoot the game instead of just shooting at the game.
Single-shots are simply no handicap for the thinking hunter.
Excepting a rare case with dangerous game, there are virtually no situations in the course of hunting here that really require fast repeat fire with centerfire rifles. Claiming to need a fast second shot is pretty much just an admission that the shooter is a worshiper of half-baked first shots... often someone who still thinks it's the noise of the shot that kills the game animal. Such "hunters" are often also devotees of ridiculously over-powered rifles, especially for deer.
Use of a single-shot rifle may teach someone, or cause them to realize, that they don't need "repeaters". But when that realization has been made I doubt if the person is prone to change their "make the first shot count" habits when they pick up something else - unless they are just a knucklehead. My neighbor and I both have bolt-action repeaters we use when cropping deer and both of us carry extra rounds in a shirt pocket rather than the magazine simply bcause we know that for making good shots - loading from the shirt pocket is fast enough. Both of us have shot four deer in the same group with four shots - elapsed time maybe three minutes. Our bolt-action rifles are used because they are accurate, not because they are "repeaters". I would bet 99% of today's deer hunters could do exactly the same if they ditched that military "intelligence
" and simply decided to shoot the game instead of just shooting at the game.Single-shots are simply no handicap for the thinking hunter.
Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
SprayAndPray, I'm mostly a hunter. Except for prairie dogs, I've hardly ever seen an animal hang around after a missed shot and provide an opportunity for a second chance. Maybe "way out yonder", occasionally, but a missed shot on Bambi or Wily inside of 200 yards generally means no meat or no pelt.
I've hunted out in open country where you can hear shooters from a long way off. Bang-whop = meat. Bang-whoosh followed by more of the same = chuckles over somebody's misses.
Looking back through the years, I guess the reason I carry a repeater is that I don't have to carry extra ammo in my pocket.
I've hunted out in open country where you can hear shooters from a long way off. Bang-whop = meat. Bang-whoosh followed by more of the same = chuckles over somebody's misses.
Looking back through the years, I guess the reason I carry a repeater is that I don't have to carry extra ammo in my pocket.
Shawnee
member
There is a safety factor in carrying extra ammo in one's pocket rather than in the rifle. Firing or unloading one round means the gun is definitely SAFE until another round is consciously loaded into the chamber. No forgetting how many are in the gun and no shucking multiple rounds through the action.
Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
Shawnee, I dunno what to tell ya. That's all sort of a solution in search of a problem I've never had.
Maybe someday the Early Alzheimer's will play catch-up.
Maybe someday the Early Alzheimer's will play catch-up.
Shawnee
member
"That's all sort of a solution in search of a problem I've never had."
LOLOLOLOL !
Next time some knucklehead sends a bullet into the ground about 2 ft. in front of you because they didn't know the status of their rifle - you'll understand.
LOLOLOLOL !
Next time some knucklehead sends a bullet into the ground about 2 ft. in front of you because they didn't know the status of their rifle - you'll understand.
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