Why do you love single shot guns? [Archive]

Daekar

04-19-2021, 12:42 PM

GOPHER SLAYER

04-19-2021, 01:31 PM

I love their beauty and simplicity. I have twelve or thirteen, I would have to count. They range from .22LR to 45-70. My favorites are the 40 calibers. I like to hear the loud clang when I hit the steel plates at two or three hundred yards. My Granddaughter loves it to.

dverna

04-19-2021, 01:46 PM

There is something about being marksman that attracts me to them. One shot should be all you need.

My bolt guns only get fed from the magazine when hunting. Why try to catch brass?

I like the shorter length without the action wasting space too.

Green Frog

04-19-2021, 01:53 PM

725

04-19-2021, 02:20 PM

I'm just a hunter with occasional forays into the paper game. I enjoy the simplicity of the single shot for the chase. It has made me a much better hunter. All of my friends use bolts primarily and most often I can tell when they are on game by the quick succession of 2 - 3 shots fired. I like bolts, too. I just prefer the single shot. After retirement I was lucky enough to go to Africa. I have a buddy in the police service there. I took my bolt, but all the animals I went after died with a single shot.

Wayne Smith

04-19-2021, 03:03 PM

No limit to cartridge/boolit length except the chamber. Easy and cheap to have a barrel made for my Encore or I would never have a 25 Krag AI. Short and handy to handle yet with an adequate barrel length. Need I say more?

Scrounge

04-19-2021, 03:46 PM

I learned to shoot rifles with a single shot Stevens Favorite 1889 model in .22LR. It had been my dad's first gun when he was a kid, and all my brothers and sisters but one learned to shoot rifles with it. It is now mine. Only good thing about being the oldest of 9. ;) I recently bought it a couple of parts. Dad was 13 when he "fixed" it. Arc-welded the lever, and brazed a new head on the breach block screw. I replaced the screw, and have a new extractor that I still have to fit. Putting the workshop together before I start on that. My own first rifle was one of the Agawam Arms .22LR single shot lever guns that were available for a few years in the late 60's and early 70's. I lost it to thieves in 1991, but I loved that little gun, too. So I have acquired another Stevens Favorite in .32RF, and a Stevens Crackshot, in .32 RF short, to play with. Ought to keep me fairly busy for a while. :)

barrabruce

04-19-2021, 04:52 PM

Like some of the simpler designs; less to go wrong and nothing to misplace or loose.
I usually have a few pocket magazines and fingers and mouth even if I have to.
Honestly a second round is not that slow to chamber with a little practice and I have rarely hunted where things just mill around waiting to be shot after the first round.
Usually ends in a cloud of dust.

namsag

04-19-2021, 04:54 PM

They are simple and elegant and you must know what you are doing to get the job done with them. You must be sure of your shot before you shoot.

My first single shot rifle was a H&R Buffalo Classic that I bought for Mississippi's "primitive" season. I have always really enjoyed it, if it were the first rifle I had ever bought, it might well be the only one.

DocSavage

04-19-2021, 06:45 PM

Universal action can be used by right or left handed folks.

Mk42gunner

04-19-2021, 07:04 PM

I started with single shot bolt action .22 rifles, Dad's Winchester Model 67A then later my very own Savage Springfield Model 120A. The Browning designed Winchester is a much better rifle by the way.

Then graduated to an H&R .410, and on and on. Immediately after high school I could pretty much guarantee buying a single shot .22 or shotgun for $15-20.

I've had Brownings, Rugers and a few antique BP rifles, on the low end of the scale is the H&R's with the hammer block that always seems to break. My current sweetheart is a Thompson Center TCR 83 with two barrels.

I firmly believe that a single shot makes you a better hunter.

Robert

John Taylor

04-19-2021, 07:30 PM

When I was 13 a rancher hired me to shoot prairie dogs. I had two 22 rifles that I could use, a Remington #4 and Model 12. Both guns shot the same on paper but it didn't take me long to figure out that I got more with the #4. Having a backup shot tends to make you more careless on the first shot.

Krag 1901

04-19-2021, 07:32 PM

I love the 1885 Browning Low Wall I have, just because it is beautiful, light and the most accurate rifle I have. I just wish it had an ejector like the high walls.

marlinman93

04-19-2021, 08:32 PM

My first love was the 1893 Marlin, which lead me down the path of trying to get one of every caliber. That lead me to wanting every model, and caliber. I had every model Marlin made prior to WII, and most calibers, and features within the various models. About 200 Marlins total.
Then one day a friend says, "Why don't you have any of Marlin's single shot Ballard rifles?"
Well I began looking for a "cheap example" and back then Ballard rifles really could be found cheap. I bought a decent #2 Ballard in .38 Long for $350, and took it home to tear it apart. It was working fine, but I always want to see how a gun is made. I was intrigued with the Ballard design, and decided to try to find a nicer example, and maybe a high end Ballard.
Within a year I found myself selling off some of my Marlin lever action rifles to reinvest in Marlin Ballards. They just seemed to be addictive, and in no time I also started buying other brands of 1800's single shot rifles. Over a period of years the vast majority of my Marlin lever actions were sold, and I had accumulated a pretty decent collection of single shot rifles.
Today I've sold off all the Winchester, Stevens, and other single shot rifles, and own almost exclusively Marlin Ballard rifles, and Remington Rolling Block, and Hepburn rifles. I do have one Husqvarna Type 33A Roller, and a Whitney-Laidley Roller. But they're the only oddballs here now.
I've found the collecting of Ballards and Remington 1800's single shot rifles not just an enjoyable addiction, but a great bunch of guns to shoot too. I'm not sure I could collect if I didn't also love shooting the old single shot rifles.

Daekar

04-19-2021, 08:38 PM

Universal action can be used by right or left handed folks.

As a lefty perennially plagued by right-handed actions, I LOVE this about my single-shots. It's a revelation how much it improves the experience for me.

barrabruce

04-19-2021, 09:09 PM

I’m with you lefties there.

Give a right hander a left handed bolt or one with a roll over comb and hear them whinge and whine and look quite put out and shocked at even suggesting they use such an abomination.

Anyone would think ‘yer relieved yourself in their shoe or something.
Ha.

Maybe it’s just my guns??:?

nagantguy

04-19-2021, 09:10 PM

Easy handling and it reminds me to be sure of my shot.

GhostHawk

04-19-2021, 09:19 PM

I started with H&R's just before they went out of business.

Found a .223rem used in great condition. Was able to get it to the factory and get a .357 mag and a 7.62x39 fitted before the factory closed.

Prices seemed sure to go up so when I saw gun grabber had new old stock in sale reasonable I bought two, .300BO and .444marlin. I did not really intend to shoot either much. Was thinking I could double my money. By the time the prices had risen that far both were firmly implanted in my heart.

I think the single shot forces you to watch, be patient, look for that perfect shot. And then put it where it needs to go. And walk out there with a smile on your face.

Now I have H&R's in .223, .30-30, .300BO, 9mm, .357mag, a pair of .44mags, .444Marlin, and .45 colt.

