Accuracy of single shot rifles

[qwman68]

My h&r handi rifle is a tack driver.. I dont know where your getting your info but its wrong

[LongRifles, Inc.]

Give Cyle Miller a call, former owner of Miller Arms in St. Onge, SD.

If you want a single shot that'll hammer like a full effort BR gun its one stop shopping.

Visa card with a hefty limit is a must.

Good luck.

Chad

[fisherman66]

If you want a single shot that'll hammer like a full effort BR gun its one stop shopping.

Visa card with a hefty limit is a must.

From a couple reports Martini and Hagn delivers a BR quality rifle as well. I'd like to play with a Butch Searcy drop block as well. Same story with the Visa.

[rbernie]

I have a number of H&R single shots. They are all, excepting one that I bought used, capable of good-to-excellent accuracy. Not one will take generic hunting ammo and group larger than 2" at 100 yards over five shots, and most ammo will group just over MOA.

[rogelk]

I had a Model 700 Mountain rifle in .280, you couldn't ask for better accuracy year after year. Like an idiot I sold it. I then bought a T/C Encore in 30.06 and (I'll probably get flamed for this) but, I could have thrown stones with better accuracy. Terrible! and the accuracy remedy websites for the Encore only reinforces what I experienced. I sold it.

I'm now back to a 700 CDL 30.06 and shooting like a laser beam once again.

[Dave R]

But I have shot enough break action rifles to know that about 2MOA is what to expect. Some will do better,

Like the other OWNERS of H&R Handi-Rifles here, I'll report that my .223 Ultra-Varmit shoots better than MOA. Maybe the Ultra Varmits really are more accurate? I dunno. Maybe I got a good one. Even the trigger is nice.

[44 AMP]

I have a Ruger No.3 in .45-70 that will put three bullets in two holes at 50yds, and that is using a totally untuned stock rifle with a JC Higgins 2.5x post scope. Good single shots are accurate.

[ThomasT]

I have an H&R handi in 223 and it will stay in the 1-1 1/2" range. I didn't expect much from a $250 OTD rifle but like it so well I am going to send it back and get a 30-30, 22 hornet and 410 barrel fitted to it.

I only used one load, a load I made for my mini-14 so it wasn't tailered to the gun. My gun has a 1/9 twist and I was shooting 55gr bullets from midsouth bulk supply. The other thing is when shooting it that day I was having so much fun I didn't realize I had fired almost 30 rounds non stop and it was still grouping this well with no point of impact change.

[pdh]

Groups from my T/C Encore.
30-06 ackley improved. eabco barrel


243 ackley improved. bullberry barrel

[mete]

My 1885 Browning 45-70 will put them all inside 1" without even trying. An occasional Ruger will need some work with the forend but most are excellent.

Don't think any round is exempt from being deflected in brush .It's happened to me with both 45-70 and 44mag. Use a scope to find a small opening in the brush and be good enough to put the round through the opening !

[rogelk]

Good shooting pdh. After tweaking mine, or attempting to... with 3 boxs of basic factory 180 grain Rem Core Lokt I expected some assemblance of a group. About 2 out of about 7 missed paper also a flyer or two. I attempted the same program several other times...same thing. You must have got a good one.

[pdh]

Thanks rogelk.....it's the barrels that's the key. I wanted to get into the wildcat game....and bought these two custom barrels.

[mikejonestkd]

rogelk,

Sorry to hear that you were less than satisfied with your encore. My experience with TC products has been the opposite - I have yet to find a barrel that delivers sub par accuracy. My experience with 20+ rifle barrels and at least 20+ pistol barrels has shown that they are consistently 1.5" or better barrels at 100 yards. Some are much better. My most recent barrel - a .243 pistol barrel puts 3 95 win supremes within .75" all day long at 100.

[pdh]

A friend of mine had a 7mmMag barrel that shot terrible. He sent the barrel back to T/C....they confirmed the barrel faulty...replaced it with a new one.
His rig now shoots very well........

[rogelk]

Maybe I didn't spend enough time/energy....I felt it was the hinge pin but, it may have been the barrel. However, glad there's some satisfied customers. There are lots of things to like about Thompson Center.

[guntotin_fool]

Find a decent ruger number 1 and try it, I have two.

