Does anyone have experience with the Ruger no 1 or Thompson single shots?

I just can't justify anything that costs more than $1.50 a round. I don't reload but just am a fan of 12ga, that is so much more versatile from #8 shot the 00 to 1 1/4" slugs that are almost up to .45-70 but leave bigger entry and exit holes at $1.10 each

>He has a point when it comes to ammo prices
That's fair. I handload so that doesn't really affect me.

Fair enough. I misunderstood you and thought you were arguing that the 45-70's recoil would be so bad you'd never want to shoot it again.

I love shottys too, 100% agreed about the flexibility of a 12ga being far superior. About the only thing a .45-70 would be better at would be long shots, but that's not exactly the 45-70's strong suit anyway.

Uses the most basic bitch Mav 88,me and a friend were clanking a 6" plate at 80 yards. Savage makes a bolt action 12ga they claim is 1Moa @ 100y. so I'm just super impressed with what 12ga can do these days.

Exactly. That's where it becomes why not go .308 or .300wm or .338 or 6.5, etc etc.

I'm just frugal. The less financial pain to shoot, the more often I go out and the most I enjoy it. That said, 90% of my shooting is .22lr from a single action out to 80yards.

I’m not into the 12g for versatility, I’d want a dedicated slug gun with irons, At that point though why not just get a 336?

The falling block actions of the Ruger No. 1 is the strongest firearm action ever developed. It will take a LOT more than an encore. But if you're not pushing the limits on loads, does that have value to you? Like if you're feeding it a steady diet of buffalo bore, Ruger. If not, and cost is a concern, TC.

I didn’t even really consider durability. I just assumed both would be about equal.

What kinds of issues might one of them face?

>I’d want a dedicated slug gun with irons, At that point though why not just get a 336?

There's a big fucking difference between a 12ga slug gun and a 30-30 levergat. How big is the game you want to hunt?

You won't face issues, per se. They're both plenty strong. You'll just be able to load up some fuck ridiculous shit with the no. 1. Eventually, the TC might get a bit worn on lock up, with a STEADY diet of buffalo bore. I've only seen it happen once with a fudd uncle who I'm convinced hated his shoulder.

I’m just after black bear and deer

>I didn’t even really consider durability
You shouldn't. The other guy is right that technically the stronger action, but both are crazy insane overbuilt. As I posted above, I owned an encore in .450 nitro express (a full on dangerous game safari cartridge) and it had zero problems with reliability. There are plenty of other big-bore magnum conversions people do on them, reliability is a total non issue. SSK built mine in .450 nitro, go look at what other stuff they have done if you have any doubts as to the reliability of the Encore.

This is what I was trying to say, on the durability. They're both fine, for sure. From an engineering standpoint one is stronger. It's not really a practical difference, unless you're feeding it insane loads constantly.

Does the strength apply to the Thompson pistols as well? I’m sort of considering one as a hunting option, but I’m not a good pistol shot as it is so I’d need a ton of trigger time to get decent.

Yup. They're not different, other than a buttstock vs pistol grip. So they're still super strong. There will be minor differences in tolerances for the caliber you're using, but they're all well built.

>Does the strength apply to the Thompson pistols as well?
Yes. the action is identical between the pistols and rifles. The only differences are the barrel length and if it is fitted with a pistol grip or a rifle stock. Look at a pic of the Thompson rifles and you will see that the stocks aren't shaped like a normal rifle stock, they fit onto the action just like a pistol grip does.

The pistols are highly accurate and are very popular for hunting and silhouette shooting for that reason.

Something some anons are glossing over (probably because it seems obvious if you already know) is that the Thompson-Center break actions come in two frame sizes, both of which can be fitted as rifles or pistols.

The smaller frame (Contender and all its variations) has rimfire and centerfire firing pins, and a unique set-trigger with a striker in it. It is relatively weak; while you can blow out primer pockets in something like .223 or .357 (and derived cartridges) without hurting the gun, it's been quite common for reckless reloaders to stretch frames with large case heads like .45-70, and normal rifle cartridges like .308 are out of the question.

The large frame (Encore, Pro Hunter) is newer, bigger, and much stronger; if you want to shoot Marlin-level .45-70 loads, that's the one to get, and it's the one everyone is talking about here. However, it does lack the switchable firing pin (if you really want a rimfire barrel for an Encore, there are places that will make one with the bore offset to line up with the centerfire pin), and has a worse trigger pull thanks to a much more conventional trigger. So if you're content with .44 Mag, SAAMI-level .45-70, and the like, you might prefer the Contender.