Hi
anyone using single shot rifles for african hunting?
ruger makes very nice No 1 in 450/400. they look pretty well.
regards
yes

I took my 450/400 Ruger to Zim this summer as my backup rifle and while I did shoot my buff and ele with the 416 Ruger, I would have no qualms using the #1 either. Carried it among the nasties in the jess and shot a bushbuck and impala with it. Wish I'd had a lot more money for trophy fees and it would have seen a lot more use.

I slicked it up with a Moyer stainless trigger, fixed the safety so it wouldn't hang up the brass on ejection, and beveled the top of the new Kick-Eze recoil pad to prevent hang-up on clothing. The use of a wrist band cartridge holder for fast reloads also bolsters your confidence.

I hunted Tanzania in 08 with my 416 Rem No. 1. Killed two buffalo, one wildebeeste, one impala, and one warthog with it.

I practiced alot and became very efficient shooting it.

That being said I hunted Zim in 09. My buffalo was killed in some pretty thick jess. I had my double and was very glad to have the second barrel.

After killing only one elephant, I would be very hesitant to use a single shot on elephant, too much trophy fee money to chance it.

When I hunt leopard I am planning on using a No. 1 in 300 Win Mag. If there is a follow up it will be with the double.

As always this only my opinion from limited experience.

A single shot thread, a "is the 375 is big enough" thread, all we need is a 45-70 thread for a trifecta.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike70560:
(Snipped)
A single shot thread, a "is the 375 is big enough" thread, all we need is a 45-70 thread for a trifecta.

HEY! I'll have you know that the 45/70 can handle anything... here in Ohio.

Tom

I use Ruger M77's in 7mm mag and 300 win mag. Although these do hold more than one round, I shot 7 animals in RSA this year with one shot each.
My point is, It's not how many rounds you have available it's how you prepare and execute the first shot. You don't need a machinegun.

Single shot rifles for hunting are for those who want to play around. Serious hunters use more than one round rifles. Its just not practical even on plains game as sooner than later you are going to need that 2nd or 3rd or 4th round and then what! Either your PH will shoot your animal or you will end up loosing an animal, you may not care about the trophy fees, but think of that wounded animal that will die a slow lingering death which couyld have been easily avoided if the single shot heroes had better sense and morals. Save it for paper tragets and B'shiting with friends.

I have hunted a fair amount with a couple of Ruger No1's, and with a Blaser K 95.

No DG except for pigs and black bear with the K 95.

However I have hunted a fair amount of DG with double rifles.

I would not be afraid to hunt DG with a single shot. I carry extra ammo on the stock of the rifle and I can reload fairly quick and fumble free.

With my doubles I have shot elephants at 6 yards or less, with a single shot I think I would want to shoot my first shot at @12 yards or so.

Also I would "instruct" the PH to use his best judgement, and not worry about hurting my feelings, to back up my first shot, if it is not in the right pplace and the situation is that I will not be able to reload and get a second proper shot off.

I tell the PH the same thing what ever rifle I am hunting with...

we had a discussion about bolts and doubles here before and it came to my mind that any gun can be used for fast shooting a second shot even a single shot. all depends in ability of the shooter and how he is used to his gun. as a kid when i had only enough money for buying a single shot i learnt very fast how to reload it fast for a second shot. ok surely a single can never become as fast as double, but it can be as fast as a bolt action in the field . farquharson the british forrunner of ruger No 1 was made in many DG calibers and it seems the singles have been used for DG hunting too
.single, double, bolt all depends to the shooter.
regards
yes

quote:

Originally posted by reddy375:
Serious hunters use more than one round rifles. Its just not practical even on plains game as sooner than later you are going to need that 2nd or 3rd or 4th round and then what! Either your PH will shoot your animal or you will end up loosing an animal, you may not care about the trophy fees, but think of that wounded animal that will die a slow lingering death which couyld have been easily avoided if the single shot heroes had better sense and morals. Save it for paper tragets and B'shiting with friends.

Guess what, you may never believe this but a single shot rifle or handgun CAN be reloaded. Really! Remember, you read it here first.

I know my Africa hunting has been limited compared to some but, in over 20 animals shot with a single shot weapon, not even one has been lost nor has a PH had to shoot one for me. I know, eventually it's bound to happen but hopefully not soon.

Grumulkin,

There is the DRSS that Mac, Rusty, and others support. I am a member.

Maybe we can start the the SSHS. (Single Shot Hero Society). I nominate you President since you came up with the reloading after you shoot idea.

