Can you reload a single shot fast enough for DG?

These are the words of Craig Boddington in his book "Where Lions Roar." He had just placed a bullet (375 Dakota) in the boiler room of a buffalo. Here are his next words:
"DG with a single-shot was an experiment for me. I've used Ruger Number Ones a lot on lesser game, and I'd practiced a lot with this rifle. I'd anticipated exactly this moment, and I had extra cartridges between the fingers of my supporting hand--I thought I was ready.
There was lots of time; I could have emptied a bolt action--possibly I could have emptied and reloaded a double. But the Dakota single shot, an usually beautiful and smooth handling rifle, doesn't eject. Eyes on the buffalo, I cleared the empty, started to stuff a fresh 375 Dakota cartridge into the chamber, and realized I'd never make it--the trees were now closing around the departing buffalo."
At my shoulder, ready, Russ said calmly, "Do you want me to shoot him?" Unprintable affirmative......
My X bullet from the fast 375 Dakota had pierced its heart and all the rest was window dressing, but that first shot might not have been so perfect and there was nothing I could have done about it. Food for thought.
That made me want for us to give it some thought.

So, not enough time for a NON EJECTOR to get off a departing shot, and an inbound charge would cut the time allotted significantly. First qualification might well be (for DG) is it an ejector? If not, is it disqualified for general recommendation?
Which single shots are ejectors?
Are some actions just faster than others in your experience. How fast, honestly, are you?

I don't have DG experience with a single shot. But I shot an old single shot shotgun for the pot when I was too young to afford a better gun, and you play hell if you can get two shots off with a departing game bird. Seconds matter. Life matters too.
What is your verdict?

Nope, I can’t. In an actual emergency, it all comes down to training and instinct. Rational thinking goes away immediately. I found this out on my first muzzleloader hunt. I intellectually know darn well how to reload one of those things….. but very little experience. In a minor emergency (needing a finishing shot for an elk) I became hopelessly stupid trying to figure out if the bullet or powder went in first, LOL. In a DG charge, I’d be pretty proud if I just remembered to work the bolt, aim a little, and pull the trigger.

I think so, but I wouldn’t start a fight with a single shot unless circumstances dictated it.
I was shooting at a BGRC shoot & using a H&R single shot converted to .500NE 3 1/4in, with horrendous recoil.
Any way I shot the Nitro Stopper 6 shots 25yds offhand in 25 seconds - using a borrowed .470NE Webley screw grip double, we had finished & someone said I couldn’t do that with the single shot, so I said ok let’s try.

Positioned the extra cartridges where I could get them fast & shot as fast as I could reload, had trouble last couple as my hand had gone numb/dead from the recoil, I finished before the horn went with time to spare & even with the scoped penalty, out did my double rifle score.

The H&R was the older ejector model which helped amazingly.

Funny just after that one of the members watching made me a very good offer on the rifle & I sold it to him.

No. And I’ve actually done it twice (out of pure compulsion). Those of you who’ve read my autobiography will know exactly how much difficulty using a single shot firearm actually gave me during the hunts for my first two man eating Royal Bengal tigers.

You also have to factor in one more thing- If the ejector/extractor malfunctions or the cartridge misfires (which CAN happen even with the most reliable mechanisms or cartridge brands), you essentially have a big stick in your hands.

Single shot firearms are okay for client hunters who have a more appropriately armed white hunter to protect them if their first (and sometimes only) shot goes wrong and the dangerous animal charges. Of course, I personally prefer to drop/stop my own dangerous game if I can, and a magazine fed firearm or a double barreled firearm significantly improve my odds of doing that.

There are cheaper and easier ways to kill yourself.

This question is about the assumption of risk and how much are you willing to take when hunting DG.

Dangerous game is dangerous for a reason. There are many hunters who wouldn't assume the risk of hunting DG with a fully automatic rifle and a battalion for backup. So where is the line?

This emphasizes the importance of talking with your PH about the weapon platform you plan on using and if they (the PH) will do a follow up shot. Open and clear communication with your PH about your vision for the hunt will help them make good decisions and keep you as safe as they can.

I don't care if you are using a CRF Mauser, PF M700, double rifle, single shot, archery tackle or a pneumatic rifle...this discussion need to happen.

I can NOT justify the use of a single shot on a DG hunt because my proficiency with that platform is lacking. But everyone is different and we all have to make choices when it comes to how much risk we want to assume. Regardless of the activity.

No. Don't own a single shot of any sort and never will. I have never been enamored of the Ruger No 1. They just never felt right in my hands. I thought they were a novelty when introduced and fully expected the line to die in a year or two. But novelty sells. Look at who's sitting in the White House.

