Straight wall whitetail options

[Slaton]

I’m mostly a bow hunter and have hunted illinois for the last 20 years. This year I’m thinking about getting a gun tag and hanging around for the first gun season. It is a shotgun season but in recent years straight wall single shot are are legal. So I’m looking for options. I already own a TC encore .50 muzzleloader, 300 blackout, a 400 legend which are legal options. But not opposed to buying a new barrel for the encore or a new single shot rifle. Wanting to pick y’all’s brains on what to do and straight wall calibers I might not be familiar with. The 45-70 had my interest but what say you?

 

[skydiver386]

Some are happy with the 350 Legend, but I have several friends here in Ohio that think it's underpowered.

Some have made much longer killing shots, but in my opinion the straight walled cartridges are best kept to 150 yards max. Most failures can be traced back to shooting deer at 200 yards or more.

I'd use the 400 Legend, and keep shots to a reasonable distance.

 

[JimP]

The 45-70 would be a very nice addition for a single shot and is more than capable.

 

[HankBuck]

I’m mostly a bow hunter and have hunted illinois for the last 20 years. This year I’m thinking about getting a gun tag and hanging around for the first gun season. It is a shotgun season but in recent years straight wall single shot are are legal. So I’m looking for options. I already own a TC encore .50 muzzleloader, 300 blackout, a 400 legend which are legal options. But not opposed to buying a new barrel for the encore or a new single shot rifle. Wanting to pick y’all’s brains on what to do and straight wall calibers I might not be familiar with. The 45-70 had my interest but what say you?

@Slaton - I hunt whitetails in the Northeast and switched from my Remington 760 pump 30-06 to a Marlin 1895 lever in .45-70 for the past 6 years because where I Hunt NOW all shots are 125 yrds or closer. Of course it certainly kills no better then the ‘06 but I do like “Big hole” it makes. If I could only use a ‘straight walled’ cartridge the .45-70 would be my choice: Power to spare if using Buffalo Bore Ammo or even the softer Hornedy LeverEvolution, almost always exits for easy blood trail (many DRT) and good out to 150 - 200 yrds when properly sighted in.

 

[RR 314]

.700 AHR works. As does .550 magnum.

 

[549]

I believe Indiana limits the case length to 1.8". If so, a .45-70 is not legal as the case length exceeds that. If you're hunting on private land, I believe you can use whatever you want. The straight wall requirements only apply to public land.

Here in OH, the straight wall restrictions apply to private land also. However, .45-70 is legal. As is .458 WM & Lott, .50-70, .50-90 & .50-110. .450 & 500 NE would also be legal.

I can't use my .30-30, but I'd be gtg with a .500 NE. Who comes up with this stuff?

 

[Slaton]

I believe Indiana limits the case length to 1.8". If so, a .45-70 is not legal as the case length exceeds that. If you're hunting on private land, I believe you can use whatever you want. The straight wall requirements only apply to public land.

Here in OH, the straight wall restrictions apply to private land also. However, .45-70 is legal. As is .458 WM & Lott, .50-70, .50-90 & .50-110. .450 & 500 NE would also be legal.

I can't use my .30-30, but I'd be gtg with a .500 NE. Who comes up with this stuff?

Here is a list of the legal cartridges in Illinois. The .500NE would make the woods rattle. Most laws when it surrounds guns don’t make since.

 

[549]

Reading is fundamental.

I thought you were in Indiana.

 

[19_A_CPT]

450 Bushmaster is a favorite of mine on the AR platform.

You could always take out a 458WM

 

[Flbt]

I’m mostly a bow hunter and have hunted illinois for the last 20 years. This year I’m thinking about getting a gun tag and hanging around for the first gun season. It is a shotgun season but in recent years straight wall single shot are are legal. So I’m looking for options. I already own a TC encore .50 muzzleloader, 300 blackout, a 400 legend which are legal options. But not opposed to buying a new barrel for the encore or a new single shot rifle. Wanting to pick y’all’s brains on what to do and straight wall calibers I might not be familiar with. The 45-70 had my interest but what say you?

I have used the 45-70 and love it
The 444
44 mag and 45 colt and 41 mag
The 357 maximum and mag will work
The 450 bushmaster
I don’t know any first hand with the 400L
Yet
Now the 350L
We got them for my nephews when the cartridge first came out it was recommended to me for light recoil for them.
They loved them starting shooting them at age 6 the oldest one got a deer that first year
His brother got one 3 years later at 7
I had a serious problem with my shoulder and needed a low recoil hog rifle so I got one.
I am not impressed with the Winchester whitetail ammo with the I think 150gr bt bullets
No blood trail none. The boys deer dropped in eye sight but there was no exit wound and no blood.
The deer I shot with that load was a 8 pt and about 125lbs
Took the shot at 80 yds on the point of the shoulder. He ran about 90 yds to the edge of a swamp.
We got a tracking dog after him
Found him. But again no blood trail. It did a good job and it’s chest cavity was full of blood it bled a lot internal.
I did not like that especially since I was going to use it on hogs.
I got some hornday 170gr interlock ammo.