I have 3 semi auto's and a pair of lever guns in the house for home defense where I might need some follow up shots.
Not counting the 3 Rem 870 Shotguns in 12, 16 and 20 ga.

But for walking in the woods or the range I prefer the single shots.

I also have a take down Rolling Block in .32sw long that is more of a wall hanger. Either that or I just have not figured out what it wants yet. It just takes you back to the days of Buffalo Hunters and homesteaders. It is just a joy to shoot even if I do wish it was more accurate.

M-Tecs

04-19-2021, 09:26 PM

As a kid I reloaded for a 7th Cavalry reenactment group. Fell in love with Trapdoor Springfield's at 8 or 9 years old. Other kids had 22's but I had my TD's.

Outpost75

04-19-2021, 09:50 PM

One of my mentors, the late Harry J. Archer was an advocate for having some sort of rifle chambered for each handgun cartridge for which you had four or more handguns of that caliber and 1000 rounds of ammunition stored. English rook rifles defined the concept for him and he had several which had been relined and rechambered by Bob Snapp to use .32 S&W Long, .38 Special and .45 Colt.

Over the years I've done the same thing and thanks to John Taylor I have several small-frame H&R .44/.410 shotgun frames with barrels chambered for .32 S&W Long, .38 Special, .44-40, .45ACP/.455 Webley and .45 Colt. I also have a couple barrels to fit my Beretta Model 412 folding .410 shotguns in .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum and .45 ACP. The small takedown rifles with extra shotgun barrel carry easily in a backpack or suitcase and are natural traveling companions to accompany an EDC handgun.

Indeed, they are my most used and most carried "walking around" guns.

281639

Goofy

04-19-2021, 10:34 PM

Started with single shots and will end with them. They were good enough to win our freedom.

Repeaters are interesting if belt fed and have 6 barrels.

Bad Ass Wallace

04-20-2021, 03:48 AM

Just something that screams out, shoot me, please. Had a fun time yesterday with my Martini Zeller in 44/40.

https://i.imgur.com/lY5kJWd.jpg

Stephen Cohen

04-20-2021, 05:37 AM

As a young lad I remember a single shot .22 or shotgun behind every door on every country home, my first true gun was a Gevarm a7 Semi Auto and I got sick of unloading it after shooting what ever game I was after so sold it and got a single shot and the love of them has stayed with me. One shot one kill and when I do use a magazine bolt gun I just consider the mag a handy place to hold extra shots. I am looking at buying a Ruger No 1 as we speak. Regards Stephen

sharps4590

04-20-2021, 07:32 AM

Simple elegance and strength. Only one I could never warm to is the Martini or its variants. I'm also an advocate of them for hunting. Usually, the fella hunting with a single shot of any variety knows what he's about.

rbuck351

04-20-2021, 11:24 AM

They are the ultimate short action. I have several with my Savage 219 being my favorite rifle and a Stevens Tip up my favorite hand gun. The tip up weighs 10 oz loaded and even with it's 6" barrel it is very easy to carry.

dverna

04-20-2021, 01:38 PM

Just something that screams out, shoot me, please. Had a fun time yesterday with my Martini Zeller in 44/40.

https://i.imgur.com/lY5kJWd.jpg

Sir,

That is elegant...just elegant!!

Dog1

04-20-2021, 01:51 PM

I just do. I can't exactly tell you why. But I love my Pedersoli Sharps, my Chiappa Sharp's Cavalry carbine and my original Springfield trapdoor carbine.

281605

281608

281609

They are beautiful, fun to shoot and when I bring them to the range or when I get together with my friends to shoot and they shoot them they always have a smile on their face.

smkummer

04-20-2021, 02:36 PM

Dog1

04-20-2021, 02:46 PM

There is just something about “ringing” steel at what ever range suites your fancy. Currently my main range is 200 yards. 45-70 and 43 Egyptian with a cast lead bullet and a satisfying bang! followed by a slight delay and then “ting”. If I have to explain, you wouldn’t understand.

Agreed... there's something about the report of the rifle that small pause and then the ring of the steel... the longer the range the more satisfying it is

444ttd

04-20-2021, 05:34 PM

i have two tc encore rifles. they are all 23" MGM heavy factory barrels in 20 vartarg, 444 marlin and 500 linebaugh. i also have a 1973 ruger #1 in 270. they are all accurate, more accurate than me!!!! i hunt and never needed a second shot. i take about 3 or 4 cartridges(except the 20vt) and put them into my front pocket(except one that is loaded). "one shot, one kill" is what my drill sergeant said about 30+ years ago. i take it to heart.

i had a handi rifle in 45-70 but my oldest son(who now lives in north carolina) took it. he also took loaded 405gr pbfn with him. there is a farmer that hates hawgs tearing up his ground. so he invited my son to shoot hawgs.

i, being a leftie, luvs his single shots. ;-) i have a win m94 in 35/30-30 and a rem m14 in 30 rem that i use. i luv old bolt actions!!!! i have a 1898 spr armory in 30-40 krag with a redfield 102k aperture sight on it. unfortunately i forgot a finishing nail when i took off the cut off lever. now it is a single shot. now that i think about, all of my bolt actions are single shot too. i know i could put 4 or 5 cartridges in it, but why? hmmmmmm.....i'll have to think about it.

GARD72977

04-20-2021, 05:35 PM

I really cant give a satisfactory answer to this question.

I had a conversation with a buddy today about quality of new bolt guns
It went straight to accurracy. Just because a gun is accurrate doesnt mean I would enjoy shooting it.

I guess i like the feel of quality. I have a couple out of date Highpower Match rifles. I wouldnt trade them for new more accurrate bolt guns of the same value.

I love everything about them. They seem to be individual. The difference in the wood grain or pattern of Case Hardening.

They make me happy to shoot or just get out of the safe and hold.

Edward

04-20-2021, 06:22 PM

Just something that screams out, shoot me, please. Had a fun time yesterday with my Martini Zeller in 44/40.

https://i.imgur.com/lY5kJWd.jpg

That is a reason to get up in the morning and shoot something (anything) with that work of art !!!!!!!!!!!/Ed

Win94ae

04-20-2021, 07:04 PM

It was the cheapest gun chambered in the cartridge I wanted to hunt with.

444ttd

04-20-2021, 10:05 PM

FLINTNFIRE

04-21-2021, 12:17 AM

I love wood and blue steel , but I have plastic , sorry stainless shining does not cut it with me , Now back to those single shots , love the old favorite 22 , and the 84 trapdoor , oh those Pedersoli sharps sweet and waiting on the Shiloh "oh Shilo when I was young " .

Had a local gun store owner gift me a box of 45 2.6 brass , I thought about it and took it back as I did not want to waste it on 45-70 or 40-65 , love my muzzle loaders make the shot count.

Fond memories , romance , nostalgia its all there and lots of fun one shot at a time .

beezapilot

04-21-2021, 06:52 AM

There is a line in a current favorite song "I'm truly blessed, 'cause I can do more with less". Loved shooting with my dad when I was a kid- a box of .22's was a rare and beautiful thing. Had a single shot Ithaca and it was a great to spend the time talking and shooting for an hour or so going through that red & green box of shells. Saved up and got a Ruger 10/22, and that box of shells was gone in no time, went back to the Ithaca.