One is a .357 maximum. yup, the old pistol cartridge. I have no idea behind the gun other than its really a factory gun. shoots anything from .38 special DEWC's to 200 grain spitzers for the .35 whelen well, and its a giggle at the range when people ask "just what is that thing?"

The other is a .257 bob. its an enigma. I have tried all the tricks, it will not shoot better than 1.0+ Not one single group even by luck sub 1 inch. however, it too never shoots anything bigger than 1.5-. No single group excepting when I sneezed, has ever reached 1.5 inches, this is with 75 grain 25-20 bullets, all the way to 120 VLD's. does it make sense, nope, but it shoots. 75 grainers, 87 grainers, 95, 100, 105, 115, all shot over an inch and under an inch and a half, most groups run right around 1.25 to 1.375, just average as can be, no matter the powder, the primer, the seating depth, anything.

[lewwetzel]

Single-shot rifles are inaccurate???? Damn, wish I'd known that before I bought that Cooper Varminter last week. Maybe they really didn't shoot 3 shots through the same hole in that test target that came with it. Hope I can trade it for something really accurate with a magazine like, say, a Ruger Mini-14...

[fisherman66]

The Cooper is only a single shot by lower action design. It could be a repeater is the bottom was opened and a magazine was installed. I wish I could be a Cooper owner (Custom Classic owner to be more specific.) Wonderful rifles, but no a fair comparison for this conversation.

[flashhole]

I had my #1V 25-06 at the range this morning shooting at 150 yards. I only shot 6 shots. It was boring having just one hole in the Shoot-N-See target so I came home early. This Ruger is one fine shooting rifle for a single shot.

[home sick]

I have a T/C Encore in 22-250 and 25-06 both will shoot under 1". The 25 will shoot 120 hornadys and 115 noslers at 3/4" and the 250 has punched a few under a 1/2'' with 52 gr. sierra hpbt. I have had some H&Rs (223,243, 25-06) I found them very pressure sensitive. The H&Rs are priced right for sure but be careful what you wish for. I think any of us who expects bench rest accuracy from a single shot off the shelf, may be doing some wishful thinking. I've had Rugers, Brownings, H&Rs and T/Cs the best to date has been the Encore. All single blasters are great just be realistic on what you expect.

[kilimanjaro]

Got a few Ruger No. 1 rifles here, they are quite accurate and quick shooters. For a 100-yard gun in heavy brush, might try a .30/06 or up to45/70 depending on what you are hunting. Look at the .405 Winchester in this rifle, it's a good brush load.

I like the Rugers from .22-250 up to .450 Nitro Express, they are good rifles and handle well, reload quickly, and pack well.

[isnipe]

I have a rossi .223 that i have taken 2 deer with and it seems to be more accurate than most other rifles.

[Doodlebugger45]

I have always wanted a Ruger #1 but I never bought one yet just because they have gotten kind of expensive, but I think for looks they are just beautiful rifles.

I did buy a NEF Handi Rifle though awhile back. It was used and had a youth stock on it and a short barrel and it only cost me $175. It was in .223 caliber and I bought it just as a cheap truck gun to throw in the back seat when I'm out working in the back country and see a coyote that needs to be shot at. I didn't want to have one of my nice guns bouncing around in the truck unprotected for weeks on end and my little .22 just couldn't reach out there at 200 yards. The little Handi Rifle has impressed me immensely. It is so small and lightweight and shoots beautifully. The single shot is not a disadvantage because typically you only get one shot at those things. It will definitely hit a coyote at 300 yards though if it isn't running too fast. I've shot a few prairie dogs with it when I was bored and it will usually hit them out to 300 yards as well.

I have a couple friends who have them, one in 270 and the other in 30-30 and they have no problems shooting deer at 200 yards. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one some day.

[TXGunNut]

I only have two single-shot smokeless powder firearms. Both Contender 14" pistols. One .223Rem, one .35Rem. Both sub MOA, but with the .35Rem it ain't easy! .223 does it with every bullet I've tried and no special loading techniques, may even do it with factory loads. Very odd! Wish I had a few more rifles that shoot that well. I have several rifles that dream of MOA groups, currently only one can actually pull it off and it's a levergun.
I'd like a Ruger #1 but a wise man told me about half are exceptional, other half are mediocre or worse. H & R looking pretty good to me these days.

[Old Time Hunter]

200 yards and you can tell without the need of optical enhancers: