Interesting thought, but it never crossed my mind. I hunt with fixed ammo, but I see no reason a guy couldn't breech seat before he started his hunt, and then simply shoot the gun at the end of the day if he didn't see game?
Of course you'd have to make sure the first shot counted! But that's a good idea anyway.

Unless you're hunting prairie dogs at long range why bother? I doubt that the accuracy difference between breach seated and fixed means anything when hunting big game and shooting at reasonable distances.

JS

Well I was thinking having fixed as back up if needed.

I use a wad or filler sometimes which stops the powder spillage.
Extracting the case and replacement is not a hassle.
I have a piece  of copper tube Filled with lead that knocks out the bullet or the odd tight case when let free fall from the muzzle.

I don’t shoot dangerous game.
Maybe a pig.
Yes dancing around trying to breach seat a bullet while dodging slashing tusks might not be all that fun.....except for the onlookers.
I’m more of a sampler of tasty morsels than big game hunter.

Schuetzenmiester wrote on Jul 6^th, 2018 at 2:06am:


In my case, rationale was based on following:
1) Only once in decades of rifle hunting have I needed a second shot. And that was with a turnbolt, which can be easily BSed by removing bolt, so 2nd shot could be as quick as normal.
2) Breech seating is often touted as way to get higher velocities than can be obtained with fixed, while maintaining acceptable chamber pressures. This could be useful if hunting in areas where longer shots at game are likely or if heavier loads are required or more suited. 
3) Reloading with fixed will take no longer than normal, even with single shot rifle.

In practice, especially given that I have two hunting rifles, I take the one offering 200+M range, instead of 150M max, if longer shots are likely. However, longest hunting shot was only 150M max, most are 70-80M or less.

Schuetzenmiester wrote on Jul 6^th, 2018 at 3:51pm:


Maybe, maybe not. In either case, I never had to deal with that cause the group sizes favored fixed ammo quite decisively. 

In real world of my hunting, if target was a turkey, that could easily be a criteria favoring fixed ammo because of small target area of turkey, unless you are willing to ruin the breast meat. For deer or elk shot in heart/lungs, there is not demand for same level of precision. 

Perhaps more important, I have never had time for second shot on deer or elk because they nearly always ran away immediately after shot and collapsed shortly thereafter. SOP is to get off good shot and give shot critter time to fall and die (sometimes 5-10 min) after running less than 100M, sometimes less than 20M, and often no longer in sight. Kinda like using muzzle loader and smoke obscures what critter did.

marlinguy wrote on Jul 7^th, 2018 at 12:08pm:


After over 20 deer & elk, never had that happen. Never heard of it happening from outfitters or hunting buddies. Have shot sleeping foxes that hardly moved after single, instant killing shot.

Well I've only taken 3 elk, but one did the stand there routine, and then finally dropped. Taken over 50 mule deer and had a number of them stand there like they heard a shot, but didn't know what to do until they finally dropped.
Maybe I'm just lucky? Or maybe others are just unlucky? I've never had very many deer stumble off either after being hit? Maybe 3 or 4 that did so. Most just dropped stone dead at the first shot, or maybe kicked and rolled downhill into a draw. Always hated dropping a buck on a steep hillside and then after a clean kill have them kick a little and roll 100 yds. deeper into the draw they stood on!