Single shot break barrel rifle

tusker

Well-Known Member
I am keen to get an affordable single shot break barrel rifle. What would you guys recommend? and in what calibre. I would want to use this rifle for everything from Roe to Kudu. I love 30-06 but a bit worried about recoil in such a light rifle. I don't like 308 (no idea why). I was thinking about 7 x 57.
Tusker.
 
H&R Handi Rifle - really cool! I've got one in 45/70. They're made (sadly not any more) in many calibres.
 
I have a fairly light ( 6lb 5 oz) small frame 7x57R combination gun, with a hard buttplate. The recoil is not bad, for me, but I have been shooting .303 and .30-06 since I was twelve years old. I also have an 8x57IRS combination gun which is about 7 lbs, and recoil is not bad at all. Of course, the 7x57R and 8x57IRS are loaded about 150 fps slower than the bolt action ammunition. I have also had a Ruger No. 1A 7x57 Mauser, bought halves with a friend, who now has it and will never sell it.

Friends have a Blaser K95 in 7x57R, a Merkel K1 in .270 Win, and Thompson break actions in 7mm-08 and .30-30 Win. They all say they don't notice the recoil of these light rifles.

If I bought another single shot or combination gun, it would probably be 7x57 or 7x57R. It is a very accurate cartridge in these rifles.
 
Look at the Merkel, haenel or one of the Italian Zolis etc. Lots of nice ones in Europe - see http://www.frankonia.de, but only a few in the U.K. Get a rimmed cartridge - empties fall out making a fast reload. 7x65r very versatile, 7x56r nice a mild and v effective.

and don't discount combination guns. Are often as light as a single barrel but seem to be quite a bit cheaper. Have a look in the Holt's auction - you will often find one with several barrel sets.
 
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Get a rimmed cartridge - empties fall out making a fast reload. 7x65r very versatile, 7x57r nice a mild and v effective.

and don't discount combination guns. Are often as light as a single barrel but seem to be quite a bit cheaper. Have a look in the Holt's auction - you will often find one with several barrel sets.
And out of a cold barrel, that first shot or two, many combination guns shoot very tight and repeatable groups, to the sights.
 
FWIW I have a Bergara thumbhole break barrel single shot. I had decided on this as it's affordable, has a good name, it's ambidextrous, and it's .308 (other calibres, quite a few, are available.)

Initially it was simply awful in terms of accuracy. It's a very light rifle and I think some of it may have been down to pilot error and I definitely had to made a significant effort to cancel out a developing flinch. The recoil was not severe in any painful sense of the word, but it was wild. As I was experimenting with loads the group sizes started to shrink just as I was on the cusp of sending it back. A sound moderator calmed the wild recoil down and it is now a manageable rifle that is shooting comfortable within an inch at 110 yards using hand loads. Factory loads are more variable. Apart from the initial accuracy issues, which I cannot account for, the only other criticism I hold is that it would have been nice if it ejected the case when you break the barrel rather than poking the case out just enough to grab it, but a bit of practice makes a reload in reasonable, but not great, time. In all, I like it.
 
Well it's far from being economical , but I'd go with a Blaser K-95 in 6.5x57R with possibly a second barrel in 6.5x65R RWS .
 
Favourite by far is the K95 but I also have a handi rifle that I have rechambered from .22hornet to .222
planning on getting the barrel re-profiled as in my opinion the bulk of the Ruger and H&R rifles are massively overweight
 
The Ruger Number 1 is, IMO, the perfect single shot rifle but not terribly economical, at least as far as my wallet is concerned.
 
Nice rifle. Can I ask, why does it have two triggers? Perhaps I've missed something. Thanks in advance.

I'm guessing that the front trigger will be pushed forward to "set" the second trigger. Or you could use it just as a standard trigger leaving the front one alone. I have seen this on a friends 222 a few years ago.
 
I'm guessing that the front trigger will be pushed forward to "set" the second trigger. Or you could use it just as a standard trigger leaving the front one alone. I have seen this on a friends 222 a few years ago.


Or from the shape of them the rear one sets the front one for the lightest of touches, although it can also be used as a standard weight unit - same arrangement as I have on a Steyr-Mannlicher Model L.

Didn't realise that the Ruger Number 1 came in a break barrel variant!

That Franz Sodier looks a nice rifle, although the chambering wouldn't be to my liking.

The steel actioned Heym 44B in 7x57 gets my vote (coz I've got one :D).

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Nice rifle. Can I ask, why does it have two triggers? Perhaps I've missed something. Thanks in advance.

Its a double set trigger - the front trigger fires the rifle. Normal pull will be c4lb I would guess. Squeeze the rear trigger and it sets the front trigger - then you have a very light pull on the front trigger. I think its an easier system to use than a push forward trigger which i have on two of my rifles. but to be honest I just use the normal trigger.
 
Its a double set trigger - the front trigger fires the rifle. Normal pull will be c4lb I would guess. Squeeze the rear trigger and it sets the front trigger - then you have a very light pull on the front trigger. I think its an easier system to use than a push forward trigger which i have on two of my rifles. but to be honest I just use the normal trigger.

Thanks. I have the push forward set on the Sauer trigger but never use it. You only have to breath on it and it goes!!
 
Doesn't easily drop into the affordable slot, but the K95 is certainly at or near the top of the best of single shot break action rifles.
Had mine since 2003 and will never part with it.
 
I have been looking around and the Blaser K95 is the one I would love to own. However its way to much cash for me. Next I really like the Haenel Jeager 9 but I don't know the cost. Now getting to the bottom end and I do like the Rossi . Does anyone know the UK agent for Rossi.
Thanks for the input guys.
Tusker
 
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