Single shots. Why?

P

Pond James Pond

New member
Just curious as to the advantages of single shots over other rifle types.

My guesses are weight: they must surely be lighter. Portability may be another: I have an old single shot 16g Beretta and it almost folds in half.

But what about accuracy? The general rule is that the locked up bolt face makes a bolt action more inherently accurate than a semi, but does the even more fixed nature of a closed single shot (no bolt, just a solid, unmoving surface) make it more accurate? Or does the fact there is a hinged area make it less so?

Does the hinge even make it more fragile or are single shots perhaps more resilient to hot loads?

Where do single shots shine where others just flicker?
 
Well I do not know if this applies or not. I had a friend that learned to hunt with a single shot 243. He said he was glad for that, because he learned to make that one shot count. Face it, you can't exactly (hurl ) lead downrange with a single shot. Another thing I see, is some are pretty cheap. I believe if I had a child, I would start them off with one. My $.02:D
 
Any rifle can be a single-shot...just put one cartridge in it. Just being funny, but it happens that even semi-autos are loaded with one-shot for new shooters or range use.

Actually, bolt-action rifles are about the most accurate available in a hunting rifle, whether actually a single-shot or having an internal magazine.

External box magazine bolt rifles can be about as accurate, but not all are, because the larger magazine hole in the stock can make it less rigid. (Yes, there are exceptions.)
 
I might counter,respectfully,with "Why not?"

I think the greatest reason is aesthetic.Emotional,preference.

Farquaharsen,Frasier,(sp?) 0p-the Ruger#1,the HiWall,the Sharps,Stevens44..Heck,pick up a Frank DeHaas book!!

Beauty,just as side by side shotguns are beautiful.

My brother lugs an AR-10 T,I laugh at him.He seldom shoots more than one shot.
And,isn't that the point?

A combat rifle requires a more rational,analytical choice,

But Pond,I have read your expression of hunting ethic in other threads.I have confidence you would only shot when a clean killing shot presented itself.

You are developing your marksmanship skills to be up to placing your shot well.

I suspect you could go forth to hunt(pardon my ignorance) stag,boar,or the game Estonia offers with confidence using a single shot.Actually,if a finishing shot is required,a single shot can be reloaded nearly as fast as most people manipulate a bolt.
And,when your stag is down,the picture would be quite wonderful with a Ballard ,or Sharps,etc...wouldn't it?
Accuracy/Well,I do concede the modern rifles have raised the bar a bit...but recently Bart B posted a thread with a link to an old J.M Pyne story.Its modeled after Harry Pope,and a certain testimony that not so long ago,the single shot riflewas the standard of accuracy.
I have seen a paper plate with a 5 shot group of hits on it,fired at 1000 yds with a Shilo Sharps.Iron sights!.
 
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The advantage is they are inexpensive and several models accept different barrels. Lighter isn't always better. My wife has a Rossie 410 with 22lr barrel. It must weight under 4 pounds. The first time she shot the 410 she complained so I shot it and the recoil was similar to a 12 gauge.

On the other hand if you get one with wood stock or add weight to the hollow plastic stock it gets more enjoyable. The best part is it folds up in a sling bag maybe 8 inches x 22.

It is also safer because as long as the gun isn't cocked it won't go off if it's dropped or somehow abused.
 
Hard to answer that. I don't believe that any of the single shots have any inherent advantages over an equally well built bolt rifle.

The advantage of a single shot is that it's what some people want. Maybe they want it cheap, or compact, or in my thoughts, they just want it because there's a great feel and look to the classics.

A person just chooses. Do we want a magazine full of rounds to carry, do we want to cycle a bolt or flip the lever, do we want to have one round in a more compact and elegant rifle?

You can have a .505 gibbs built into a mauser. You can have a .577 NE double. You can also carry a single shot, maybe a ruger #1 safari, in any custom cartridge, or a stock 416 rigby or .458 winchester or variant of it. People are known to go out and shoot at huge and dangerous game with only one round in the rifle.

Dumping one bullet into a bull elephant isn't the smart thing to do, but people choose to do so, so I'm going to go on record that using a single shot, sometimes, is a sort of emotional, and almost crazy decision that is based on the heart, not practical matters.
 
Single shot rifles have the advantage of a similar (same!) barrel length with less overall length, none being used up on the action. Doesn't sound like much... unless you are walking around for miles -- or packing in a case, shipping, hauling around the globe. Not a dealbreaker for most, but an advantage for some.

Some single shot designs also allow for multiple calibers while keeping the same frame, which can be appealing for at least a few obvious reasons. (flexibility, cost, or for folks who are subject to wacky laws and limitations)

Single shot rifles are far less limited to bullet types (anything with a tube magazine) or COAL of the loaded round (fitment in a box magazine or dealing with the clearance in the action.)

Single shot rifles can also (arguably) have the ability of complete and total simplicity with regards to their operation and controls. Cocking, manual safety, examination of the chamber, etc etc etc.

Single Shots typically don't have the ability that a bolt action has with regards to the user's power and ability over the cartridge or spent brass. The bolt action has the camming ability to seat a round that may not be so easy to seat in any single shot (or lever, pump, semi-auto, for that matter) and also to extract that brass if it should happen that a high pressure event makes the brass reluctant to extract.