Daekar

04-21-2021, 07:51 AM

Saved up and got a Ruger 10/22, and that box of shells was gone in no time, went back to the Ithaca.
Boy, this is something I can definitely relate to. Not only does it slow things down in a graceful way, but there is a more sensuous feeling to the whole experience. Not in the usual sense, but in the original meaning - the single-shot experience more completely engages the senses because you are participating in the process in a more comprehensive way.

Especially for the handloader, I think it makes a difference. Those cartridges you loaded aren't just items to be stuffed in a magazine and then burned up without any more further engagement than a blast and a pat on the shoulder... Each one is handled as it's loaded: you get to see the boolit you selected, the crimp, any patina you've allowed to remain on the brass, the primer. There is the satisfying feeling as the action locks up, regardless of what action type you're using. The shooting experience itself is as pure as it gets: the aim, the gentle squeeze of the trigger, and the shot itself - then stillness. No action bumping around or brass flying through the air. When the moment has passed and the animal is down or the target has rung out, the action unlocks and you're presented with the brass right at your fingertips. The primer is right there for inspection. The smell of burned powder wafts up from the action as you place the brass in a pocket or pouch for later use, and you're ready to do it again.

I don't know, reading what I just wrote it makes me seem like a poetic experience... Maybe it is. I darn sure like it better than the other options, no doubt.

pietro

04-21-2021, 09:42 AM

.

For my single-shot hunting rifles, it's all about the challenge - And I like fancy rifles, to have something to admire during those times when game is scarce or not moving around.

IMO, they can't be beat for wood-walking (YMMV)

.

popper

04-21-2021, 10:46 AM

Recently got a CVA in 300BO. LGS guy didn't understand why. Actually would like a falling block but price was mucho better. I don't burn through so much ammo now. They could have contoured the barrel to take off the extra 2# but I can load to any level I desire. Modern FB is 400$ for the action plus the rest of the gun.

marlinman93

04-21-2021, 10:47 AM

i hate "plastic" rifles.

wood and blued steel from yesteryear!!!!

Amen! Any gun can possibly be accurate if well built. But there are ugly guns and beautiful guns. And an old gun with blued steel, color case, and fine wood just oozes sexiness, and beauty that not many modern guns can!

https://i.imgur.com/KUHSMP5l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3Qj37Oql.jpg

greenwart

04-21-2021, 11:25 AM

Daekar

04-21-2021, 12:27 PM

You guy made me scratch that itch again. I looked for a savage 219 in 30-30 for years, then moved on to other rifles when I couldn't find one that was not completely trashed or too $$$. The Henries might be an acceptable alternative. I do like the longer barrel on the older guns though.
You might consider one of these from Chiappa: https://www.chiappafirearms.com/product.php?id=193
A little Sharps rifle. They make them in 357mag, too, and I really want one even though it probably won't do anything any better than my Henry H015. So pretty!

444ttd

04-21-2021, 12:30 PM

amen! Any gun can possibly be accurate if well built. But there are ugly guns and beautiful guns. And an old gun with blued steel, color case, and fine wood just oozes sexiness, and beauty that not many modern guns can!

https://i.imgur.com/kuhsmp5l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3qj37oql.jpg

amen!!!!!!!!

atr

04-21-2021, 02:13 PM

I like them for their simplicity and functionality

Bigslug

04-22-2021, 08:45 AM

They distill the act of shooting down to the pure act of shooting more than anything else. It's a single-purpose machine designed to chamber and fire one cartridge - not feed a bunch more of them. If you think of guns in that context, some of them consist of multiple machines performing multiple functions. That adds weight and complexity - sometimes that is done well; other times, not so much.

We beat the word "elegance" to death a lot on this topic, but when you eliminate all of the cartridge-feeding, cylinder-rotating, flashlight-mounting, belt-advancing, water-cooling doodads, what you're left with is the elegant primary function of a cartridge arm. . .and that's kinda cool.

Fishoot

04-22-2021, 04:27 PM

I think its a function of my age. When I was younger, I used to like semi-auto's for their follow up shots, especially for moving targets. As I get older, I think I appreciate older things more. Maybe its appreciation for how old those guns are and how many hands have held and treasured them before I got'em. Young people seem to want plastic or "black" guns, and they are fine, but there's not much history there. Another factor is the price and scarcity of reloading components or ammo. I like rebuilding old singles. Working walnut to replace an old ruined stock gives you a great appreciation for the wood, its color and the beauty of its grain. Plastic just doesn't have that attraction for me.

gnoahhh

04-22-2021, 06:28 PM

I don't know that I can verbalize my affinity for single shots. Certainly the "challenge" of making that one shot count is a draw, but that's not all of it. The shear elegance of the classic falling block rifles is terribly important, but that's not all either.

Perhaps it was our public library in the town I grew up in which were shelved all of the classic gun books which spent more time at my house than they did in the library: all of Grant's Single Shot books were there, as well as several about the old master H.M.Pope. Phil Sharpe's tome fleshed things out, as well as a host of other books too numerous to mention (or more truthfully, forgotten!). That above all else is what led me down this amazing rabbit hole, a hole I have no intention of climbing out of.

I now have a significant accumulation of single shots. Notice I didn't say "collection", as my tastes are wide ranging and subject to the whims of the moment. Some lever and bolt guns have gone away to finance single shots, but alas they still outnumber the single shots. Vintage revolvers have my fancy, as well as a goodly pile of U.S. bolt action martial arms and Garands, but its the single shots I reach for the most when its time to fondle, shoot, or hunt.

Bobbers

04-24-2021, 10:58 PM

I have an old rolling block .22 that I just love shooting. It is methodical to load, aim, shoot, and do it again.

trails4u

04-24-2021, 11:11 PM

It's a study of and preservation of history for me. My single shots are all military rifles, all original and in their original configurations. I'm not a 'collector'.... I shoot them all. Some collectors would probably cringe at some of the specimens I shoot. I don't care...they weren't meant to live in a museum.

tnlonghunter

04-26-2021, 07:02 AM

It's a combination of factors for me. One is the (usually) slender, (mostly) symmetrical design that is elegant and easy to handle. The other is the historical connection. My mom always said I was born in the wrong century (not true, I love being able to see - and for that I need modern optometry), and I have always gravitated toward old-school, traditional things.

For rifles and shotguns, it started with flintlocks and then moved on to single shot cartridge rifles. I do love a good lever gun, the 73 Winchester being ideal, but single shots are something special and infatuating. My first single shot was a Ruger No. 1 in .308 win. I sold it to pay some bills in grad school, but always wanted it back. Today, I have a Pedersoli Sharps .45-70, CPA Silhouette in .40-65, and a nearly-mint condition Stevens 418 .22lr and well as some nice flintlocks. Even those heavy barreled rifles are more slender and elegant than most repeater.

