Ganyana: Thanks for your thoughtful reply on Selous and his guns.
Ray: I believe you have the matter by the short hairs. That said, if you need a third shot, then what? It's been said the fastest bolt gun in the world was an SMLE, though I'd hate to be spitting .312s in a tight situation. Maybe this is where the much cussed Winchester 95 in .405 has a place, at least for the non-thick skinned?

The only real difference between a single shot (*) and a turn bolt is a magazine. The magazine rifle packs the extra rounds within itself, whereas the single does not, which explains why a turnbolt is faster.

Try inserting only one round in a magazine (making it a "single shot") and hunt with it. I bet you'd have more trouble then one with an underlever.

(*) the name 'single shot' is a misnomer, its actually a non-repeater (ie no magazine capacity). You don't actually get one single shot, you get as many as you can carry. Some people think a single shot rifle is a single shooter, and blast it because of this.

Personally, I don't think I'd truely be comfortable using such a rifle/handgun on DG. I'd rather have a repeating gun of some sort. ~~~Suluuq

Shall we stir the pot... Selous could easily have used an 1886 in .45-70, but as he was hunting dangerous game he stuck to his single shot .450 (.461) Gibbs.

This recurring topic is so much bullshit. You can kill anything with a single shot rifle is like saying you can kill anything with a 7x57. Both true, but both are quite irrelevant.

Saying you never need more than one shot or no need or possibility for more than one shot or a need for multiple quick shots means you haven't hunted much.

I suppose you could do the David thing and throw rocks as long as there is someone to bail you out.

Erik,
I's still take that bet, and I'd use a low powered scope or iron sights, no single shot is faster than a bolt gun in competent hands, and thats a simple fact.

In fact I'd put up a $1000. bet with anyone who thinks they can fire 4 shots with a single shot faster than I can with one of my bolt action mausers, scoped or unscoped, makes little difference to me how you cut it.......

A case of money talks and bull shit walks.

Ganyana,

Any chance of a pic of that Gibbs? I would love to see that.