I'm rethinking my choice of rifles and I am trying to weigh the pros and cons of different setups. I currently have a 1712 in a Pharr stock. It shoots fairly well, but I am thinking of trading it in for a single shot of some type. The biggest issue is my hold. I support the rifle on my left fist in front of the trigger guard. With this type hold, the mag digs into my knuckles. It is fine for a the short amount of time I'm holding the rifle for a match, but I feel like it would be much more stable with a flat area in front of the trigger guard.

With that said, what do you guys and gals have to say about Single Shots vs Mag fed rifles. Technical information about the accuracy differences would be helpful as well as opinions on what works best for you.

I shoot with a 1712 but if I could I would shoot it as a single shot. It allows me to keep track of which animal I am on by simply looking at how many cartridges I have left in my box.

Hope you have a sense of humor but.... Talking about the accuracy difference between any two rifles you are shooting offhand is , to me, kind of a stretch.....

I personally much prefer a single shot - but the Good repeaters shoot PLENTY accurately to win any match.

I think it's completely personal preference. My hold makes a single shot more comfortable. I shoot everything single shot and loading is part of my pre-shot routine (although not a necessary part, just what's comfortable for me).

All of my silhouette rifles are single shot. My smallbore rifle is a single shot "frankenhunter" with a match chamber and it's pretty incredible what it can do with SK+ and Laupa Center-X and Midas. (Shout out to Evelio for building a great rifle!)

DavidABQ wrote:I shoot with a 1712 but if I could I would shoot it as a single shot.

FYI, with the new rule change, I believe you can now legally shoot your 1712 as a single shot in hunter! Good rule change. There is no reason to require loading from the magazine.

Dustin

Yes I know that once you stand on your two feet and shoot offhand, the difference in accuracy is not going to be noticeable. HOWEVER, I am a firm believer that you should always start with the most accurate rifle possible so you know the hit or miss was because of the shooter and not the rifle.

What I'm really wondering is, given that both types of rifles have the same barrel, would it really be worth the extra cost to "upgrade" to a single shot action? I know some prefer the better 5018 trigger but I haven't spent enough time with one to see a difference between it and the 1712s trigger. Is the single shot action really that much stiffer to make a difference? Does feeding from a mag really deform the bullet enough to hurt accuracy? I'm hoping someone like Evelio can answer these questions. This is mostly just questions I have for my own curiosity.

I have a Phar and a Woster stock. Both are deep enough that the mags do not stick out below the stock. I don't understand that problem.

The 1700 actions are strong enough that they do not flex when you shoot them. It is a 'non' problem in my opinion. A slight shift in your hold between shots could throw your group off.

After shooting a 1710 repeater for over 20 years I built a new single shot for 2016. I started with a ""Stiller" 2500X action, then installed a "Lilja" 16 twist tight bore barrel chambered with my 52D match reamer, the contour is RF53. The trigger is a "Jewell" with inside the guard safety leaver. Steve Wooster made me a light weight stock and painted it Metallic Tungsten (to match my truck). With the barrel 26" long and a "Leupold" VX-3 6.5-20X40 in "Weaver" rings it weighs exactly 8.5 pounds. I plan to cut the barrel back to 24" to adjust balance and give a little leeway for rouge scales.
Pete

I've had a Fortner action, 1712, 54 Frankenhunter and have settled on a single shot custom action. I like the single shot because it forces me to repeat my shot process and not rush shots, same as Dustin said.

Ghostofwar
Yes a single shot action is more stiffer than a mag. feed action, feeding from the mag. will also deformed the bullet somewhat.
As far as accuracy is concerned, you won't see any serious benchrest competitor using a repeater action, and the round is always guided into the chamber with your finger. Remember they are trying to hit a 1/6" dot every time.
As far as silhouette offhand shooting goes, the amount of accuracy lost between the two types of actions is irrelevant, many 40's in a row have been shot with repeater rifles fed from a magazine.
As far as the 5018 trigger, yes it is a fantastic trigger, but once is modified to a two stage, and set at 2 lbs. for hunter class, is no different than the trigger on the 1712.
If you are a master class shooter, a very accurate custom barrel will give you more of an edge than the type of action used.
Evelio.

Thanks Evelio, Thats the kind of info I wanted to know. However, now I don't have a reason to buy a new rifle.

Well, actually, I may still want to change over to a single shot just so I don't have to put up with the mags affecting my hold.

Anyone wanna swap rifles?

Ghostofwar
I think you are really looking for excuses to buy a new rifle !!!!!!!
A cheaper solution to your problem is to buy a single shot adapter, and replace the existing trigger guard with a blank guard ( no slot for a mag. ) same contour as what you already have, but solid all the way. I use this guard for single shot 54 actions, and yes they have an extra hole to fit either a 1712 or a 54.18 action.
Evelio.

dustinflint wrote:I personally much prefer a single shot - but the Good repeaters shoot PLENTY accurately to win any match.

I think it's completely personal preference. My hold makes a single shot more comfortable. I shoot everything single shot and loading is part of my pre-shot routine (although not a necessary part, just what's comfortable for me).

All of my silhouette rifles are single shot. My smallbore rifle is a single shot "frankenhunter" with a match chamber and it's pretty incredible what it can do with SK+ and Laupa Center-X and Midas. (Shout out to Evelio for building a great rifle!)

DavidABQ wrote:I shoot with a 1712 but if I could I would shoot it as a single shot.

FYI, with the new rule change, I believe you can now legally shoot your 1712 as a single shot in hunter! Good rule change. There is no reason to require loading from the magazine.

Dustin

Dustin, where can I find that rule change? Were there other changes made? Is there an updated rule book somewhere I guess is what I'm asking.

OldRanger wrote:Dustin, where can I find that rule change? Were there other changes made? Is there an updated rule book somewhere I guess is what I'm asking.

I heard about the rule change through the grapevine and I'm not sure what other changes were made. The most up-to-date rulebook I could find on the internet is from 2014. If you want an updated rulebook I guess the best way to get one is to call the NRA or Greg and ask if the new ones have been printed and to send you one.

Dustin

Exciting rule change for sure. Guess I'll be looking for a single shot adapter for my 541 that's flush with the bottom of the stock.

I believe the information was contained in the package sent to match directors along with scorebooks and misc. NRA stuff. However, I am not sure if it is actually a rule change or not, as the two items concerning magazines and/or loading from the magazine are listed as "Requested Rule Changes". Other items are listed as "Rule changes to be entered into the silhouette rulebook" or something like that. Take a look and you decide.

Rule Changes