I recently got into side-by-side shotguns and find them attractive for the same reasons. I'm kind of snobbish in the sense that I think they feel like a sporting arm is supposed to feel - wood and steel, craftsmanship, and - as someone said above - having a sensual quality in terms of engaging all your senses for each shot. Nothing clunky or bulky, and even the plain ones are more pleasant to look at than black plastic.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

Gunlaker

04-26-2021, 10:36 PM

Amen! Any gun can possibly be accurate if well built. But there are ugly guns and beautiful guns. And an old gun with blued steel, color case, and fine wood just oozes sexiness, and beauty that not many modern guns can!

https://i.imgur.com/KUHSMP5l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3Qj37Oql.jpg

That's pretty much it. Old single shots have a soul, where as modern rifles are just utilitarian tools to me.

Chris.

Shawlerbrook

04-27-2021, 06:29 AM

Yes, simplicity, light weight and fairly economical. I sure do miss H&R/NEF and the rest of the quality one barrelers of the past.

trapper9260

04-27-2021, 06:45 AM

I use a side hammer muzzle loader for deer hunting and you need to count on that one shot . Just like I have a Savage mod. 24 22lr/410 and you need that one shot of the one you use then have a Handi rifle made for a 327 mag from H&R rifle and use that for the trap line for a distance shooting when needed because that is all you mainly will have is one shot and try to make sure that one shot counts. They have there place , too many over looks them for there use. Also you do not need to worry about the lost of your brass when you reload your own .

onelight

04-27-2021, 01:00 PM

I like tat they are shorter for the same barrel length.
I like how simple the are to unload and load and be gentle with the ammunition .
I like the way falling block rifles load and unload when shooting from the bench.
I like the way they look.
I like the flexibility with bullet styles .
I just like them :)

17nut

04-27-2021, 03:17 PM

Apart from a full auto then evey rifle is semiauto being recoil or muscle activaterd?
A guy with a 12gauge pump will stack them almost as fast as an auto.

You can't miss fast enough to score a hit!

Conditor22

04-27-2021, 05:06 PM

Why do you love single shot guns?

single shot ---- as in ONLY 1 (one) cartridge fits anywhere in the gun at a time.

I love them, I feel they let you get more in tune with shooting and are much more conservative in ammo usage. PLUS -- in many cases there is a lot less that can go wrong [smilie=s::bigsmyl2:

MT Gianni

04-27-2021, 09:23 PM

4 contender frames & 12 bbls is reason enough. I hunted black powder primitive for many years, wolves have made me rethink single shots.

ulav8r

04-27-2021, 10:58 PM

Gtrubicon

04-27-2021, 10:58 PM

I just recently purchased a singe shot from a member here on the forum, it’s a beat to hell savage 219 chambered in 22 hornet. My initial intent was to get my 15 year old son to shoot slower. Thanks to me, his dad, he’s got lots of things to shoot. I wanted him to learn to take his best shot, we shoot a couple times a week. I also thought a single shot would still get us range time and slow the use of components it takes to re load ammo. Well that has back fired. We are having a ball with this rifle. I’m casting the lee bator and Mp hornet for this rifle. I’m checking and pc the boolits. It’s really fun to shoot! And accurate! I even got my wife into shooting it. The single shot rifle is as simple as it gets, it’s not intimidating to most. It’s brought my little family of 3 together even more. That’s why I love single shot guns.

sharps4590

04-28-2021, 07:46 AM

Pretty much says it all. One last reason for me was because my dad did not like them.

Now that's ironic. Because my Dad did not like them had no bearing on me liking them however, he did not like them. Had absolutely no use for one. Of all his firearms when he passed away all but one were semi-auto's or pumps. The one oddball was an SMLE.

Jedman

04-28-2021, 10:16 AM

I have posted this on a similar thread about single shots, I am just fascinated with all of the different actions that have been used to breech a single round. I collect them and like the more oddball types as long as they were well made and shootable. By far the majority of game that doesn’t fly I have taken with single shots because I just prefer using the many types I have. When I was younger I did a lot of game bird and waterfowl hunting and started using semi auto and pump actions and then went on to using mostly double shotguns for hunting.
At this stage of my life I have slowed down to mostly hunting deer and varmints and single shots are what I use.

Jedman

ulav8r

04-28-2021, 10:13 PM

Now that's ironic. Because my Dad did not like them had no bearing on me liking them however, he did not like them. Had absolutely no use for one. Of all his firearms when he passed away all but one were semi-auto's or pumps. The one oddball was an SMLE.

My wife calls me OnRee for a reason.

Mossy88

05-03-2021, 11:11 PM

Mostly like them because of the simplicity. Started hunting with a old single-shot Savage Stevens 410 back in the 70s. Just kind of stuck with me. Second thing is like those adapters that you can buy I'm pretty sure you've got to have some kind of take down supposedly to work I don't think I can put them in a pump. Third I like hunting with a single shot mostly because I figure if I miss it gives the animal a chance to get away. Just makes it a little more critical that I get the shot off right the first time

GARD72977

05-04-2021, 02:28 AM

Im experiencing a little burnout right now! My single shot addiction is taken a toll

rfd

05-04-2021, 07:48 AM

Single shots for doing-it-the-old-way simple fun challenge; semi and full auto for deadly serious "fun".

mvozz

05-06-2021, 03:07 PM

My Grandpa made me hunt sage grouse with a single shot 20 gauge when I was a kid. I hated that gun, how stupid to only have one shot! Once I matured a little I ended up with a Ruger #3 in 22 Hornet - I love that rifle. My kids grew up shooting it and now my grandkids are shooting it. Somehow when you know you only have one shot you seem to take more time to make sure you get the shot you want. I also found that I wasn't tied to Sierra 22 Hornet bullets, with no magazine length limits I could play with Vmax, Dogtown, cast or anything else I wanted. I have now talked myself into a couple of Handi rifles in 223, a Ruger #1 in 45-70 and a TC Encore in 223. My wife has confiscated one of the Handi rifles and the TC. Looks like I will be looking for more!

Goofy

05-06-2021, 08:06 PM

Only need one shot.

rfd

05-06-2021, 08:07 PM

Only need one shot.

Unless the wagon train is surrounded. :)

Drm50

05-06-2021, 09:37 PM

Truthfully in a hunting rifle a single shot is all you need. I enjoy single shot quality rifles. Most of the economy late models are junk. There is a certain amount of enjoyment hunting with a quality firearm.

trails4u

05-06-2021, 09:43 PM

"I am just fascinated with all of the different actions that have been used to breech a single round. I collect them and like the more oddball types as long as they were well made and shootable".

Yes, Yes, Yes!! Well said Jedman! What a fascinating time the development of breechloading rifles..... Most of mine are military, as the history of that fascinates me as well, but nonetheless....what a cool period in time. Soooo many ways found to solve the same simple problem.

ktw

05-08-2021, 04:16 PM

Because I load my own ammunition and I hate to chase after brass.

-ktw

Daekar

05-10-2021, 09:50 PM

Because I load my own ammunition and I hate to chase after brass.

