What are the benefits to a single shot rifle?

You are correct but that's easier said than done. But I am also among those who missed the original poster's mention of single shot bolt actions.

In Europe, single shot bolt actions were what armies used before they adopted repeating rifles, usually. I think Landwehr was like the third-line component of the army, at least in the German armies, maybe second-line.
 
Other single shots, shorter, very strong action and a nostalgic sense when using.
Bolt actions singles? No advantage.
Wyosmith, beautiful rifles. Guess what I shoot mostly.
 
Well from the 1776 at the end of the "Rifleman" moniker, ----I'd have to guess you are also infected with "Flintlock Fever".
:)
Happy hunting
 
I don't think you see any single shot rifles in competition these days, do you?
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I think the Summer Olympic smallbore rifle shooters all use single shot .22 rifles, mostly by Anschutz.

The Winter Olympic Biathlon shooters DO use repeaters though.
 
Much stiffer action, and, if the spring rate is not exactly the same from first round to last in a magazine fed bolt action, the upward pressure applied to the bottom of the bolt will change as rounds are fed from the mag. If you are shooting in a match, this can make a difference.
 
My sporterized Original Haenel-Lorenz single shot Mod 98 Mauser chambered for 30-40AI is my favorite hunting rifle. It's light, accurate, powerful and beautiful. Those are benefits enough for me.
There is no advantage to a single shot compared to a repeater, but for hunting purposes I see no great advantage in having a repeater either.
Unless it is a defensive situation against dangerous game, the quick second shot is usually a desperation move.

George
 
1776, if you like classic flinters, you may like these.
:)
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Some people appreciate the history. I've got a fondness for Springfield Trapdoors and Sharps rifles. Then again, maybe it's the looks, as I like Ruger #1's and Remington Rolling Blocks as well. Or maybe having more than one shot is frivolous ;)

Disregard, I see you were asking about single shot BOLT ACTION rifles. Well, the history part still applies. The "needle rifle" and Chassepot were the early French answers to the breechloading cartridge arms question, whereas the U.S. chose Trapdoors and the British chose Snyders instead. In fact, later military arms were often loaded one round at a time in bolt action repeaters, as it was thought allowing a man to fully load his rifle would result in undisciplined, inaccurate fire and waste ammunition.
 
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I think the only real advantage is mental.

I hunted with a single shot H&R .308 for about a decade. I'm only an average shot and that rifle doesn't shoot that tight, but in that decade I never missed one deer. I truely beleive hunters waste a fortune trying to get a little bit better rifle.
 
Cat fish ditto.

I once had the privilege of a duck hunt on one of the South La rice field duck clubs.

A Cajun elder showed up with three single shot shotguns. an open bore, a modified and one of the old long toms.

The guide instructed us to allow him to shoot first. The ducks came in. The gentlemen potted one with the open bore, tossed it aside shot a duck on the rise with the modified. tossed that one aside and filled his limit with the long tom way out there.

We thoughtfully looked at our high dollar guns and wondered about the excess cost above the $100 he had invested in his shotguns.
 
Responses here are all over the road...I don't think the OP is referring to old or antique single-shots....

As far as modern, competition actions go, single shot actions are stiffer. However, myself and 99.9% of the guys that read this would never be able to tell the difference between a single shot and a repeater.

Competition BR shooters, yes.

One main advantage is that you are not limited by mag length of commercial repeaters, which can often be an issue with VLD bullets seated waaayy out there.
 
Although the old style schutzenfest rifles were single shots, I don't think you see any single shot rifles in competition these days, do you? At least not Ruger No. 1s. And the are not necessarily less expensive, given what a Ruger No. 1 goes for or one of the modern day Sharps rifles. The difference is in the finish and the wood, I'd say. So, other than the shorter overall length for a given barrel length, there's no real practical advantage.

A curious thing about the owners of single short rifles is they way they will tell you that you only need one shot and how you have to make that shot count, then turn around and boast how quickly they can get off a second shot. To be honest, I can understand both statements, having owned a few single shot rifles when I still was shooting rifles. One really can get off a second shot fairly quickly with at least some single shot rifles, even when running (yes, really), though more than about three shots will be getting a little difficult unless you're holding cartridges in your mouth.

It compares fairly favorably with some Mausers that have a relatively stiff action, but not so well with something like a Lee-Enfield. Of course, no manually operated rifle will compare well with a semi-automatic and those have been used for hunting since the 1930s.
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I have two Ruger #1 rifles that I've used for 30 years. The #1 was used and admired by Elmer Keith as the "finest example of a falling block rifle made."

Now, that is not a reason to own one - but it does show that a noted gun authority liked and used the single shot rifle.

The #1 is neither right handed nor left handed - it works the same from either side. That's an advantage for left handed people who don't have the money for a left handed bolt gun.

The gun is simple to accurize. With a #1 you free float the forearm of the gun free of the barrel so it is only attached by the barrel hanger - and then seal the wood on the inside of the forearm that has been relieved from barrel contact. No glass bedding required. Free floating requires two pieces of equipment. A dowel about 3/4 inches in diameter and a piece of 220 grit sandpaper. No need for glass bedding and all of the other techniques used for a rotary bolt rifle.

If you are careful with reloading - you can neck size only which improves accuracy as the brass has been fire-formed to the chamber. You don't have feed problems as you don't have a repeating rifle.

The #1 action is extremely strong and hot loads are not a problem in the gun.

Now the question - why do I have a single shot rifles? One Ruger #1 is a 6mm that I use for prairie dogs - you don't need follow up shots. The second is a 30-338. This is a custom round and was simple to make in the Ruger #1 by changing the barrel with no other work to the gun required.

How you do follow up shots with a Ruger #1? It takes practice and if you don't want to do that - don't buy a #1.

If you do want to take follow up shots you hold the cartridges between your index and middle finger, and middle finger and ring finger in the hand that feels most comfortable for you. I use my right hand as I'm right handed and can guide the new round quickly into the chamber.

You rack the lever open, the spent brass is ejected and you push another round in - not quite as quick as a box fed rotary bolt - but I've never missed a follow up shot using that method.

If I need more than that - I'll load a 20 round magazine into my Les Baer .308...and forget about bolt action rifles completely as being far too slow with not enough magazine capacity.
 
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Magazines are overrated...

In my opinion, most target shooters actually shoot single shot rifles anyways. Here's what I mean:

If you want to reload accurate rounds, most people load anywhere from 0" to 0.050" from the lands/grooves. This makes the overall length of the bullet much longer than the magazine will hold. Thus, each individual round has to be loaded at a time (you're using the rifle as a single shot).

Also, the recoil in some magnum rifles can be significant enough to move the bullet if there is not enough neck tension or if an appropriate crimp is not applied.

So in my opinion, magazines are completely useless and unsafe for target shooting. If hunting, if you have enough time to bolt a new bullet you have enough time to load a single bullet too (and you should shoot better).

I hunt with a Thompson pro hunter (single shot) and target shoot with a Savage 100 (which I use as a single shot). Unless you're shooting 3 deer at a time in quick succession, it's really not necessary to have a magazine at all....
 
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