Hunting with a Single-Shot Rifle
Hunting with a Single-Shot Rifle
Author: Al Louangketh
If you know me or have been following me on social media, you know that I am a big fan of my beloved BA13 Take-Down single-shot rifles. It’s become one of my favorite rifles to grab out of my gun safe for most of my hunts in Germany. Single shot rifles are nothing more than a single cartridge loading system that is capable of firing one round at a time after each load. It’s not meant to be a quick reloading system, but it will certainly get the job done in the hands of a capable shooter.
Single shot rifles have been used to take all kinds of games around the world for well over a century. From the smallest games to the most dangerous games on the African continent, it has brought food on the table and is a true testament on the reliability of the rifle and the system it was built on that is still popular today than it was fifty or a hundred years ago. It’s one of the many reasons manufacturers are still producing sing-shot rifles to this day.
The Bergara BA13 Take-Down single-shot rifle is a break-action system. The break-action system is quite popular in today’s single-action rifle market.
Single shot rifles have come a long way compared to when it was built a century ago. The system and designed hasn’t really changed all that much and most companies are still producing the same system concept that was first incorporated to these rifles over a 100 years ago.
The way it is built now and the technology used to build them has definitely changed over time. New concepts and ideas have made the components and rifle more durable, compact and highly accurate to meet the demands of today’s hunter.
The cliché of misconceptions and debate about the disadvantages of using a single-shot rifle for hunting runs rampant around campfires for decades. Those that have no interest in it or have never hunted with one will likely make-up more of the opposition as to why it’s not for them. Sure it has its challenges and limitations, and if you’re like me, it’s something most of us preferred for many reason.
Waiting for the right moment to take the shot on any game is one of the most valuable disciplines a single-shot rifle can offer you
One thing that is true with every single-shot is that you have one important shot to make, so you want to make sure that shot is on target. Hunting with a single-shot rifle tends to let you focus a little bit more on the shot by making sure you wait for that right opportunity. If you’ve hunted long enough, it doesn’t matter how sure or how confident you are about a shot, a bad shot is just a bad shot that will likely result in a game being lost. It happens with any rifle and a single-shot is no different.
A single-shot rifle will teach you the meaning of being patient, making you wait for that right moment to take the shot. There are no quick follow-up shot to send another bullet down the pipe should you need one. A single-shot will also teach you to focus a little bit harder on making that one shot count, which is really important, especially for a new hunter.
My BA13 Take-Down has traveled with me quite often on local hunts as well as hunting trips abroad. Most single-shot rifles are compact and light, making it easy to travel with as they can be broken down to fit in smaller gun case making it ideal for most hunters who prefer a compact rifle.
A compact rifle is a lot easier to maneuver in a tight hunting stand
Most hunts in central Europe, especially in Germany is done sitting in a stand, especially late in Spring when foliage covers most of the forest making stalking almost impossible. Some stands can be too small and trying to maneuver a long rifle to get into a shooting position quietly can be a task itself. The compact size of the BA13 is a huge benefit when it comes to tight places, especially in the older traditional European box stand which doesn’t provide a lot of room inside to easily position your rifle to shoot.
As with any rifle, there are always questions and debates on how accurate a certain rifle or cartridge can achieve up to this distance or that. Hunting in my opinion is about closing the distance as much as possible. For any rifle to be an effective tool is to understand the limitations of the cartridge, the rifle and the set-up, as well as the shooter themselves in order to make it perform for them. In the single-shot world, being patient is the name of the game, not how far you can reach out with the rifle.
The mindset of most single-shot hunter is to slow things down and take our time to ensure a clean vital hit. Not every hunt will be a success, when to shoot or when not to shoot is one of the main key elements to success when you only got one shot to make it count. That is the reality of hunting with a single-shot; it will make certain you appreciate the hunt more than the kill.
About the Author
Al Louangketh is the Bergara Rifles International Pro Team manager and editor for Bergara Rifles International blog. He holds a PhD in Wildlife Science and is a retired U.S Army Veteran living in Germany.
Feel free to contact him for any questions you may have.