-ktw

If I am being 100% honest, this was the primary reason I got started with single shots. It just seemed like a so much more elegant solution than a bolt action.

uscra112

05-17-2021, 01:47 AM

Low parts count. Which came to me as I was looking at an exploded diagram of a .22 semiauto. My early Stevens 44s have 32 parts, counting each screw and pin individually. 34 for later models with the 2-piece pivots. The basic Ballard has 29. A Hopkins & Allen 922 is even simpler. Ditto the Maynard and the old Stevens Tip-up.

That repeater was over 100.

Brassmonkey

05-17-2021, 07:53 AM

I don’t own one yet but have seen and fired many that caught my eye. I like the simplicity, and the slower pace make it count feeling shooting them gives me.

rfd

05-17-2021, 08:55 AM

Who can't at least appreciate a nice single shot?

Henry break open single .45-70 with upgraded sights ...

https://i.imgur.com/Q8boM9j.jpg

brass410

05-17-2021, 10:08 AM

First gun I learned to shoot was a cooey single shot, within 2 weeks I was then presented with a box (50) shells and sent to the north forty bring back ground hog tail for each shell was the request. Sixty years have past I still have that single and a few more in both calibre and gauge. Its the simplicity and elegance of the action thats appealing to me falling blocks, rolling blocks and even trap doors are all simply marvelous in thier own homely way.

marlinman93

05-17-2021, 10:42 AM

Only need one shot.

Yeah, that's what Custer and the US Army thought too!

uscra112

05-18-2021, 11:32 PM

Yeah, that's what Custer and the US Army thought too!

And with that copper cased ammunition his men were issued, one shot was all they got.

toot

05-19-2021, 08:20 AM

just because I do. and you don't shoot up a lot of ammo on the hunt, as with a DBL, PUMP, OR SEMI, AUTO. makes sense to me.

chrometip78

09-14-2021, 11:40 AM

First firearm was a 514 Remington bolt action single shot 22lr, and I hated it, wanted a Marlin 60. Years later after accumulating the "cool" guns I wanted, the 514 is one of my favorites, it's fun, quiet, and looks/feels good to me. I refinished the bluing (badly) and stock years ago, lengthened the stock to fit me and I love carrying it for a walk in the woods with a pocket full of shells. Now I have an Encore and looking forward to walking in the woods with it for hunting season.

Think it's something about slowing things down, working the action, and not having to pick brass up off the ground. Went through the same arc with revolvers and think I prefer them now for the same reasons.

Rapier

09-14-2021, 08:13 PM

What did Sgt Major Brumley say about Custer, “Custer was a wuss…..” It is in the book too, by the way.

I learned to shoot with single shots so am no stranger to making the first and only shot count.

Butzbach

09-14-2021, 08:32 PM

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=288710&d=1631665841

echo154

09-14-2021, 08:35 PM

Hey Scrounge that was the first rifle I shot too. down in TN. My Uncle(southern relation, actually)had it and we shot tin cans at about 20' with hardware store 22 shorts! Great gun, greater memories!
I like single shots foe the memories, as well as the fact you concentrate more on the shooting and not the BANG affect.

beagle74

09-14-2021, 09:16 PM

I was fortunate that my dad started me with a single shot. i thought I was missing out on something by not having a fancy gun. Over time I am so grateful to still have this gun, and the lessons it and my dad taught me. Once you have confidence in your ability to use it, it doesn't feel like a disadvantage at all. That gun cost 59.99 when he bought it on sale 36 years ago. Still going strong, and kills everything that needs killing.

No_1

09-15-2021, 04:51 AM

I have always loved single shots and have both Ruger’s as well as Thompson’s. In the Ruger department I have all the #3’s except for a 30/40 Krag. I even have one which I has been rebarreled from 223 to 22TCM. In #1’s I have a 45/70 and a 357 Magnum. For Thompson’s I have a couple Contender frames that I swap a 22 Hornet, .44 Special (Stub barrel project), and 30-30 in rifle length. In Encore I have a 50 Cal Muzzle Loader barrel and a 10” 454 Casull.

Rifles and pistols of the same caliber are also a favorite but I when it comes to that I tend to lean towards matching up lever guns with the pistols.

DxieLandMan

09-15-2021, 12:32 PM

When I was in Afghanistan, I fell in love with the .577 Snider and .577/450 Martini-Henry and after watching the movie Zulu I knew that I had to have one. Luckily for me, I was able to bring home a Snider and a buddy of mine wanted to sell his Martini-Henry. I knew that ammo would be very hard/next to impossible to find but I started reloading for them. They are so much fun to shoot with the black powder.

bangerjim

09-15-2021, 02:20 PM

If I cannot load up my shotguns and pull the trigger at least 6-8 times B4 reloading, I do not own one! I have several semi-automatic 12 gauge that are really fun to shoot. Just aim and pull the trigger......until the gun is empty. Can't beat that. No cocking or messing around reloading.

Shawlerbrook

09-15-2021, 03:05 PM

Elegant simplicity!

popper

09-15-2021, 03:57 PM

Slows my rate of fire with the shortage of components. And they are fun.

uscra112

09-15-2021, 09:33 PM

Slows my rate of fire with the shortage of components.[/b] And they are fun.

And there you have it.

The old single-shots from about 1885 to WW2 are an amateur gunsmith's dream, they're so easy to take apart and put together. Many a home machinist has built replicas entirely from scratch. Stevens rifles from the period are takedowns; you don't even need a barrel vise, but properly put together with a good barrel and good sights. they're as accurate as all but the best modern bench guns. I have had many a pleasurable day at the range tuning a load for one, firing one shot every 5-10 minutes.

Shanghai Jack

09-15-2021, 10:15 PM

For me it didn’t really start out to be the single shot gun itself, it was the Schuetzen game that required that I use one. I like all the gimmicks and geegaws that we use with them. The Schuetzen culture is what attracted me to single shot guns, not the other way around. :veryconfu

Froggie

Me too, the tools were a big draw for me. I cant tell you the number of people, including NRA trained people, who have yelled at me that I'm going to blow up my barrel by breech seating a bullet. Love the simplicity of the single shot - it also makes me shoot slower, particularly when breech seating.

sharps4590

09-17-2021, 07:22 AM

Me too, the tools were a big draw for me. I cant tell you the number of people, including NRA trained people, who have yelled at me that I'm going to blow up my barrel by breech seating a bullet. Love the simplicity of the single shot - it also makes me shoot slower, particularly when breech seating.

Yeah....there's a whole world of internet experts out there whose knowledge of firearms history goes back to at least 2005. And, spray and pray is just so cool......not! For goodness sake, eliminate anything that requires action by the shooter other than exercise of an index finger.

uscra112

09-17-2021, 07:42 AM

I'll betcha their jaws drop when you start shooting 1moa groups with that antique.

Texas by God

09-17-2021, 08:39 AM

303Guy

09-22-2021, 10:19 PM

Break action single shots just feel and look right! I have two - both shotguns. I would dearly love a Handi or H&R rifle. In the meantime, I shoot my Lee Enfields and 22's in single shot mode. Except when I go out into the field. Gotta carry my spare ammo somewhere! Mind you, I have used quick follow up shots but I would rather carry a break and deliberately load each shot.

