RE: Single shot rifles
 

well you could go with a H&R handi rifle in a 45/70 gov. or you could go with a .500 S&W those are the biggest cal. that gun has they also have some classic guns which are bigger cals. too go to hr1871.com

RE: Single shot rifles
 

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!

RE: Single shot rifles
 

For anybody that cares, cuz i know you're all on the edge of your seats waiting to see what i ended up doing, i got a synthetic handi-rifle .45/70 and im looking at a nikon buckmaster3-9x40 as i hear that its a good scope for the money.

I talked it over with my girlfriend(argued) and we came toa compromise(she won) after i suggested(begged for) the cheaper alternative to a No1.

...She wears the pants in our house... and i like her to take them off on a regular bases...so she wins a lot. ;)