I am just curious as i am looking through the Ruger catalog they have a beautiful single shot that comes in .375 H&H .416 Rigby .458 Win Mag. and .458 Lott Its the Ruger No. 1 Tropical Rifle. Does anyone use single shots for dangerious game in africa or anywhere else for that matter.

Love my Ruger 458 Lott but I'd select a repeater for dangerous game:

Have hunted extensively with one over the years and 500Niro from this forum has a lovely Ruger No 1 in .500 NE that he has used to take Ele and buff (and probably lots of other stuff but I wasn't arround)

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Originally posted by Tanoose:
I am just curious as i am looking through the Ruger catalog they have a beautiful single shot that comes in .375 H&H .416 Rigby .458 Win Mag. and .458 Lott Its the Ruger No. 1 Tropical Rifle. Does anyone use single shots for dangerious game in africa or anywhere else for that matter.

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Tanoose, You will get a lot of grief, on a site like this one where there are so many people who hunt dangerous game. Whether that is justified or not, is not the issue here. The issue is, if you want to hunt dangerous game with a single shot, that is your choice. The much toughted bolt action magazine rifle, becomes a single shot in a close charge anyway. A lion chargeing from 30 yds, will give the bolt man "ONE" shot before the lion is on somebody. A double will double that, giveing you two shots. The magazine rifle will do no better than a single shot in this sceenario.

However, you need to be aware that the PH may have to shoot your trophy if you don't hit him right the first time. The idea is, to make sure of your first shot,no matter what you are shooting, so that you,and/or the PH don't have to go into the weeds after a wounded animal, who is bent on mayhem. A different rifle should be kept on hand if this happens. You can switch to a magazine, or double rifle,for follow-up. My choice is a double, for this, every time.

I have hunted Africa with Ruger No1s in the past, and Cape Buffalo are always on my plate! The difference between me and many others is, I always carry a double rifle in my hands, with an unloaded scoped Ruger in the hands of one of the boys. The Rugers, in my case, are chambered the same as my double, so that I carry all the ammo for both rifles. If a shot is presented that requires a scoped rifle, I pop the double open, and drop the cartridges in my hand, and change rifles. With the two cartridges in hand, one a soft, and the other a solid, I'm set for any shot needed.

The two rifle set-up is not an absolute neccessity, it is simply an option. There are several people in Africa, who hunt DG exclusively with a Ruger No1. 500NE, is one, and as stated above there isn't anything in Africa, he hasn't taken with it!

I personally, don't see a draw back, for a client hunter, as long as he keeps it's limitations in mind, and acts accordingly!

By the way, Fla3006, that is a beautiful, Ruger!

fla3006

I own a .270 in a Ruger #1A. A great rifle and fun to shoot/hunt with.

I have been thinking of getting the Ruger #1H in a .458 Lott. How is the recoil in your rifle?

I've looked at a few #1Hs in the heavier calibers (couldn't find the .458 Lott locally). They didn't feel like they would be heavy enough to disapate (sp?) the recoil? What is your impression of the .458 Lott's recoil?

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Originally posted by MacD37:
By the way, Fla3006, that is a beautiful, Ruger!

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Thanks Mac, it was nice to meet you and Rusty at Ray's BD party in Dallas. We should go shooting sometime.

Tater, my Lott was originally a Win, I had the chamber reamed. When I customized it, I also added weight in the butt (10.25lbs total) and a 1" Decelerator pad. It definitely kicks but it doesn't bother me too much (I weigh 155lbs). More of a big shove than a hard slam like the high velocity magnums. I believe my 7.5lb Whitworth 375 hurts more.

Okay, here is some grief!

Hunting DG is not dangerous 99+% of the time, but the other <1% is, and if things go wrong don't come whining about how you got yourself or your PH killed or maimed, or ask that we should send sympathy, flowers, or condolences, to your wife, kids, or Momma because it was really cool to shoot a single shot.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

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Originally posted by Ganyana:
Have hunted extensively with one over the years and 500Niro from this forum has a lovely Ruger No 1 in .500 NE that he has used to take Ele and buff (and probably lots of other stuff but I wasn't arround)

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Someone on this site posted pics of an ele being tumped by a single shot. One pic was taken over the shooter's shoulder and you could see the ele colapsing as the shooter was under the recoil of the shot. I always kick myself for not downloading that pic! Was that 500NE??

It was... Photo appeared also in African Sporting Gazette. The appy ph who took the shot was just in the right place at the right time.

Your PH may have to shoot the animal even if you nail it perfectly and are using a bolt gun. I spitted a buff with a .404 right down the brisket. The shot was perfect but the critter was irate and lived long enough to get hit again by me and finally spined by Marius at about 25 yards out. Stimulating, it was, sir, stimulating!

I will be hunting Water Buffalo in Dec '05 with a Ruger No.1 375H&H.
My PH has no problems with that.
I sure hope he doesn't have to shoot but should things turn to shit Fire For Effect! He will be backing me with a 470 double.
I'm sure its not the idea thing using a single shot but I just want to do it.
I ask and was told "no problem" by my PH.