I have a few single shot bolt action 22's but that's not the same. I just want that break action! Well, it's not going to happen so I might as well enjoy my little Lee Enfield carbine with it's ten shot mag, which I am currently preparing for hunting and target shooting. In single shot mode with a magazine minus the follower and spring, the Lee Enfield drops its empties into said magazine so no catching spent casings. So it has it's plus side as a single shot.

When I owned a hunted with a 223 mini 14, I would fire a shot then watch where the spent case went before considering another shot. What I did like about it though was that it reloaded itself during the noise of the muzzle blast. So there is that aspect to an auto-loader. I hunted with it because it was a neat little rifle. Same reason I want a break-action. They are neat!

Bill*B

09-26-2021, 07:40 PM

Even my bolt action repeaters are usually employed as a single shot. Habit, I guess.

marlinman93

09-30-2021, 01:12 PM

To me an old 1800's single shot rifle is just about as cool as it gets. Knowing there were lever action repeaters at the same time, and yet many hunters chose to buy a nice single shot instead, just speaks volumes for how men looked at the guns they used to put game on the table back then. It wasn't about how many shots will my rifle hold, and how fast can I shoot it. It was about making every shot count, and how much game can I take with a box of cartridges.
I used to hunt with a modern bolt action rifle for many decades. But after taking a large number of deer at distances up to 400 yds., I considered taking one of my old Marlin leverguns, and enjoyed that experience much more. Then I figured one of my single shot rifles might be even more fun, and a bit more challenging. After my first deer taken with an old Ballard in .38-55, I never considered using anything but an old single shot rifle.
These days I shoot single shot rifles exclusively for hunting, and target shooting. I still have some of my 1800's Marlin repeaters, and my modern bolt action rifles. But they don't see any use these days as when I head to the range it's always with single shot rifles for many years now.

uscra112

09-30-2021, 01:16 PM

To me the old rifles are a link to a slower world. A world without all our modern conveniences like BLM, CRT, social media, YouToob, anti-gun zealots, und-und-und.

rfd

09-30-2021, 04:46 PM

To me the old rifles are a link to a slower world. A world without all our modern conveniences like BLM, CRT, social media, YouToob, anti-gun zealots, und-und-und.

I would never consider BLM and CRT and anti-gun zealots as "modern conveniences"! :veryconfu :mrgreen: Social media and YouTube are a mixed bag of nuts. [smilie=p:

uscra112

09-30-2021, 05:00 PM

I would never consider BLM and CRT and anti-gun zealots as "modern conveniences"! :veryconfu :mrgreen: Social media and YouTube are a mixed bag of nuts. [smilie=p:

Did I really need to add the /sarc tag?

dannyd

09-30-2021, 05:23 PM

Encore rifle and contender pistol; don’t get much better for plinking

cabinarms

10-01-2021, 01:40 PM

I love the AR style rifles, but also the simplicity of a break open single shot rifle is irresistible to me. The Henry single shot IMO is really a square deal for what you get. own 4 of them.
my 45-70 printed clover leafs right out of the box (no break in). My 44 Henry still needs some break in I think:) my H&R 357 mag (now 357 Max) has never been impressive for accuracy BUT more than adequate for harvesting whitetail.
if Henry offered interchangeable barrels + more calibers, it would be a true win.

NC Terry

10-02-2021, 08:04 AM

I like the simplicity and versatility of the single shot.

rainmaker62

10-05-2021, 10:44 AM

rfd

10-05-2021, 10:49 AM

marlinman93

10-05-2021, 11:23 AM

The idea that I can load an 1800s era (yes, replica) with 1800s style BP with a 500 gr PP bullet and lob it hundreds of yards down range and be repeatable and accurate is amazing! It's a lot to deal with compared to other disciplines, but it sure is fun.

When you're sitting behind an old single shot, and look at the dinger plate through iron sights, and see the plate is the same width as your .040" wide front post, you can't help but smile when you hear it ring!
Doing the same with a modern bolt action, or semiauto, and some high power scope, just can't give the shooter the shooter the same gratification.

Cosmic_Charlie

12-04-2021, 09:59 PM

Light and simple....

Rockzilla

12-04-2021, 11:19 PM

Encore rifle and contender pistol; don’t get much better for plinking

Contender Pistol, swap a barrel and done. Herretts and The JDJ rounds, Got tired of rifles and
beside with brush, trees. the Contender was fine, same with the XP-100 in 221 FB would take a
many varmint while making hay on my cousins farm..

-Rock

GARD72977

12-04-2021, 11:52 PM

Light and simple....

I like them heavy and complex......

marlinman93

12-05-2021, 01:19 AM

I like them heavy and complex......

I don't think I own a single shot rifle under 10 pounds. And a few of them weigh around 14-15 pounds.

Stephen Cohen

12-05-2021, 06:01 AM

I have a Martini Henry action waiting a new 303 barrel a cadet in 357 maximum and 4 cadet actions waiting for various barrels and a Ruger No1 in 270 win. I gave up the spray and pray years back and just love the single shots, like the old saying one shot one kill. Regards Stephen

Wag

12-05-2021, 11:39 AM

I love my single shots for all of the reasons above. My Ruger #1 in 357 Magnum is a real hoot, almost no felt recoil and accurate as anything I've ever shot. Even though it's not a rifle to spray ammo all over the place, I almost always have to make a bunch of ammo for it before I take it out. It just always gets used up!

Best thing, though, a single shot rifle is the BEST way to train any new shooter how to shoot. It's just safer to know that they aren't going to shoot, then turn around in their excitement and point the gun somewhere other than down range with their finger still on the trigger. Knowing that a second round didn't get auto loaded into the chamber is a bit of a comfort from a safety perspective. Doesn't happen often, but occasionally, someone can't control their excitement.

--Wag--

salpal48

12-05-2021, 11:59 AM

shooting single shots are very relaxing , No Brass to pick up or search for

Tazman1602

12-05-2021, 05:45 PM

Don’t get me wrong, love my AR’s BUT…..I have always, always admired Ruger #1’s due to their simplicity and beauty as they’re based on the old English Farquaharsen (sp?) action. I just find them beautiful and relaxing to shoot. Besides, it doesn’t get much stronger than that drop block design.

That, added to the fact I cast my own projectiles and reload my own ammo (which can take the boredom out of winter here..) gives me a great sense of satisfaction.

Wife just bought me (I’ve been drooling over these since Quigley..) a Uberti Sharps 45-70 yesterday and I can’t wait to shoot it! Not a Shiloh but I didn’t want to wait years for one and this one is nicer than I ever thought it would be!

I guess there’s a reason we’ve been married happily for 40 years now…..

