Well, I only have one Contender, and it's the 14" 30-30.
However, hunting dagerous game with a single was done for many years, and the farqueharson single shot was a popular model in the appropriate cartridges.
I've long wanted to hunt Africa with my Ruger #1 rifles, and if I ever do hit the lottery that's what I'll tale. My .300 Win. mag. for plains game and my .416 Rigby for the Cape Buffalo. I don't think my PH will say me nay.
A single shot rifle like the Ruger #1 can be reloaded a lot quicker than most people think they can, and with practice, they're just as fast as the average hunter using a bolt action, and only fractionally slower than a more practiced bolt action shooter. They'll never be as fast as a serious rapid fire target shooter, but otherwise they are fast enough. I do find my Browning 78 in 30-06 to be a bit slower as the scope sits a lot lower than on the Ruger.
I do believe the Ruger or Browning being lever actuated would be faster to reload than a rifle based on the Contender, but that is conjecture on my part, never having shot a Contender in rifle configuration.
Anyway, you're supposed to make that first shot count.
Paul B.