Single Shot Simplicity

[Halo]

How many of you firearms enthusiasts find yourself reverting now and then to single shot simplicity?  The light dawned on me when I  bought a little Rogue Chipmunk .22 rifle, single shot bolt action, for my granddaughters to use.

While sighting it in I got hooked on its elegance.  One shot.  Hit or miss.  Pleasantly slow methodical pace.  Max return on each shot.  

Easy to transport, handle, and clean.  Ultra reliable.  No uncertainties about feeding or ejection or complicated mechanisms.  

Always wanted to try an Accu-Trigger, so bought a Savage Model I-G .22 single shot bolt action as a big brother to the Chipmunk.  Both rifles are elegant simplicity.

Got reminded of two other shooting basics: even iron sights are challenging to zero in, and different ammo can make a big difference.  Investigating low noise low velocity ammo for the Chipmunk, I wound up testing the following in both rifles:

Remington .22 Short (no data on box except high velocity),
CCI Short (710 fps) 29-grain lead round nose,
CCI CB Long (710 fps) 29-grain lead round nose,
CCI Subsonic HP LR (1050 fps), 40-grain lead hollow point.

Comparing these to the usual CCI Mini-Mag LR I shoot, either 36-grain HP copper coated (1260 fps) or 40-grain copper plated round nose (1235 fps), I quickly discovered some significant variations.

Some of the subsonic slower stuff seemed more accurate, and most wanted to cluster in different places.  I shot bench rest iron sights at 25 yards with spotter scope, but even then I was so surprised by the different results that I'll go do this a couple more times before deciding on optimum loads for the two guns.  

For most .22 shooting, I prefer the CCI high velocity 36-grain copper plated hollow point.  Seems to do everything reasonably well in terms of oomph and accuracy.  

I still like semi-automatics but the single shots are a good change of pace.  How about you?  How much single shot shooting do you do?


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[Furball]

Double post complexity?

[Maverick]

That was part of the reason I started hunting with a black powder rifle. Also a bit of a history nostalgia and a significant challenge compared to center fire scoped rifle hunting.

[Hornet33]

I've got a Ruger Model 1 in .375 H&H Mag. Don't get to shoot it very often since ammo is rather expensive. The rifle shoots dead on at 200 yrds. It is a lever action, drop breach single shot rifle. Only reason I got it was because a friend was selling it when he got divorced. I picked it up for $500 so I got a real good deal on it.

[Halo]

(quote)  Double post complexity?  (unquote)

Yeah.  Good thing my keyboard isn't a gun.  I'm always firing before I'm ready.

[Furball]

Originally posted by Halo
(quote)  Double post complexity?  (unquote)

Yeah.  Good thing my keyboard isn't a gun.  I'm always firing before I'm ready.

[hyena426]

i dont think there is one gun i dont like to shoot..hehe i got a few single shots..some auto's..a few bolt actions...some pumps...and 4 black powder guns...i enjoy them all:)

single shot is a good change of pace...saves ammo too..lol...i still got my grampa's single shot he got down south when he was a kid..its a 1930's 22 long barrel rem...that thing is dead on...i still take it out when im wanting to save some money..lol..cause when im out of the main stuff i can pick that gun up and shoot for pennies..lol..i have a old rolling block savage 22 also.<~~my first gun...i still enjoy shooting it.

the black powders are a ton of fun..i specialy like the pistols..i got a colt dragoon and a 44 rem new army...love the thud they make and the puff of smoke every time you shoot..they allways turn a head when you lite them off..lol

[FX1]

A bow is the best single shot i have ever used.

Never understood why people use black powder. Most modern black powder rifle can shoot 1inch groups at 100 yrds.

Bows today have come along way. No need to pull heavy 80 pound monsters when 60 is more than adequate.

Best part is that you can practice all day in your back yard. I have 20 yrd 30 yrd and a 55 long bomb set up for practice.

Only draw back is the cost. A new bow rigged out will be over 1k.

I have not shot a deer with a rifle for 6 years.

I do have a single shot 410 for snakes. Someone cut off the barrel long time ago and it was 1/8 inch from being legal. I did some welding and made it legal with 1/2 of a inch to spare.. No need for any problems with the law is a rule at my house.

[AKIron]

Single shot's fine if there's only one zombie or you can reload really fast.

[lazs2]

I like all firearms.   Modern black powder guns not so much tho... they are ugly and fake and.. well.. cheating.. they get to hunt early with a gun that is more accurate and no more trouble to learn and use than a 30-30...  certainly no less leathal than an old H&R 30-30 single shot or some of the ruger singles in the less powerful calibers.

I like the reproduction black powder guns tho... just not the ones used to cheat at hunting.  They are not even interesting guns to me.  useless except to cheat at hunting... I think they ruin the spirit of black powder hunting.

I never hunted with black powder tho except with a real 1858 remington shooting jackrabits..   Lots of fun.

I am not a fan of 22 rifles much tho... shot a lot of em learning but have lost interest in em.

lazs

[Halo]

(quote) I am not a fan of 22 rifles much tho... shot a lot of em learning but have lost interest in em. (quote)

I know what you mean.  I may be willing myself to renewed interest in .22s.  Usually lighter, cheaper ammo, but the psst and pfft and snap crackle pop with wee kick are not nearly as satisfying as a gun that goes BANG with a respectable recoil.  

Hmmm, I sense another thread coming ...

Of course I'm doing those mainly for easy safe back deck firing at the farm with granddaughters.  

When I was firing my .22 rifles, I was flanked by an M4 .223 and some kind of M16-like .308 on a bipod.  Woooooo, much more serious shooting.

[Halo]

(QUOTE))  

Investigating low noise low velocity ammo for the Chipmunk, I wound up testing the following in both rifles [Chipmunk and Savage I-G]:

Remington .22 Short (no data on box except high velocity),
CCI [CB]Short (710 fps) 29-grain lead round nose,
CCI CB Long (710 fps) 29-grain lead round nose,
CCI Subsonic HP LR (1050 fps), 40-grain lead hollow point.

Comparing these to the usual CCI Mini-Mag LR I shoot, either 36-grain HP copper coated (1260 fps) or 40-grain copper plated round nose (1235 fps), I quickly discovered some significant variations.

Some of the subsonic slower stuff seemed more accurate, and most wanted to cluster in different places. I shot bench rest iron sights at 25 yards with spotter scope, but even then I was so surprised by the different results that I'll go do this a couple more times before deciding on optimum loads for the two guns.

For most .22 shooting, I prefer the CCI high velocity 36-grain copper plated hollow point. Seems to do everything reasonably well in terms of oomph and accuracy.

 (UNQUOTE)

Replicated this test today at the outdoor firing range.  Most of the Chipmunk shots were nullified because I didn't get the Chipmunk sights properly aligned until late.  

However, the Savage I-G performed like a champ with all the ammo.  For me, the Remington Short and CCI CB Short were a little more accurate than the CCI CB Long and the CCI Subsonic HP.  The CCI 40-gr Round Nose was maybe a hair more accurate than the CCI 36-gr HP, and both were about as accurate as the most accurate Shorts.

These were 25 yards benchrest.  All are better ammo than I am a marksman.

[eskimo2]

This is my single shot 22:



With a 3X9 scope

[Vulcan]

Just outta curiosity, I've been trying to figure out what exactly the .22 I grew up on is, it looks like this:

http://www.henryrepeating.com/h003tm_pumpoctagon.cfm



But it is stamped as being made by Browning in Belgium (1920-something).

My father has it at the moment otherwise I'd post a pic.

[Halo]

Eskimo, is that the Rogue Chipmunk target model?