Single Shot Saga
When I was seventeen, a Savage single shot 16 gauge shotgun accompanied me to the Yukon Territories on my "I'm out of high school now" hitchhiking trip. Between Mike and me we had the 16, a single shot Bronco .22, and a Lee Enfield .303 British. We accounted for enough wild game to feed ourselves, but not enough to keep from losing about twenty pounds each. Survival guns come in all shapes and sizes - two out of three of ours were single shots.
Harrington & Richardson HandiRifle in .357 Magnum, with 22 inch barrel, offset hammer spur, and Burris 1 3/4 X 5 power straight tube scope in Burris medium rings.
My lifetime list of single shots includes about 50/50 shotguns and rifles. But the rifles made more individual impressions on me. From the great lines and craftsmanship of the Ruger #1s, to the utility of the NEFs, Marlins, and the H&Rs, their accuracy in the face of public criticism and rejection has been welcome and surprising. At 250 yards with the factory open sights on a Ruger #1 Light Sporter in 30-06, I got the elevation right on a coyote, once, on a steep downward angle.
At 286 paced out yards my friend Peter took a jackrabbit, with the Stevens Favorite .22 that Dave dropped a running canine with at 220 yards, after I shot a truckload of gophers to "train in" that pretty petite piece.
The longest deer shot I ever made was with a New England Firearms single shot in 243 Winchester. 386 lasered yards - in front of two witnesses. Right in the heart. A little hop. A little dash. Plop.
Four shots, one scope adjustment. This was with 357 Magnum 158 grain FMJ (Full Metal Jackets).
My TC Contender in .22 Hornet hasn't yet earned its keep, but a Hornady 35 grain V- Max ventilated a good sized coon that tore my dog's ear up, so I'll keep that one too.
The TC Encore Pro Hunter in 30-06 that rests beside the Hornet will contribute to our venison collection this fall. The accuracy revealed in the break-in session from that 28 inch 30-06 barrel impressed. Anything that can keep 47 cold bore shots hidden by a quarter can be considered interesting . . . and useful.
That's not all of them, but my excitement with my newest single shot is erasing memories. It's time to create new ones.
After reading for years of the utility of the .357 Magnum cartridge, I began to collect accessories for reacquiring ownership of something in that caliber. Having once owned a couple of revolvers so chambered, I was a bit practically familiar with it, so I knew what I would eventually need.
Interestingly, something that most temporary owners of firearms do is sell or give away accessories. A dealer once chastised me for doing the same thing. "Accessories are the cheapest thing to hang on to", he said. "We dealers give you nothing for your accessories, so you may as well keep them, or sell them privately." Since that day I've never given up the little stuff, and become the willing recipient of it from all willful donors.
Harrington & Richardson HandiRifle in .357 Magnum, with 22 inch barrel, offset hammer spur, and Burris 1 3/4 X 5 power straight tube scope in Burris medium rings.
My lifetime list of single shots includes about 50/50 shotguns and rifles. But the rifles made more individual impressions on me. From the great lines and craftsmanship of the Ruger #1s, to the utility of the NEFs, Marlins, and the H&Rs, their accuracy in the face of public criticism and rejection has been welcome and surprising. At 250 yards with the factory open sights on a Ruger #1 Light Sporter in 30-06, I got the elevation right on a coyote, once, on a steep downward angle.
At 286 paced out yards my friend Peter took a jackrabbit, with the Stevens Favorite .22 that Dave dropped a running canine with at 220 yards, after I shot a truckload of gophers to "train in" that pretty petite piece.
The longest deer shot I ever made was with a New England Firearms single shot in 243 Winchester. 386 lasered yards - in front of two witnesses. Right in the heart. A little hop. A little dash. Plop.
Four shots, one scope adjustment. This was with 357 Magnum 158 grain FMJ (Full Metal Jackets).
My TC Contender in .22 Hornet hasn't yet earned its keep, but a Hornady 35 grain V- Max ventilated a good sized coon that tore my dog's ear up, so I'll keep that one too.
The TC Encore Pro Hunter in 30-06 that rests beside the Hornet will contribute to our venison collection this fall. The accuracy revealed in the break-in session from that 28 inch 30-06 barrel impressed. Anything that can keep 47 cold bore shots hidden by a quarter can be considered interesting . . . and useful.
That's not all of them, but my excitement with my newest single shot is erasing memories. It's time to create new ones.
After reading for years of the utility of the .357 Magnum cartridge, I began to collect accessories for reacquiring ownership of something in that caliber. Having once owned a couple of revolvers so chambered, I was a bit practically familiar with it, so I knew what I would eventually need.
Interestingly, something that most temporary owners of firearms do is sell or give away accessories. A dealer once chastised me for doing the same thing. "Accessories are the cheapest thing to hang on to", he said. "We dealers give you nothing for your accessories, so you may as well keep them, or sell them privately." Since that day I've never given up the little stuff, and become the willing recipient of it from all willful donors.
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