Would like to hear the pro's and con's on the use of single shot rifles for plains game in Namibia.

shoot straight and there is no cons to it! I used a Ruger No 1 last Aug there and saw no handicaps to it.

It all depends on how well you shoot the gun.
If your first shot is on the mark the slower reloading time should be no big deal. Myself and friends who have hunted with Ruger #1's
all have been sucessful. We seem to not take anything risky but concentrate on the high
percentage shots. Like the man says make
the first shot count!

I used my #1 in 257 Roberts for the smaller antelope on my SA safari in 02. It worked out well for me.

Reloading a SS isn't much slower than a bolt rifle. Make your first shot count & now worrys. I'ld love to take my .338x74K to Africa next time but that headstamp thing may keep me from doing it.

fredj338, You could always ask these people if they could make some properly headstamped brass for you:

http://www.qual-cart.com/headstamp.htm

quote:

I'd love to take my .338x74K to Africa next time but that headstamp thing may keep me from doing it.

Push comes to shove how about marking your rifle 9.3x74R to match the headstamp on your cat's cases? It's not like anyone is going to use the wrong ammo in your 338...

Someimes the #2,3,or 4 shot saves a lost animal, or affords a hit on a missed first shot. Drawing blood costs alot of money, time, and effort. I'd go for a bolt action.

Hunting in the bushveld of the Limpopo region of SA, I found that I only had the opportunity for 1 single aimed shot before the animal disappeared into the bush. As such my No 1 was fine; and my 11 year old son and I both will use No 1s when we return in 2007.
Mike

I have a confession to make. I have never shot a big game animal (including African plains game) with anything but a single shot weapon (rifle and handgun). All off the game taken with a rifle were one shot kills so needing a second shot was never necessary. On a couple of occasions, I've taken 2 big game animals in quick succession with a single shot rifle; if you know your gun and keep your ammunition handy, a second shot comes fairly quickly.

If I ever hunt dangerous game, it will not be with a single shot weapon but I still hope to make one shot do the job.

I wouldn't feel handicapped with a single shot rifle for PG but never in a DG area.

465H&H

Nord, I actually thought about having my smith do a light engraving under the original. I could always tell them that .338x74 is the same as the metric 9.3x74, I doubt they would do the math.
Sgraves, I appreciate your position, but if you shoot/hunt w/ SS enough, you'll find a reload is very, very fast if you have practiced. I've never felt handicapped taking game w/ a SS, although I don't really like hunting heavy cover or steep terrain w/ one. You have to rely too much on the safety or go w/ an empty chanber.

I have hunted with single shots and doubles quite a bit. I always carry spare ammo on a buttstock shell carrier.
My favorite is by www.murraycustomleather.com

Practice reloading, as some animals will need more than one shot.
I would not hesitate to hunt any non Dangerous game with a single shot.

People have been hunting with single shots for a long time. I do not see why you could not do so as well.

Just make sure to practice, practice, practice. But that goes without saying for any rifle you care to hunt with.

quote:

Originally posted by nordrseta:

quote:

I'd love to take my .338x74K to Africa next time but that headstamp thing may keep me from doing it.

Push comes to shove how about marking your rifle 9.3x74R to match the headstamp on your cat's cases? It's not like anyone is going to use the wrong ammo in your 338...

Nordrseta:
I can't remember if Namibia cares, but in Tanzania they frequently check the headstamp against the rounds you are declaring. That is the issue, not loading the wrong ammo.

quote:

quote:

quote:

I'd love to take my .338x74K to Africa next time but that headstamp thing may keep me from doing it.

Push comes to shove how about marking your rifle 9.3x74R to match the headstamp on your cat's cases? It's not like anyone is going to use the wrong ammo in your 338...

in Tanzania they frequently check the headstamp against the rounds you are declaring.

Precisely the idea behind the work-around. The rifle is marked 9.3x74R - regardless what bore diameter it has, and the headstamp on the brass says 9.3x74R - regardless what sort of wildcat the the brass has been formed into. That said, it would certainly be nicer to be allowed to tell the truth and still get the wildcat ammo through customs.

Well I also have a #1 rechambered to 7mm Dakota. I imagine it would work well in Namibia or RSA in the open velt for PG. It shoots very well w/ 160grNP @ 3250fps or 175grNP @ 3150fps.

quote:

Originally posted by nordrseta:

quote:

quote:

quote:

I'd love to take my .338x74K to Africa next time but that headstamp thing may keep me from doing it.

Push comes to shove how about marking your rifle 9.3x74R to match the headstamp on your cat's cases? It's not like anyone is going to use the wrong ammo in your 338...

in Tanzania they frequently check the headstamp against the rounds you are declaring.

Precisely the idea behind the work-around. The rifle is marked 9.3x74R - regardless what bore diameter it has, and the headstamp on the brass says 9.3x74R - regardless what sort of wildcat the the brass has been formed into. That said, it would certainly be nicer to be allowed to tell the truth and still get the wildcat ammo through customs.

Ok, gotcha. Should have read more carefully.

I would have no trouble with shooting a single shot. I think it is just fine.

However (isn't there always a 'however' in these posts), I ascribe to the theory that I shoot until I am out of bullets or the animal is on the ground and stone still. If it standing or moving, I am shooting as fast as I can. I mentioned this to Jeff Neal, a Weatherby award winner and a person who has taken every game animal in North America, a Super Slam of Sheep, the Big 5 and all of the Spiral Horned but one - he confessed that he does the same thing. He said he likes the one shot "drop and dead" but rarely did it as he fired a second, third or fourth shot to be sure that the quarry was dead. THat was good enough for me.

In Africa (and North America), I am not concerned about meat damage as I am not there for the meat, but want to be sure the quarry is down and dead asap. Be assured that I eat the meat or donate it to the "hunters for the hungry" program in the US, but I do not worry about the meat - just about getting a nice hole on both sides of the animal.

I guess I'm with dogcat on this. I see no problem with hunting with a single shot but those follow up shots certainly would be slower. I'm not one to see what the effect of the first shot was before firing a second or third. It can be that the follow up is really the killer or the one that kept the game out of the bush and avoided a uncomfortable tracking job. On a recent bear hunt I killed the bear with the first shot but he didn't know it. The second shot rolled him as he ran for the trees and the third calmed his thrashig as he rolled around on the ground.

Sorry if I got a little off topic here. I guess I do think perhaps a single shot is not a good choice for the average guy.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by fredj338:
Reloading a SS isn't much slower than a bolt rifle. Make your first shot count & now worrys. I'ld love to take my .338x74K to Africa next time but that headstamp thing may keep me from doing it.

fredj338, don't worry about the headstamp on your ammo! Nobody will open sealed boxes to check the headstamp. load all your hunting ammo, and place them in a translucent plastic ammo boxes. Make yourself some lables on your computer, and print them, with all the pertenant information on the lable, such as cartridge name, bullet weight,bullet type, and powder,and load. Place this lable on the plastic ammo box, and take wide clear postal tape and go around the box, over the lable, effectively sealing the ammo box. The see through box will allow the customs man to count the rounds without opening the box.
I do this with all handloads I take to Africa, and have never had anyone unseal a box of my ammo,and I don't think it is a problem.
Just take your rifle, and enjoy your hunt!