I could even use your reloading idea with my double and get a third and fourth shot.

quote:

Originally posted by reddy375:
Single shot rifles for hunting are for those who want to play around. Serious hunters use more than one round rifles. Its just not practical even on plains game as sooner than later you are going to need that 2nd or 3rd or 4th round and then what! Either your PH will shoot your animal or you will end up loosing an animal, you may not care about the trophy fees, but think of that wounded animal that will die a slow lingering death which couyld have been easily avoided if the single shot heroes had better sense and morals. Save it for paper tragets and B'shiting with friends.

Are we talking about muzzle-loaders or single shot rifles?

A guy named Selous is my single shot hero.

Well, I started my son on a single shot, when he was 10 yo., hunting deer. He is 27 now, and he only hunts with single shots. We went to RSA, the summer of 2008, for a plains game hunt. He took a single shot 30-06, and in the course of 10 days, killed 7 head of plains game. All were 1 shot kills. He deer hunted with me, again this year, with his single shot. He took a buck and 2 does. Again, all were 1 shot kills. I have no qualms about hunting with a single shot....for anything. As long as you are confident and practiced.

Mad Dog

farquharson were built in many DG calibers and i presume they were used as dg rifle too.

Took a custom Ruger #1 in 300 ulta mag on my Zim safari in 2002. Had no problems

Yes: No, use of a Farkie was a stunt.

In 2008 I did my first trip to Namibia with a #1 in (gasp) 45-70 and took Kudu and Gembok - no issues, no worries.

Even Selous gave up his beloved Gibbs-Farquharson as soon as decent magazine rifles could be had.

The usage of single shot rifles is not a stunt at all and is in no way unethical. If you put a decent hit on a game animal there shouldn't be a follow-up necessary. What is a repeater but a crutch? Its a pretty simple formula: bullets + vitals = dead animal.

Buy the Ruger No. 1 in .450-400 Nitro---
people will be jealous of both your great taste in rifles and your competence as a hunter if you use it well!

Some pretty funny stuff here.

You should see how fast my daughter can reload her Ruger #1. She started hunting deer with it when she was only six years old. she has taken it on two safaris and shot a pig with it last weekend.

But truth be told I can't remember ever seeing her shoot something twice with it. Bunch of deer, several hogs, three impala, two blesbuck, one springbuck, one warthog, all one shot kills.

Partner Dave Fulson and I shared two Ruger #1s this past September, trading back and forth between rifle and video camera in both Zambia and Mozambique. The two rifles were in .300 H&H and .450/.400-3". I have used single shots quite a lot, Dave has not. It is true that there will be times when you wish you had an additional shot a bit quicker--but knowing you have just that one shot makes you awful careful! I don't see it as an issue with plains game, and certainly not with leopard over bait. With the big stuff, well, not a good idea to hunt alone, and you probably shouldn't put restrictions on your PH. Nobody is fast enough on the reload all the time! On this hunt Dave had no issues with the single shot. When it was my turn I shot a sitatunga, thought the placement was perfect. Except the sitatunga just turned and ran, and our PH, Pete Fisher, immediately, said, "Too far back." Oh, Lord. With a bolt action I could have fired a couple of backup shots, but in the confines of a machan I couldn't get the thing loaded, and the animal made it into the forest. I was sick. Actually, we were both wrong. I placed the bullet square on the on-shoulder, but didn't read the quartering angle correctly. Pete saw the exit wound well behind the off-shoulder as the animal turned. He went maybe 80 yards, but it put us all through bad moments. But those moments weren't the rifle's fault.
We only used the .450/.400 once, on one buffalo in Mozambique. Big herd, no chance for a second shot, and none necessary. I enjoy hunting with single shots--but they aren't for everybody, nor for all circumstances.
Cheers, Craig

Hi Craig
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. i have always enjoyed reading your articles. for a couple of years ago i was in a gunstore and they had only two guns in 375H&H. ruger no1 and brno 602 and i choose the brno , because of magazin capacity, but frankly i regret it, because the ruger had such good balance and stocking. now i have to restock my brno , but i am not sure that it will ever have ruger No 1's feeling and handling.
regards
Yes

I hunted for several years with a double rifle, and a custom barreled Ruger No1 both chambered for 450/400NE 3"Jeff. I carried the double all the time, and a tracker carried the unloaded scoped No1. If a tight shot was presented I'd simply break the double open, dump the cartridges in my hand, and trade rifles. As I always carry my double with soft in the right barrel, and a solid in the left, I had instant choice of soft or solid in the No1 just like the double rifle. The scope on the No1 made complex shots through a hole in the bush a snap. If anything happened to my double, the Ruger would be a legal rifle to finish my hunt, and I only had to take one ammo for both. This wont work now in RSA, as they made a rule that you can't import two rifles of the same chambering anymore! DUMB RULE!