ArT

Baltimoreed

12-05-2021, 06:02 PM

They are classy and classic. Simple lines, just beautiful. I’ve had a couple imported Rollers and a Ruger No1V. Had a .357 Martini Cadet sporter but still have one that’s in .32-20/.310 military that’s not going anywhere. A sweet shooter.

gunther

12-05-2021, 07:15 PM

A ruger 1b in 338 caught my eye several years ago. Meant to rebarrel it to 32 40 or 38 55. Got a Lee mold and shot it first. Too good to mess with. Put a Ruger front sight on it and adapted a SMLE rear sight to clamp onto the sight base. 7 mag brass necks up easily and is easy to find. Couldn't have more fun if I tried.

sharps4590

12-05-2021, 08:36 PM

I have them from just about 5 lbs., my Jeffrey Rook rifle to 12 1/2 lbs. for my Haenel/Aydt Schuetzen rifle....and several in between, an Outschar, a Bartles, an old Gustav roller, couple Shiloh's, a Ballard, a #1 and probably some I've forgotten that are in the safe.. Love them all.

Cosmic_Charlie

12-06-2021, 01:50 PM

I don't think I own a single shot rifle under 10 pounds. And a few of them weigh around 14-15 pounds.

Antiques, was thinking of my Henry.

Jedman

12-09-2021, 12:38 AM

My first real gun was a single shot and then I longed for a pump shotgun then a 22 auto and after 55 + years of owning and shooting I am back to craving single shot rifles.
I started buying several antique SS rifles about 13 years ago and after research ( daily ) I found that there are literally hundreds of different actions that have been tried and designed and the more rare and different ones I hunt for as a hobby now. I don’t go for the high grade completely original collector guns as I couldn’t own many so I look for affordable guns that I like.
I have owned hundreds of all types of guns and once I found that single shots are by far the most diverse in the way you can breech and fire just one cartridge at a time I just can’t get enough of them .

Jedman

trails4u

12-09-2021, 12:41 AM

Jedman

12-09-2021, 11:17 AM

Jedman.....we should talk sometime. I fear we may be bidding against each other!!! :-P
;-)

brandoninaz

12-20-2021, 09:22 PM

It’s hard to beat the short length and relative simplicity of a single shot rifle. I rarely have an opportunity for a second shot anyhow.

Kevinakaq

12-20-2021, 10:00 PM

Picked up a contender recently. Dad always wanted one and never really could afford….he was always happy with a single shot be it an old h&r shotgun, or the cva muzzleloader he carried as it was light in his hands. Saw the contender and had to get it as I considered it unfinished business. Shot it last weekend and swore he was watching and smiling. In short, single shots remind me of dad and that is enough reason for me.

azrednek

12-21-2021, 12:53 AM

I’m not really into single shots but for Christmas in 1963 my parents bought me a Savage/Stevens 940B. A single shot 12 gauge that firmly ejects rather than simply extract. As a young teenager I became skillful in rapidly reloading by holding a follow up shot between my fingers. I can’t even guess how many dove I downed with it. I now use a Franchi O/U but that old single shot Stevens always goes along for the ride as a back-up. It’s sentimental value to me is near priceless.

gnappi

12-24-2021, 10:57 AM

I will be honest, for a long time single shot guns weren't anywhere on my radar. They don't get publicity in many places and they're not often discussed. If I hadn't started reloading 357 mag, I don't think I would have one even now. I can honestly say going forward, though, now that I have a pair and have gotten to use them, I can't really see buying anything else unless it's too be used for defense. Why do you have a single shot, and what do you like most about it?

My first "single shot" was a Ruger 10/22. Yup, my dad took the mag away saying "load one at a time, hit what you're aiming at and when you can do that you'll get the magazine"

You know what? I got REALLY good with that Ruger and its little 4x scope :-) Getting that mag was almost like being 18 and being able to buy beer!

Anyway, I had TC contenders in over a dozen calibers in the 80's and ultimately bought a Remington XP-100 in 7mm BR and .221 fireball. The TC's are long gone as is the fireball, but that XP in BR is still with me... one shot, one good hit. I always wanted a Ruger #1 in any caliber but a 45/70 would make my day.

293562

Noah Zark

12-24-2021, 01:35 PM

To me, single shot rifles pare it all down to just the essentlals - what it takes to get the job done an not much else. My interest in single shot rifles began with a copy of DeHass' "Single Shot Rifles" decades ago. I heavily red-underlined the text and when finances allowed I started with a .310 Cadet that was rechambered in 32-20, and came with a bag of primed unfired 32-20 brass. Of course the bore slugged at .316 and regular 32-20 boolits were lucky to hit the target. Bill Gostomski of Mt Savage, MD relined the Cadet to a proper .311 and added some height to the front sight, and it's been a satisfying, almost boringly accurate tackdriver ever since.

Of course, that only stoked the fire, and I added the following in no particular chronological order:

BSA Martini #8 in .22 LR
Ruger No. 1 "red pad" in 45-70
Ruger No. 1 in 30-06
Ruger No. 1 in 6.5x55
Ruger No. 1 in 30-30
Ruger No. 1 in 44 Magnum (shoots only 44 Specials)
Ruger No. 1 in 405 Win
Ruger No. 3 in 30-40, with custom furniture to do away with that ridiculous carbine band.
Ruger No. 3 in .223; still has the carbine forend with ridiculous band
C Sharps Business Rifle in 45-70
Lyman 1878 Sharps in 45-70 that's really an 1874 model
H&R 1873 Trapdoor Infantry Rifle in 45-70
Miroku 1885 Hi Wall rifle in 30-30
Miroku 1885 Hi Wall rifle in 38-55
H&R Topper in 30-30 with Mannlicher forend
H&R single shot in 38-55
NEF single shot in 30-30

I'm probably forgetting one or three . . .

Noah

Texas by God

12-24-2021, 09:01 PM

I still have my first Topper Jr. 20 gauge, it and a few others help us keep the place in order. I only have two single shot rifles so far, but these two well built lightweight folders may metamorphosize........https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211225/0b77c430920588562ddbf16076f5793e.jpg

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

Toolmaker TN

12-31-2021, 12:28 AM

My love of single shots came from a friend who was one of my earliest teachers about guns, back when I was in high school in the early 80's. The first 2 of his guns that I shot were an original Trapdoor in .50-70 and a Peabody carbine that had been converted to centerfire, with the barrel relined to .44-40. He sadly passed away around 25 years ago now, way too soon. He also taught me about the joys of casting.
I used to visit him at least once a week, and we would talk guns and history and life for hours. I don't think I ever saw his full collection, but what I saw was, even to this day, unbelievable. He had been collecting since right after WWII, and the single shots alone must have been in the hundreds.
Almost every time I would ask a question about a gun, and especially a single shot rifle, he would leave the room and return with the gun in question. Winchester, Sharps, Martini, Ballard, Stevens, Remington; you name it, he probably had one. He literally wrote the book on Providence Tool Works Peabody military and commercial single shot rifles.
We would go to gun shows and collector shows, and it seemed he knew everybody who was anybody there.
I will never forget what he told me on one occasion: " If you a truly a fisherman, you will eventually become a fly-fisherman. And if you are truly a rifle shooter, you will come to favor single shots." At least in my case he was right on both counts, as he was with a lot of other lessons he taught me about life.
At least I had sense enough at the time to fully understand the education I was being given. It started a life-long love of single shots for me.

