Single Shot Rifle Calibers

[Long Cut]

I currently reload and own .223’s and 6.5 Creedmoors.

I’m looking into buying a CVA Scout single shot rifle and chopping the barrel down to 16-18” and putting a lightweight scope on it. This will be my “Run & Gun” deer rifle to hunt WMA’s and private land for Deer. I’m shooting for 7# total weight. Light, Compact and all around fun gun.

I’m stuck between .300 blackout, 45-70 or just going 6.5 Creedmoor being I own all the brass/bullets/primers/dies for it...

What’s your thoughts?

 

[Lilly001]

.300blk is more efficient with short barrels.
It is also a good suppressd cartridge.
But it is not near the power of the other two.

 

[Long Cut]

.300blk is more efficient with short barrels.
It is also a good suppressd cartridge.
But it is not near the power of the other two.

A suppressed .300 BO would be sweet but the cost/weight has me entertaining the 6.5 or 45-70

 

[FlipKing]

A suppressed .300 BO would be sweet but the cost/weight has me entertaining the 6.5 or 45-70

Could go .308 that short and a heavy bullet

 

[menhadenman]

A suppressed .300 BO would be sweet but the cost/weight has me entertaining the 6.5 or 45-70

I’ve got all three in maybe 5 or 6 rifles. Would say manbun if you may have longer shots but 45-70 for a true brush gun. I just got the scout single action and it’s sweet.

Lightweight, check out the T3x stainless in CM. Mine is about 7lbs scoped and a real shooter. Maybe 5 animals on it so far.

Here’s the 45-70.

 

[bullgator]

Do they make and would you be interested in a 30-30 or .35 Rem.?
They would both be more powerful than the 300 Blackout. Less recoil than the 45-70. The Creedmoor uses slower burning powders that may not get a chance to completely burn in the shorter barrel. That would lead to more muzzle flash and a fair amount of velocity loss.

 

[fishnguy]

Do they make and would you be interested in a 30-30 or .35 Rem.?
They would both be more powerful than the 300 Blackout. Less recoil than the 45-70. The Creedmoor uses slower burning powders that may not get a chance to completely burn in the shorter barrel. That would lead to more muzzle flash and a fair amount of velocity loss.

I've recently seen a Henry single shot in 30-30. Pretty nice!

 

[paulito]

I know not one of the calibers you mentioned but i got the boy a 7mm-08 scout and he and i both love the gun. Very small and compact and its very accurate and drops them in the spot.

 

[furtaker]

I'd choose the 45-70 out of those three.

A short, light rifle in that caliber will be brutal to shoot though if you're using fairly stout loads.

 

[Ruger#3]

I'd choose the 45-70 out of those three.

A short, light rifle in that caliber will be brutal to shoot though if you're using fairly stout loads.

^^^^^^
This, I shot a #3 in 45/70 for decades. As I’ve aged it was parked, nothing fun about shooting heavy loads from that gun. That action would take loads nearing .454 performance. I wasn’t foolish enough to try them.

 

[Nimrod71]

I would go with the 45-70. Since you reload you can make it work better than the other two choices. I don't think the 300 would be enough at long range and the CM is designed for longer barrels reducing reliability. I shot 45's and it is easy to load it for whatever conditions you need, from hunting rabbits to elephants.

 

[bullgator]

I've recently seen a Henry single shot in 30-30. Pretty nice!

Yep, and I think Uberti has one in .303 British although it may be a bit pricier.

 

[Dub]

.308 Win or maybe .45/70.

I'm partial to......both.

 

[Dustin Pate]

I know not one of the calibers you mentioned but i got the boy a 7mm-08 scout and he and i both love the gun. Very small and compact and its very accurate and drops them in the spot.

I echo this 100% (unless you want a 350 Legend). I bought a Scout in 7mm-08 just for run and gun WMA hunting about 8 years ago. It isn't fancy, but I needed something small and functional and it does that absolutely perfect.

 

[rmp]

I currently reload and own .223’s and 6.5 Creedmoors.

I’m looking into buying a CVA Scout single shot rifle and chopping the barrel down to 16-18” and putting a lightweight scope on it. This will be my “Run & Gun” deer rifle to hunt WMA’s and private land for Deer. I’m shooting for 7# total weight. Light, Compact and all around fun gun.

I’m stuck between .300 blackout, 45-70 or just going 6.5 Creedmoor being I own all the brass/bullets/primers/dies for it...

What’s your thoughts?

This isn't exactly gospel, but Quickload and Gordons do a great job at predictions for velocity, pressure, and the like.

I'd not be spooked from going with the Creedmoor if that's what you'd like to shoot. Running the numbers in Quickload with a 143 ELD-X and a 16" barrel, several top powders have 100% burn or very near when pushing to SAAMI max. H4350 which is probably the most commonly used powder shows a 96.9% burn. You won't get 100% burn of H4350 even with a 22" barrel.

If you really want to see a powder waster, go with a mildly loaded 45-70. I've taken part in some experiments with 350 grn Hornady, 429 grn cast, and a couple others using Trap Door data to near Marlin 1895 max. I've quite a collection of straight walled cartridges and love them dearly, but LOTS more unburnt propellant being discharged from the muzzle than many folks realize. If that's even factor worth considering for you.

If you'd like me to run some numbers for you (velocity loss on a short barrel, % burn, general data) I'd be more than happy.

In the end, remember that deer aren't hard to kill. Any cartridge you mentioned will do the job.

 

[Long Cut]

This isn't exactly gospel, but Quickload and Gordons do a great job at predictions for velocity, pressure, and the like.

I'd not be spooked from going with the Creedmoor if that's what you'd like to shoot. Running the numbers in Quickload with a 143 ELD-X and a 16" barrel, several top powders have 100% burn or very near when pushing to SAAMI max. H4350 which is probably the most commonly used powder shows a 96.9% burn. You won't get 100% burn of H4350 even with a 22" barrel.

If you really want to see a powder waster, go with a mildly loaded 45-70. I've taken part in some experiments with 350 grn Hornady, 429 grn cast, and a couple others using Trap Door data to near Marlin 1895 max. I've quite a collection of straight walled cartridges and love them dearly, but LOTS more unburnt propellant being discharged from the muzzle than many folks realize. If that's even factor worth considering for you.

If you'd like me to run some numbers for you (velocity loss on a short barrel, % burn, general data) I'd be more than happy.

In the end, remember that deer aren't hard to kill. Any cartridge you mentioned will do the job.

I wasn’t aware such software existed.

I currently use Vit N555 through Lapua SRP brass pushing either Nosler 140g BT’s or Hornady 120 TTSX’s.

If you don’t mind running the N555 through your software to see how it fares, I’d greatly appreciate it.

I’m also in agreeance, a 45-70 in a lightweight rifle seems like a poor decision.

 

[rmp]

I’ll get data to you via PM.

My 45-70 is an 1895G ported from the factory. I replaced the “brick” with a grind to fit pachmayr, swapped in a Wild West trigger, and XS sights. Handy package! It’s a pleasure to shoot offhand at steel. Not so much from the bench.

 

[Bobby Bigtime]

The 450 bushmaster is available in some of the more affordable single shots. I have a couple of them in other configurations and have tipped over an elk and a few whitetail bucks. Would be a great single shot choice.

 

[ssramage]

I like my short .300BLK and it works. 16.5" and threaded from the factory.

 

[Nimrod71]

45-70 alive and working for over 100 years, it must me good.