Thread: Pros and Cons of Breakdown Single Shot's for a newb

I've seen a few single shot rifles pop up for sale on the yellowsite- Bergara, Henry and Bakail. They look neat and thought they may fit the bill for something that can cover quite a few of my requirements- affordable, easily packable (thinking sea-kayak, packraft, canoe and raft float trips and of course, some hiking) and simple to maintain.

I'll only have a budget to own one rifle (for the time being) and would like to think it could suit a range of common scenarios I'll find myself in i.e taking a few goats while on the Clarence river or joining a mate for a weekend on the tops.

Any things to consider with single shots that I should know? Is there a standout make? Anything to avoid?

Please point me in the right direction if this has already been covered in another thread- many thanks guys!

for similar money you can just buy a howa with 5 or 10 shot mag

gonetroppo is right and of course there is the second hand market - but if you do want to pack a rifle smaller for say a canoe trip and go single shot then go Bergara likely more accurate -I really rate the Thompson contenders to but up in price - dont need a scope open sights fine - just make sure it is zeroed as with any rifle - have fun

Bergara are very good if somewhat heavy. A small package even when fully assembled. A 1:8 twist .308 16" barrel could be my one rifle to rule them all. Your requirements may differ.

I like them, the breakdown versions are good for stashing in a pack or breaking down to store in a lockable case in your vehicle. Chopper trips they are good as they take up little space.

Bergara, heavy but good shooters. I use my 308 more often than most other rifles I own. Unless chasing goats, then the Howa 223 comes out.
Baikal and Rossi, Lighter but a little 'agricultural'. mate and I have had a couple between us, and they were decent shooters.

If you are looking for only one rifle, then look at a stainless Howa 308 or 7.62x39. reliable, good shooters, cheap to feed. Buy a waterproof gun bag from Stoney Creek for the packrafting/Kayak trips.

That said, this is a good deal, local to you.
https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....16-5-a-113354/

Thanks! Yes, the Bargara's look nice. Bit confused about the TC though- I assume it's not the pistol version.

Thanks @ROKTOY and @gonetropo for the mention of the HOWA. I'll add them to my circle of awareness!

Back in the 90's when I was away working for most of the time, I carried a Baikal 222 for some afterwork walks in the hills etc. Over a 5 year period that little rifle accounted for more deer pigs, goats, tahr, chamois, and rabbits than all of my other rifles combined. Was simple, accurate with a wee 3X Weaver on top, and broke down to fit in to 2 unobtrusive gunbags. Could be stowed away from prying eyes, on the four wheeler. Would fit in my kitbag, ammo was easily available and you could carry a lot of ammo cos a 222 is kinda small. Shot its first tahr only 2 1/2 hours after sighting it in, shot 7 goats with 6 shots up the Awatere. Only drawback is it is a bit heavy for a single shot, but then most of them are.

The triggers on the Baikal's sometimes need a bit of tuning, simple job for a competent gunsmith. Mate has one in 22-250 and he fitted a peep sight on the dovetails and has shot heaps of animals with his.

And theres something about using a single shot that you you cant quite experience with a bolt or magazine rifle, its a quiet satisfaction of a job well done with only one round. I'd say go for it, you wont regret it and they are so much easier to carry inside your pack, or on a packraft, or in a plane or helicopter. And if a TC in 30-06 floats your boat, I know of one up for sale.

Pros:
- Shorter than comparable bolt gun etc
- Highly portable an easy to secure/stow
- Safe and easy to load/unload
- Great option to dual load with Subsonic and supersonic loads due to the above point

Cons:
- Can be heavy comparatively
- Forend attachment designs can limit accuracy on some rifles
- Slow follow up shots and reloading
- Forend generally not optimised for use with a bipod, but not really the intent of the rifle anyway.

The standout single shots are the likes of Blaser K95 or Merkel K5, but they are very spendy. I’ve had my K95 since 2018(?) and have only used a bolt action once since then, when intending to cull some goats on a farm.
The packability of single shots is awesome, just make sure that model is easily broken down as some are a bit fiddly. For my type of hunting, open tops with minimal bush stalking, a single shot is all I’ve needed. Only once have I had to take a second shot.
You will find yourself getting a bit closer and taking more time with the shot.
I haven’t had any experience with the models you are interested in

no single shot rifle been around for awhile come in synthetic and walnut

Thompson/Center went tits up a couple of years ago and Contenders are no longer produced or supported, hard to find and hard to find parts, TC Arms are back up operating again with new ownership but who knows when/if Contenders/parts will be available

thanks gimp I always liked them and fancied one

@Matty72

It's your lucky day
I have every conceivable type of take down rifle made in the last 150 years
In the more modern area I have Contenders and Baikals here
I have them expressly for the reasons you mention
Packrafting
Compact
Easy to take down and stow in pack or vehicle

You're welcome to come see the reality of using that type of rifle
There is no limitation with a single shot it just requires you to be more disciplined and develop your hunting skills more than your shooting skills

Originally Posted by akaroa1

@Matty72

It's your lucky day
I have every conceivable type of take down rifle made in the last 150 years
In the more modern area I have Contenders and Baikals here
I have them expressly for the reasons you mention
Packrafting
Compact
Easy to take down and stow in pack or vehicle

You're welcome to come see the reality of using that type of rifle
There is no limitation with a single shot it just requires you to be more disciplined and develop your hunting skills more than your shooting skills

Oh and K95 but you are unlikely to want to drop that kind of money on one

That's the top end of the spectrum of take down single shot rifles