If you only had one......

[softpoint]

If allowed to have multiple barrels on the single shot, it would be a TC Encore with a 12 guage barrel, .22LR barrel, 45/70 barrel. The rifle barrels with low power scopes.

[Ramjet-SS]

Ruger #1 475 Linebaugh topped with a Trijicon 1-4 30mm scope green post.

Load 355 grain HC WFN driven to 1600 FPS +

[OnHoPr]

Well it's not the Daniel Boone or Davy Crocket days. Cars have trunks and pickups have boxes. Maybe the OP should be, "What would be your first gun."

[Bluehawk]

OK re reading all the threads here and allowing a single frame with multiple barrels, THEN I ALREADY have it MY H&R Frame is fitted to 5 barrels .223 Rem ; 30/30 AI; 30/06 Spring. and 45/70 . PLUS a 24 inch, 12 ga 3.5 inch chamber . If I cant do EVERYTHING with that combo, I'm afraid it cant be done . BY the way I did fire that gun with a 12 ga 3.5 inch slug once
"O N C E "

[Catsmith]

hate to say this but you may just piss them hogs off i would want more knock down to fire only 1 shot ...

You have a good point, BUT............I would hate to try to get meat for the pot off a squirrel after hitting it with a big bore anything. It would be tenderized though!

As far as the hogs go. I have all respect for wild hogs. Think about it,,,,,,With the millions of wild hogs in the south, how many documented cases are there where a person was injured in the woods by a wild hog. I have never seen a documented case. I hunt around them, trap around them, have had coons eaten out of my traps by hogs. Never have I seen anything but the rear end, trying it's best to get away from me. In a stand they will mill around a while but on foot, they want no part of us.

Maybe we just have scardy cat hogs round here

Oh Yeah...........If you go out there and poke a Hog or bear or bobcat or a squirrel with a stick, you may just deserve to be bit. Gotta be smarter than the squirrel. But that is another story.

[MT Gianni]

Savage 24, 357 max over 20 gauge. Put a peep sight on it and leave the aperature out.

[32ideal]

Absolutely a Ruger #3 in 45/70, first one I had I also had a TC in 45LC-410 with choke tube, with it in mind I tried some cheap 2 1/2" 410's in my 45-70, they worked fine but really messed up the bore with a hard to remove lead fouling, so I just used my old unsized 45-70 shells loaded with a fast 410 shotgun powder (don't know what I used it was 1977 or 1978, maybe 2400 used it for everything back then) 45 Cal gas check seated upside down (cup side down) on powder then lubed felt 45 muzzle loader wad, thin card wad, thin plastic strip (some type of shim stock, very tough) rolled into a tube inside case to end of shell, shot in the tube to almost top off and another gas check seated upside down and crimped in 45-70 seat die, shot a lot of squirrels with that load while hunting Deer or wild pigs. It left a little fouling in bore, but it still shot my 405gr cast bullets accurately to at least 150yds.

32ideal

[pls1911]

"Only one" means about the same as only one for everything...aka "what's te best"?
Tag the 30-30 and cast bullets, hands down.
Perhaps not best at anything, but damn good at about everything...
Old coots and Grandaddy's know this to be true.
I'll take their collective experience as gospel.

[pls1911]

Also, I'll acknowledge 45/70 as an absolute best second choice, and won't argue it mcuh as a #1 choice.

[45-70.gov]

357 MAX.....H&R handi

as it also will handle the 357 mag carry gun ammo
and is real qiet with 38 for small game and discretion
or
44 mag handi to go with 44 smith i some times carry

after that 12 ga......45-70.....500

[Catshooter]

Cat,

The 357 is very popular in the H&R. Many like to ream it out to 357 Max. They use from 38 Special to Max and that is a pretty wide range. Squirrells to big hogs would be covered nicely.


Cat

[nanuk]

50 caliber flintlock for me.
1) You can make your own powder.
2) Boolits easy to make.
3) Ignition system not reliant on others.

There is That!


And the Gov't up here doesn't classify them as firearms

[nanuk]

Single shot eh?...I have never seen a single shot with a rifled barrel, and there is no way I would take a shot at 150 without a rifled barrel.

GS

check out the Handi's... 12 and 20ga fully rifled barrels, and the Ultra Slug Hunters are fully rifled Heavy Barreled "Shotguns"

I have read some amazing stories of the accuracy of the H&R USH in 12ga

[Artful]

And the Gov't up here doesn't classify them as firearms

And they do that because of single shot, or black powder, or non-cartridge, or ignition system? inquiring minds want to know.

[UBER7MM]

7x57 elephant gun.

[saz]

Well I would have to agree to 2 parts of this discussion. I am torn between them as I believe they are both equally effective within 150 yards dependent on how they are loaded and equally dependent on the game each is being used on. The two cartridges in question are the venerable old 45/70 and the very modern but incredibly impressive 500 S&W. I have cast and loaded a bit for both, but have taken even more game than both combined with equal caliber muzzleloaders. Knowing what can be done with the "underpowered" blackpowder rifle is what gives me my opinion. I have done everything from thumping bunnies with a 45cal longrifle with a round ball over 30grs FFF, to taking a BIG Alaskan Bull Moose at 115 yards with a .50cal 495gr conical over 85grs FF. It isn't the rifle, it is the "flying brick" hitting the critter in the right spot. Now, if I had to pick either caliber in a centerfire rifle, it there would be ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT be chambered in a Ruger #1.

But then again, if I could afford a custom #1 in 500 S&W I sure wouldn't be concerned with owning only ONE rifle. But I love the sentiment. I think of it often.

[gungadoug]

Greener 12 bore takedown shotgun, with 12 bore rifle, 303, 50-90, and 22 barrels. But I guess that really doesn't fit the parameters?
Doug

[Aces an Eights]

45-70, (bought my fist one (1895G) last week and I've been giving it a little hug every night since )

Sharps or maybe a Trapdoor, can't decide, Uberti have a couple of nice looking replicas.

I like the sights on mk.3 303s but a tang sight seams more pragmatic.