My first single shot was an H&R Topper in .22 Hornet, with a Mannlicher forend (wish I still had it).

uscra112

12-31-2021, 08:59 AM

Lucky man, to have had such a fine and knowledgeable mentor. Few do. Up to us to pass it on, of course.

Toolmaker TN

12-31-2021, 02:37 PM

Lucky man, to have had such a fine and knowledgeable mentor. Few do. Up to us to pass it on, of course.

Yes, and I did realize it, even at the time. As the years go by, I appreciate it more and more.
I couldn't agree more about us having to pass it on. Unfortunately, it seems like most of the last 2 generations doesn't have much desire to learn. Too much of the spray and pray internet foolishness, I guess. My hope is that maybe when they get older, they'll come around. Before we're all gone, and there's nobody left to pass it on to them.
I guess things run in cycles. During the golden age of rifle shooting, single shots ruled from smallbore and gallery shooting to 1,000 yard competition. When BPCR and Schuetzen came back, shooters had to learn how to make those guns work all over again. Most of the knowledge had been lost, because almost everyone hadn't cared in decades. Maybe it will happen again in the future. I hope so anyway.

wch

12-31-2021, 03:20 PM

A single shot rifle concentrates the shooter/hunter's pursuit of perfection, knowing that he has to do it right the first time.

Texas by God

12-31-2021, 04:16 PM

A single shot rifle concentrates the shooter/hunter's pursuit of perfection, knowing that he has to do it right the first time.Well put, and that thought extends to single shot pistols and shotguns.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

koger

12-31-2021, 04:28 PM

Noah Zark, I covet two of those No1's, the 6.5x55 and the 30/30. Both are on my grail gun list.

todd9.3x57

12-31-2021, 05:12 PM

Noah Zark, I covet two of those No1's, the 6.5x55 and the 30/30. Both are on my grail gun list.

my grail list is a ruger #1 in 7x57. i've wanted one since i was 13yo.

i got a #1(1973) in 270 win. i also got two of the tc encores' in 20 vartarg, 444 marlin and 500 linebaugh....all with 23" MGM heavy factory barrels. i had a handi rifle(s) in 45-70 but i gave my friend's boy one and the other my oldest son "took" it away. :kidding::lol:

koger

01-01-2022, 12:29 AM

I would gladly buy a reasonable priced No 1 in 7x57 or .280, but would prefer the first.

Outpost75

01-02-2022, 12:34 AM

Re-read the entire thread again. I would like to restate my preference for what those who knew him refer to as "The Harry Archer Protocol".

Some sort of single-shot rifle adapted to each revolver cartridge for which you have four revolvers in that caliber and 1000 rounds of ammunition stored.

For the modern shooter a .38 Special Plus-P capable, break-open single-shot rifle with barrel length longer than 20 inches is a better technical solution than the .32-20 of 100 years ago. With wadcutter ammo it is nearly silent, requiring no can. With plus-P service loads it approaches .357 revolver energy from the longer rifle barrel and does deer neatly at woods range.

With carefully tweaked loads 1 mil dispersion with iron sights is reality.

Hays47

01-09-2022, 09:56 AM

My single shot adoration started with a beat up old Stevens 410. My very first gun at 12 years old mark. My maternal grandfather presented it to me just before my 12th birthday. Next was a 20ga H&R single shot. At 24 years old I bought a Thompson Contender. By then there was no turning back.

uscra112

01-09-2022, 01:33 PM

For the modern shooter a .38 Special Plus-P capable, break-open single-shot rifle with barrel length longer than 20 inches is a better technical solution than the .32-20 of 100 years ago. With wadcutter ammo it is nearly silent, requiring no can. With plus-P service loads it approaches .357 revolver energy from the longer rifle barrel and does deer neatly at woods range.

With carefully tweaked loads 1 mil dispersion with iron sights is reality.

Not knocking it by any means, but has any factory ever offered a break-open chambered .38 Special?

Jedman

01-09-2022, 02:39 PM

Not knocking it by any means, but has any factory ever offered a break-open chambered .38 Special?

Not that I no of. I do have a early Stevens tip up rifle I rebarreled to 38 special, and a no. 1 1/2 Remington rolling block in 38 spl. I did shoot a whitetail with the tip up with a good ethical kill.

Jedman

calm seas

01-09-2022, 04:22 PM

Had to re-read the original question. My first answer was, 'Yeah, two - a Stevens 20 gauge that Daddy bought the fall after he met Mom. It's mine now, and priceless. The other is a Fox .410 I bought for Mom for squirrels.' Oh, wait....single-shot, not single-shot SHOTGUNS!:mrgreen: Multiple old single .22 rifles, and TC's, and TC Encores. No high-power single rifles.

marlinman93

01-09-2022, 11:59 PM

Not that I no of. I do have a early Stevens tip up rifle I rebarreled to 38 special, and a no. 1 1/2 Remington rolling block in 38 spl. I did shoot a whitetail with the tip up with a good ethical kill.

Jedman

I have a full sized #1 Rolling Block I bought relined and chambered in .38 Special. An old Sporting Rifle that started life as a .38 Long RF, and got converted to CF also when relined.
I honestly never considered a Rolling Block in this cartridge ever. But it was very reasonably priced, and I'm a sucker for them. Once I put good sights on it, I was pleasantly surprised how accurate it is, and how much fun it is to shoot! I've been able to get pretty decent accuracy out to 500 yds., and even less consistent hits on the 650 yd. plates too.

uscra112

01-10-2022, 12:08 AM

The .38 Special has to be the easiest cartridge to reload too.

Daekar

01-10-2022, 01:41 PM

The .38 Special has to be the easiest cartridge to reload too.

This is one reason why I have just decided to buy 357 magnum everything. Everything about loading for it is a walk in the park, and with the right barrel length and boolit it does everything I need a gun to do - including handling some surprisingly heavy boolits at surprising velocities. There isn't anything I'd be interested in shooting which it couldn't handle at ranges where I'd be capable of hitting the target.

Would be almost as good in a lever-action, but the single-shot really just puts it over the top. No chasing brass, no worries about boolit profiles and feeding, no worries about cycling the action. It's like gun nirvana.

GOPHER SLAYER

01-10-2022, 02:36 PM

Last night I was watching the movie The Gunfighter for the umpteen time, I saw a single shot rifle that I wish they had shown more of. A man was in an upstairs apartment waiting to shoot Peck when he came out of the saloon across the street. The rifle he was holding was not made in the USA. I could tell this by seeing the lever. I appeared to be an English made rifle by the look of the lever. Wish I could have seen more of it.

GunnerAsch

01-11-2022, 07:24 AM

294383

Tazman1602

01-11-2022, 09:40 AM

I sure hope this works, been having an issue posting pics from Imgur. Used to use photobucket until they wanted me to pay and have that stupid banner across the pictures…

Art

https://imgur.com/a/XeB0TVg

OK my picture posting skills stink, admittedly, but if you click on the link you’ll find out why we’ve been married 41 years the end of this month. If it just doesn’t get any prettier than this.

My photography skills stink too….

Art

marlinman93

01-11-2022, 12:28 PM