ORIGINAL: ohiohillbilly
Hello all,
I've been thinking about getting a high caliber single shot rifle and im wondering what some of your opinions are on brands/calibers. Right now im looking at a Ruger No.1 in either .405 win or .338 win mag.
I'm worried about the availability of .405 since the only place i can find it is hornady, but the classiccartridge would be part of the fun of this rifle. I'd also like some opinions on scopes that can handle the recoil of the .405 or .338.
This would just be forrecreational shooting on weekends with friends and probably wont ever be used for hunting. I've only ever shot AR-15s in .223 and .22 LRs with iron sights and this will be my first gun purchase so opinions of more experienced shooters will be greatly appreciated.
OHIO GOZAIMUS, OHIO!
Over the years, I have had a number of Ruger single-shots, both No. 1's and a No. 3. ALL mine have been quite accurate, right out of the box. One is a .45/70 and another is a .375 H&H. With a heavy load, the .45/70 is much worse to fire than the .375. Of course, this is partly due to the .45/70 being at least 1 pound lighter than the .45/70. I have used Leupold scopes on these two, a 4X Compact on the .45/70, and a 2.5X-8X on the .375. Both have handled the recoil of these two rifles with no problems. Earlier, I tried two differentsteel-tubed Weavers and a Bushnell Scopechief IV on the .45/70. It "ate" all three in less than five shots!
As for choice of caliber: Unless you handload, the .405 Win. leaves something to be desired. The 300-grain bullet is NOT heavy enough for deep penetration on large, thick-skinned game. The SD is too low. But a 400-grain bullet would make the .405 Win. something else again, even if you could only get 1800 FPS out of it!
The .338 Win. would be a better choice for all-round use in North America, and it does not really have a bad recoil. It is effective at much longer ranges than a .405 Winchester. Most any scope will handle the recoil of the .338.
If you want a bruiser, don't overlook the .416 Rigby! Ruger No. 1's are made in this caliber. I am hording an unused Leupold 2.5X Compact with post reticle to put on myNo. 1 .416 Rigby
when I get it. I have an old Leupold M8 3X with post & crosshair on a CZ 550 in .416 Rigby, and it works very well! This .416 has a VAIS muzzle brake which makes it's recoil feel as light as a .30/'06 - this is a BIG advantage when shooting it off a bench! The VAIS is not objectionably bad noise-wise, but it is a good idea to wear ear protection whenever you use ANY muzzle brake.
Good luck, and let us know what you decided to do!