That load turned it into a different cartridge through and through both shoulder on deer
Living a good blood trail for the short distance they have went.
It’s very accurate.
Low recoil if that matters.
Honestly it looks like it does about the same damage as a 30-30 with 170gr corlocks
Or silver tips and the 170 30-30 been taking deer for a very long time.

With a good bullets I like the 350L a lot for deer and hogs. Inside 200 max to preferably 150yds and in its grate.

I am thinking of having a ar handgun made in it.
It would be a handy and powerful truck gun for serious use.

 

[Flbt]

@Slaton - I hunt whitetails in the Northeast and switched from my Remington 760 pump 30-06 to a Marlin 1895 lever in .45-70 for the past 6 years because where I Hunt NOW all shots are 125 yrds or closer. Of course it certainly kills no better then the ‘06 but I do like “Big hole” it makes. If I could only use a ‘straight walled’ cartridge the .45-70 would be my choice: Power to spare if using Buffalo Bore Ammo or even the softer Hornedy LeverEvolution, almost always exits for easy blood trail (many DRT) and good out to 150 - 200 yrds when properly sighted in.

I don’t know
Form my experience with the 45-70 it kills better than the 30-06.
I really have had only one deer run after being hit with the 45-70.
And it was my mistake not the cartridge
The deer was moving down a looging rd I shot but I did not see the sapling I center punched the sapling. The bullet went through and right into the deer . It was a Winchester 300gr hp
It was all ready expanding when it hit the deer the entrance wound looked a bit over 50 cal the exit looked close to 80 cal. There was a blood trail about 5 in wide about 20 ft long right to the deer
And that was the longest recovery I have ever had with the 45-70 on deer

 

[Trogon]

The same stupid law on usable cartridges was passed in Ohio, chatted with a wildlife officer about these offerings allowed. Of course they would be considered sub 200 yard cartridges good for southern and eastern Ohio which are more heavily wooded, not so much in the western part. Indiana is most perplexing with private vs public land cartridges, I am not familiar with Illinois, but you have to wonder at the viability of 9mm Parabellum.
My vote would be .45-70, had a Marlin 1895 lever gun but sold it to a good hunting bud last year (who lives in Indiana) but replaced it with a beautiful Ruger No. 1. Killed whitetails in Kentucky, feral hogs in Alabama and Texas and a meat bison with the Marlin. Cool factor is way up there.

 

[odonata]

The two straight-wall options I favor are my Browning 1885 in 44 Magnum & my Winchester 1885 Traditional Hunter in 405 Win. They're versatile because I can use them in Arkansas' straight-wall season & also in the Mississippi & Louisiana's primitive seasons because they meet the caliber size & the exposed hammer requirement. I like a rimmed cartridge in a single-shot falling-block. The most recent cartridge that intrigues me is the 360 Buckhammer. Straight-walling a proven deer-killer like the 30-30 to hold a .358 bullet seems like a pretty good design idea.

 

[HankBuck]

I believe Indiana limits the case length to 1.8". If so, a .45-70 is not legal as the case length exceeds that. If you're hunting on private land, I believe you can use whatever you want. The straight wall requirements only apply to public land.

Here in OH, the straight wall restrictions apply to private land also. However, .45-70 is legal. As is .458 WM & Lott, .50-70, .50-90 & .50-110. .450 & 500 NE would also be legal.

I can't use my .30-30, but I'd be gtg with a .500 NE. Who comes up with this stuff?

@549 - WOW, I thought New Jersey had the most complicated hunting laws and seasons — Indiana seems to be looking for an “I Gottcha” to ticket Hunters…AND there appears to be NO LOGIC in their cartridge restrictions?? Just Hire a Lawyer to go with you to help select your straight-walled-cartridge and keep him on retainer for when you get arrested

 

[Fatback]

Not sure about other states but in Iowa a 35 Whelen is also legal. I found that out earlier this year when I was looking into a possible hunt in Iowa.

 

[Hunting Hitman]

I have used the 450 Bushmaster on various occasions hunting Whitetails. Hits hard and none of the deer went more than 30 yards if not drop dead at the spot. Also a great pig caliber.

HH

 

[Bandera]

The 45-70 is certainly a proven cartridge. Later this year I plan starting to messing around with some of the cutting edge bullets 458”s. The nice thing about a single shot is that you are limited by the bullet profile like a lever action is.
One of the issues with the 45-70 is the barrel twist. Manufactures set up the twist in an express caliber fashion, they set it up to shoot light bullets.
Marlin 1895 45-70 1:20 twist
Ruger No.1 45-70 1:20 twist.
Pedersoli High Wall 45-70 1:18 twist.
Another option is the 458 Win Mag. If you hand load, load down to 45-70 levels.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I use a 45-70, in a TC encore, in Illinois. It works nicely, although the 300 grain Hornady hollow point was to destructive for me. This year I will buy a mold and cast some lead bullets.

 

[Joker12]

Michigan also limits the case length to 1..8 inches which takes the 45/70 off the table.

 

[HWL]

Would the old German 9,3x72R be legal?
It' a fantastic deer cartridge!!!

HWL