What do ya'll think about a single shot rifle for hunting deer or hog? I've been looking at a few rifles and I really like the H&R Handi Rifle in 7mm. My local dealer has one for a good price. My only concern is that it's only a single shot. What say ya'll, single shot, or save a bit more for something with a few round capacity. (The dealer also has a nice Stevens model 200 for about $100 bucks more.)
Single shot for hunting?
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I think if you are a good enough marksman that you could guarantee a clean kill, it would be fine.
HOWEVER - Hogs can be pretty nasty when they get their mind to it, especially if wounded & pissed.
I know some really, REALLY great shooters. We have several state and national benchrest and across the course competitors who get work done at the shop. A lot of them hunt, & they all carry a well built hunting rifle with an internal box, or removable box magazine.
I would personally vote against it - but I am not a hunter of animals...
JD
HOWEVER - Hogs can be pretty nasty when they get their mind to it, especially if wounded & pissed.
I know some really, REALLY great shooters. We have several state and national benchrest and across the course competitors who get work done at the shop. A lot of them hunt, & they all carry a well built hunting rifle with an internal box, or removable box magazine.
I would personally vote against it - but I am not a hunter of animals...
JD
I would hunt anything except dangerous game with a single shot rifle. I have a Ruger Number 1 in 25-06 and I have killed several coyotes and deer with it never needing more than one shot. I have completely missed a few coyotes on the run but never wounded one. You might be surprised on how fast you will learn to reload your single shot and once you do a bolt action will still have an edge but not all that much. I always hold a second round between my fingers on my left hand and I can chamber it pretty fast after the first shot if need be. I hope that helps.
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Sure thing. I landed a deer with a (then) $70 single shot 12ga NEF shotgun. It's about the shot, regardless of the weapon. Where I was hunting rifles were off limits, so it was all scatter guns with slugs, again by law. At the time I didn't own anything but a waterfowl gun that I was unwilling to use to shoot slugs. All the experts told me I had no chance, one GOOD shot is plenty.
Well now 20 years or so ago I was practicing with my hunting bow quite a bit and would shoot 8 shots at 25 yards go get them and do it again .
I was grouping well enough that every few rounds I would have to set aside 1-2 arrows and grab others because I was shooting the nocks and breaking them .
I was invited on an guided Archery Hog hunt by a coworker and it took me about 3 seconds to turn him down .
NO way I'm gonna get caught on the ground with a 200 lb hog that has 6+ inch razor sharp tusks with a Bow or a single shot rifle .
I was grouping well enough that every few rounds I would have to set aside 1-2 arrows and grab others because I was shooting the nocks and breaking them .
I was invited on an guided Archery Hog hunt by a coworker and it took me about 3 seconds to turn him down .
NO way I'm gonna get caught on the ground with a 200 lb hog that has 6+ inch razor sharp tusks with a Bow or a single shot rifle .
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I think hunting with a single shot is an excellent idea. When you know you've only got 1 shot you tend to wait until the perfect shot-resulting in better shot placement and greatly improved marksmanship. I start all my kids/students out with single shots and I feel they're all better shots because of it-especially with rifles. I hunt with a single shot a lot of the time-regardless of what game I'm after. If I had my way,everybody should start out hunting/shooting with a single shot. Also,single shots aren't very much slower to reload with practice. When you see someone hunting with a ruger #1,encore,or other single shot rifle,you KNOW that usually if you hear them shoot,there will be a dead game animal. After all-the 1st shot is the most important and best shot you'll have anyway.
Yes some people just can't seem to get it that some animals will decide they are going to become the hunter instead of the hunted .
Pigs, Bear , and Big cats are all capable of doint this .
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Up until last year I hunted deer with a single shot, a NEF Pardner Tracker with a rifled bull barrel in 12 gauge. I only use it occasionally now because the ammo for it is about $12.50 per 5 rounds. Now most of the time I use a NEF Protector pump and shoot the cheap "pumpkin" ball slugs. I could reload the single shot pretty quick if I needed to.
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Single Shot for hunting
I think a single shot is good for small game. But a hog. I want to have several more in the rifle just in case. They can be nasty creatures.
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For big pig yes a bolt gun or something with more than one shot is a need not a want. A deer will not turn and run at you and try to spill your guts on the ground to eat them after you miss the shot or just wound them.
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Killed most of my hogs with a muzzleloader. Had hogs come after me three times. One was wounded by a friend. That hog charged from about 20 yards and i shot him between the running lights with my .50 caliber M/L. Once i got between a sow and her pigs by accident, she made a pass at me and missed. Third time i wounded a sow and went in a wild plum thicket after her. She let out a blood curdling scream and a big boar came after me. He missed to, thanks to a 4" tree. But i got the sow. Standing there with my muzzleloader, i felt a little naked that time.
Never saw a hog with 6" tusks and i've killed a few big ones.
http://www.gunnersden.com/index.htm.shooting-hunting-hogs.html
alsaqr I've never seen a Siberian Tiger or Komodo Dragon but that doesn't mean they don't exist now does it ?
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i remeber hearing about that hog, if i remember correctly it was a captive bred hog that was released 3-4 days before it was shot. but i still wouldn't hunt hog with a single shot already learned my lesson with that
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Like any hunting, you tailor your style of hunt to the place and weapon. If you only have one shot, you make it count. But, remember you can reload a single shot rifle a lot faster than a muzzle loader, so saying you only have one shot is a bit misleading. Many hundreds (perhaps thousands) of hunters go to African in search of dangerous game with only two shots in the gun. They seem to do OK.
You do not go into a thicket chasing a wounded 300# hog with a single shot rifle (at least not w/o backup). You do not put yourself in a dangerous situation with a single shot rifle. You choose your firing position carefully to insure it is defensible. You do not walk around amongst scores of piggies with a single shot rifle.
I would absolutely hunt hogs, deer, even bear with a single shot. I would practice reloading and marksmanship to maximize survivability. A little bit of danger is acceptable while hunting. That is what makes it interesting. Otherwise it is just killing. If I just wanted to kill, I would get a job in a slaughterhouse, no thank you.
You do not go into a thicket chasing a wounded 300# hog with a single shot rifle (at least not w/o backup). You do not put yourself in a dangerous situation with a single shot rifle. You choose your firing position carefully to insure it is defensible. You do not walk around amongst scores of piggies with a single shot rifle.
I would absolutely hunt hogs, deer, even bear with a single shot. I would practice reloading and marksmanship to maximize survivability. A little bit of danger is acceptable while hunting. That is what makes it interesting. Otherwise it is just killing. If I just wanted to kill, I would get a job in a slaughterhouse, no thank you.
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