Are there times when less is better?
Fall 2023
Article and photos by Wm. Hovey Smith
Economy, light weight, and power have been the historic drivers of single-shot firearm technology. In whatever the class of guns, single shots may be, if desired, more powerful than repeating firearms, easier to carry, quicker to employ, more rugged, easier to clean, and generally safer in the woods than magazine or cylinder-fed guns.
In the muzzle-loading era, the great majority of all guns were of single-shot designs, although there were double and multi-barreled guns with the inherent problem that each barrel added extra weight. They were of all calibers, suitable for all of the world’s game.
With the advent of cartridges, the repeating firearms were first designed for relatively mild cartridges, but as the technology improved the more common cartridges employed in rifles of the day, such as the .45-70 Government cartridge and later smokeless cartridges, such as the .30-06 might be used in either single-shots or repeating firearms. Still, the really huge African cartridges could only be used in double or single-shot guns.
Buck taken with Knight Revolution muzzle-loading rifle.
Hunters from all over the world quickly realized that the precise placement of that first shot was the most important shot that would be fired. With only a single shot available, the practice taught to every hunter was to make sure that shot went into a vital place, or do not shoot at all. Wait for the next opportunity or the next piece of game. With cartridge guns another rapid follow-up shot might be available, but not with muzzle-loading guns. If they could afford it, period hunters might also carry a pistol, and certainly an effective belt knife, to quickly kill downed, but wounded game. Such as I did in this video: https://youtu.be/6Op6A_M7dQE.
With muzzle-loading handguns, the power edge still goes to single-shot pistols, which, with longer barrels and heavier bullets, can take North American game at ranges of 50 yards or so. In regards to power and effectiveness, they easily outclass percussion revolvers. Powerful cartridges are now available in revolvers such as the Ruger Redhawk, but all these and even rifle-length cartridges can be used in modern single shots, made by Thompson/Center Arms and others.
Cumberland Island deer with discontinued Thompson/Center Arms Scout Pistol.
Filling the sky with as much lead as possible during the shortest possible time is a strategy that is invited by pump and semi-automatic shotguns. The guaranteed result is that more ammunition will be expended, but not necessarily more game taken, as a person might take who uses a single-shot shotgun. For many decades trap shooters used single shot guns for precision shooting, and many are still seen in competition today. Only when shooting doubles, is multi-shot capabilities needed on the range. Shot placement is more significant than firepower as described in this video: https://youtu.be/Tzp6QE2jV7o
Blue Geese taken with Davide Pedersoli Mortimer flintlock shotgun.
Elegant stalking rifles were common in Europe and introduced in the U.S. by returning G.Is from wars over there. To capitalize on what he saw as an untapped market, Bill Ruger introduced his No. 1 Single Shot chambered for the traditional .45-70, but also for a great variety of modern rimmed and rimless cartridges. These supplemented the many Winchester High Walls and Martini-actioned rifles that had been re-chambered for modern rounds since the early 1900s. The Ruger and many others have also been equipped with modern scope sights. With the capability of rapid cartridge reloading, these guns offer effective hunting packages that encourage precision shooting, rather than attempting the saturation fire best done by belt-fed machine guns.
Thompson/Center Contender .22 L.R. with a season’s squirrel tails taken with the gun.
Older hunters or hunters who might be injured or who for whatever reason cannot use heavier full-size firearms can hunt with a single-shot pistol, rifle, or shotgun. In recent years I have most often hunted with muzzle-loading guns, these have often been single-shots. If I do my part, these single-shot guns will do theirs, as they have for centuries. Here’s an example: https://youtu.be/SdP5qPfbXuo
Wm. Hovey Smith is an expert on hunting with primitive weapons and a member of the Georgia Outdoor Writers Association. He makes his home in Sandersville. Check out his YouTube Channel or contact him at hoveysmith029@gmail.com.