Extraction (and to a lesser extent, ejection) can certainly be an issue with any single shot rifle.
 
The advantage is they are inexpensive
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Try telling that to Encore owners. Those things get blasted expensive considering the level of workmanship required to make it.

As to accuracy, single shots (at least hinged receiver models) do have an inherant weakness when compared to bolt action rifles. That hinge can never be so perfectly machined that there is no movement. Movement means a less accurate rifle.
 
Townshend whelen said "only accurate rifles are interesting." I have a hard time with that. The guy may have been a mechanical genius and maybe he could be called the father of the modern military rifle, and so the father of the american rifleman, but he really lacked soul. The guy with the thousand yard bench gun or the sniper who can make thousand yard hits isn't granted bragging rights to owning the only "interesting" gun at the table.

There were a heck of a lot of large bore single shots that did miraculous things, and at least in the case of many of the schutzen style rifles, managed to be absolute works of art. Even my wife who cares not a bit about shooting, loves looking at beautiful guns, and her favorites are the doubles and single shots.
 
Some US states offer special hunting seasons that require single shot rifles.
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MS and LA are sort of in that category. Certain single shot rifles using modern cartridges are considered "primitive weapons" and can be used instead of a muzzleloader.
 
primitive hunting here is only black powder, the single shot was never included in any special seasons.

At one time, primitive hunting was what I did. You took out a black powder muzzle loading rifle with round ball, and it really was primitive. Now, they've stopped calling it primitive. There's nothing primitive about a bolt action black powder rifle with sabot slugs. We don't even have a black powder season any more, that I know of. Black powder is not a handicap, the modern black powder rifle is as good or better than the single shot 20 gauge I first hunted with.
 
At one time, primitive hunting was what I did. You took out a black powder muzzle loading rifle with round ball, and it really was primitive. Now, they've stopped calling it primitive. There's nothing primitive about a bolt action black powder rifle with sabot slugs. We don't even have a black powder season any more, that I know of.
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Come to Idaho.

Although the regulations are not as tight as my own preference (open sights, black powder, round ball, no 209 ignition), they do keep the weapons about as "primitive" as possible. And, in doing so... keep a lot of the idiots out of the mountains during muzzleloader season. ;)
 
Real, honest to God advantages are few. Overall length is less since there's no action length to incorporate. Little concern about chambering longer cartridges as there's no magazine box. Other than that it's simply a matter of style and taste.

I like single shot rifles as I find them aesthetically pleasing. I think the Ruger #1 Light Sporter, Medium Sporter and Tropical Models are the most handsome mass produced rifles ever made. They're elegant and sophisticated looking. If I wanted a serious, no nonsense hunting rifle it would be a bolt gun with a plastic stock. If I want style and panache, I choose these:


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And an RSI for good measure...


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Hard to say exactly. When Bill Ruger came out with the No. 1, every one thought he had lost his mind. Ruger is still making them and they are still selling. Try and find one. Don't really know why. They are cool looking and I love the way the action works. I have always wanted a single shot like that. Why ? Maybe the repressed Buffalo Hunter from another time...who knows.
My dad taught me to shoot and hunt with a single shot, and truth be told, if you don't make the first shot count, 15 more in the clip isn't going to get it done. It taught me marksmanship and getting close for a sure killing shot.

Still would like to have a Sharps or No. 1 in 45-70 and have absolutely no idea what I would do with it.......just no understanding the appeal.
Gary
 
For me, it's the aesthetics of one perfect shot.

For me, it's the aesthetics of one perfect shot.

Not to say I've attained that perfection,,,
But it's fun trying.

I own a bolt-action single shot rifle,,,
And a break-open single shot rifle,,,
They force me to take my time.

And, with the ammo shortage,,,
They sure stretched out a 50 round box.

Aarond

.
 
I've heard that the Ruger #1's groups have a tendency to walk when the barrel/receiver heats up.

My Savage Model 12 single shot bolt gun --- in 223 -- with an AccuTrigger, is very accurate, in part because of the solid rigid steel bottom receiver.

My Martini Henry BSA in 22 long rifle, is very accurate with that bull barrel.

For offhand/standing target shooting with rifles...I prefer heavy weight guns, because they are less whippy and they stabilize better on windy days.
 
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When I was 12/13 I had two buddies with single shot 22s and one with a semi-auto, and I had a bolt repeater. We would have shooting contests, one shot at a time. It was always more fun without my bud with the semi because invariably he would get frustrated with his less than stellar shooting and cut loose to mow down as many of the targets as he could hit. I could manage with my repeater bolt gun to refrain from going berserk but he would always end the contests with a rain of bullets. We three that took our time with our shots were much better shots even when we eventually got semis ourselves. Not necessarily saying the singles were more accurate but they taught us a little discipline with our shooting.

Also there are a lot of single shots that are really beautiful firearms. I have long admired the Ruger #1 and #3 as well as some of the more expensive rifles.
 
My #1s group OK. Sometimes the Rugers string vertically a bit but there is a fix for that involving adjusting the fore end mount that puts pressure on the barrel.


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