This is nothing new! Most of the older walk about Irory hunters used both single shots, and doubles chambered for the same ammo, for legistical reasons, and most killed thousands of elephant, buffalo, and plains game with both rifles, and lived to write the book!

As has been said above, the single shot rifle makes you a better shot, because you are forced
to make the first shot right.

As far as re-loading the Ruger No1 quickly, I know several people who can re-load a No1 just about as fast as they do a bolt rifle. Mike from Louisianna who posts here,is a left hander, and he can load, fire re-load, and fire so fast you would think he was useing a bolt rifle, and hit the target every time. I myself can re-load a scoped Ruger No1 450/400NE or my 375 H&H No1 about as fast as needed, and have never worried about being empty when there was a need for shot number two. In my case the only thing I find faster than my No1 for the second shot is a double rifle. Now I will say that the third, and fourth shots from the No1 will lagg behind the bolt, but not by much if the shooter knows how to go about it.

Don't worry about useing the Ruger No1 in Africa, as long as the chambering is up to the task! just get out in the woods and do a lot of stump shooting, re-loading and fireing the second shot till you can do it blindfolded, and go hunt what ever you want. Don't worry about the nea sayers, do your own thing!

MacD37

As always I enjoy reading your posts in this forum -even if I am not qualified whatever to comment -but since when did that stop an Irishman from rushing in where angels fear to tread! In my active days (in the US) I happened to love the Ruger No.1 (I'm a sucker for that action -just like I am for a Schnabel fore end) and I was thinking when I first began reading this thread - "What about if the good and loyal "gunbearer" was standing right next to you with another loaded No.1?". (I was dreaming about a past gone Africa) My congratulations to you,sir, that a tracker trusts you enough to stand by you. Those guys usually know when the neighborhood is too dangerous to stand around and watch so when they do they are trusting you to make it "undangerous"!) I am truly impressed - no s...

quote:

Originally posted by Gerrypeters375:
MacD37

As always I enjoy reading your posts in this forum -even if I am not qualified whatever to comment -but since when did that stop an Irishman from rushing in where angels fear to tread! In my active days (in the US) I happened to love the Ruger No.1 (I'm a sucker for that action -just like I am for a Schnabel fore end) and I was thinking when I first began reading this thread - "What about if the good and loyal "gunbearer" was standing right next to you with another loaded No.1?". (I was dreaming about a past gone Africa) My congratulations to you,sir, that a tracker trusts you enough to stand by you. Those guys usually know when the neighborhood is too dangerous to stand around and watch so when they do they are trusting you to make it "undangerous"!) I am truly impressed - no s...

Gerry thanks for the flowers, but I don't think I made myself quite clear about the tracker and my spare rifle! I would NEVER depend on a tracker to be there when I needed another rifle in a fire fight with any animal. I can shoot, and reload my double for four shots in just under 4 seconds flat, so there is no need for the Ruger in this sittuation.

As you say those guys are trained to get far out of the way when the close-in action starts, and they do. If your other rifle is on a sling one of their shoulders it either goes with him, or will be found in the dirt where he left it when he departed!

The spare Ruger No1 was for special shots for either longer range, or for shooting a particular animal in a herd sittuation,or a real trophy where a very percise shot was needed. When the fight starts I will have my double in my hands. That is why I carried the double and a tracker carried the scoped No1. , because i can re-load the double for four shots faster than the tracker can run with me chasing him!
..................

We had one fat, old guy in camp as a tracker. My PH said it made clients feel better thinking there was one guy they could outrun if need be! Turns out he was the fastest of the group.

I would have no issues taking a single shot rifle to Africa for DG in an appropriate caliber. But, I have shot a lot of BPCR Sillhouette, etc for many, many years.

Rich

MacD37:

Sorry if I sounded like I was strewing flowers before you. Just wanted to say that I respect your measured posts. I really have a deep down sense that I would have preferred the double -if only because of the quick "1-2" shots. (It was my favorite in shotguns and I always had an instinctive feeling that I wanted to be carrying a double to face an animal at close quarters - precisely because of the smooth "1-2" shots of the double. (BTW, as you might guess from my user name, I carried a 375 for the one buff I shot. The caliber performed perfectly at a range of maybe 30-35 yards. (Yeah, he was that close) -but if I had it to do all over again I would want a recoilless rifle! I fired my PH's 470NE about half a dozen times, maybe more -and enjoyed it very much. I found it to be like the 375 - a "push" (a little harder, of course) and not a "kick". (I shot a 338 Win. Mag. once on a range and found it a thoroughly unpleasant experience -and recoil had never bothered me all my life until then but that 338 showed me what recoil can be like!. Fact. Sorry for the lengthy post, but always glad to hear from Texas.