For an old fat man. I am pretty fast with a single shot. But I am also at that age where I have good days and bad days, so no. I would not do it.

"Don't never take a chance you don't have to." MAJ Robert Rogers

Safe hunting

SFRanger7GP said:

For an old fat man. I am pretty fast with a single shot. But I am also at that age where I have good days and bad days, so no. I would not do it.

"Don't never take a chance you don't have to." MAJ Robert Rogers

Safe hunting

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MAJ Rogers didn't ascend to Major by not taking chances. But I believe the heart of that quote is meant to make people understand that there is a line between calculated risk and being reckless.

Said differently...
"A man's got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

Great question. I have thought about it a lot myself, because I love my Ruger 1s.

Kevin Robertson, in an interview on The Big Game Hunting Podcast about how to become a PH, talks a lot about the time he was an instructor for the PH licensing course in Zimb. They have a timed shooting segment and Kevin is very clear that the best performance he ever saw in that course was by a guy using a Ruger 1 drawing rounds from elastic loops sewn above his breast pocket.

So I guess that tells us that it is doable, but I would bet the investment in time to build that kind of skill level would be rather substantial.

The time and score record for the Zim PH proficiancy test is held by a single shot Ruger nr.1 in 416 Rigby .......food for thought

NO! I have shot a double on Mourning doves with a single shot 12ga back when I was young. I've also shot 30/30 low house on a bet 1/second with a 97 single feeding from my belt and I've shot all doubles skeet loading from my hand for the second round. But NO, not for DG or anything more exciting than doves.

AJ

Nope. Not even Chuck Norris can do that…

I have never had a DRT dangerous game hunt. Most needed a 2nd or 3 rd to finish them.

Ask your PH and he will tell you what he thinks… short conversation.

Ontario Hunter said:

No. Don't own a single shot of any sort and never will. I have never been enamored of the Ruger No 1. They just never felt right in my hands. I thought they were a novelty when introduced and fully expected the line to die in a year or two. But novelty sells. Look at who's sitting in the White House.

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You know snide remarks are really unbecoming.

dogcat1 said:

Nope. Not even Chuck Norris can do that…

I have never had a DRT dangerous game hunt. Most needed a 2nd or 3 rd to finish them.

Ask your PH and he will tell you what he thinks… short conversation.

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Only backup you need

I would say "no" also even though 3 of the 4 buffalo I've taken were with my Ruger No 1 500 Sharps. The 4th was with a 375 Ruger RSM, a caliber sometimes pooped on for DG. I assure you I don't have a death wish.

Interesting thread. Back in the early days, muzzleloaders were used. In books I've read, many were single shots but they had a second one at the ready.

Hogpatrol said:

Interesting thread. Back in the early days, muzzleloaders were used. In books I've read, many were single shots but they had a second one at the ready.

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And before that was it spears and sharp rocks. Any takers for an upcoming elephant hunt?

Let's start a thread. Spears vs Archery vs Firearms. That should be interesting.

The problem that I have seen with hunters using single shots is that after the shot they will try to figure out where the bullet went and what the animal is doing instead of just getting to the job of loading and getting ready for a second shot.

On my last muzzle loader elk I missed the first shot over his back, but then had a second shot into him in less than 20 seconds using speed loaders, I had two more shots into him in a very short time. Then I had to start digging into my pack for the makings for that fourth shot.

Using my single shot TC Contender I can get quite a few shots off is very rapid order. Granted it isn't a bolt action or a double but if you practice and are able to do a couple things at once it can be done quite quickly. But if you are using a single shot you need to make sure that the empty case will eject out of the action so that you can quickly load that second, third, and fourth shot. If you have to pick the case out of the action then all bets are off.

I’ll be doing my first buff hunt with a Ruger No.1 in 458WM. Is it ideal? No. But do I feel proficient enough that I am not taking unnecessary risk? Yes. Also, the No.1 might be the most elegant mass produced rifle ever made

The first time I went to RSA in 2005 my first shot on African game was with a custom #1 in .405 using a 400gr Woodleigh. Blue Wildebeest at @40 yards. On the shot he lurched forward, my right hand popped the lever down and grabbed a second round from the leather cartridge carrier on my belt. My beest ran into a small tree and hooked a horn around it getting entangled. On his first lap around the tree I plopped the round in the action and on his second I closed the lever, coming up into shooting position. At that time he got free, took a couple steps and fell over.
My guide/PH looked at me and said “reload!”. I said that I did and he said “no, reload!”. I pointed at my empty laying between us and popped the action open. His reply was “Oh!”.

Could I hunt DG with a single shot? Maybe, but I haven’t hunted DG (animals) yet. When I eventually do I have boltguns for that.