Michigan lifts firearm deer restrictions....a little.

[Charlie U.]

I just got my tags for this fall. I live in the lower Michigan zone that was formerly shotgun/handgun only....No rifles.

For 2014 they have modified the rifle restriction and are now calling it the "Limited Firearm Deer Zone". Rifles are Ok in this zone, but only if they are:

• 35cal. or larger
• straight wall cartridges with a minimum case length of 1.16" and maximum case length of 1.80"
• air rifles of 35cal or larger using external high-compression sources.

Basically that means we can now use rifles, but only those that use pistol cartridges (.357mag up to 460 S&W)

I would love to lay my hands on a rifle in 460 S&W to take advantage of this restriction change, but they are not exactly common. Wish Marlin would re-introduce the XLR lever gun in 460 S&W. That would be perfect.

Any suggestions of rifles in this caliber that are not single shots? Is there such a thing as a factory bolt action or auto rifle in 460 S&W?

[Djones]

Edit: I missed the straight wall part. Sorry about that. Disregard the shortened 35 Remington below.

Here is a "factory" 460 S&W lever gun. Pretty salty.

http://www.bighornarmory.com/catalog...e-460-sandw-5/

Sounds the same as Indiana's current laws. I use a 35 Remington with brass shortened to 1.790".

[Djones]

Here is my alternative to a 460 S&W.

It is a 45-70 shortened to 1.79".

[Charlie U.]

....... a 45-70 shortened to 1.79".

A brilliantly simple solution. I like it.
How do they perform as far as accuracy compared to the full length cases?

[garandsrus]

I may try the same thing with a 38-55 case.

[Charlie U.]

I was kinda thinking it could work with the 444marlin as well.

[saidnuff]

I was kinda thinking it could work with the 444marlin as well.

My nephew had a ruger in 44 mag that with a 240 gr keith over 21 gr 2400 should work great if Ruger still makes them.

[Djones]

A brilliantly simple solution. I like it.
How do they perform as far as accuracy compared to the full length cases?

I performed the load development a couple of years ago. This is a accurate 460-400L over 30.0 grains of H4198. Velocity is around 1250 FPS out of my 1895 cowboy. More speed can be had but I can put five of these into a 6" circle offhand at 100 yards.

[leftiye]

I was kinda thinking it could work with the 444marlin as well.

.445 Supermag.

[Matt_G]

Me personally, I would just use my Marlin in 44 Mag and probably just use 44 Specials in it.
Specifically Skeeters load of a 250 gr. Keith on top of 7.5 grs. of Unique.
Whitetails don't take a lot of killing...

[chuckbuster]

I'm just going to use my Marlin 1894 Cowboy in .41 Mag and call it good. I am in Jackson County, some of the biggest deer in the state but still ain't seen any that were bullet proof.

[fireball168]

I've sold one 450 Bushmaster Savage barrel to a Michigan customer this year, keep getting lots of inquiries them and the 50 Beowulf barrels - both fit into the requirements nicely.

In a bolt rifle instead of an AR-15, there isn't much if anything the 460 S&W has on the 450 Bushmaster.

[CastingFool]

I wonder if cutting down a 45-70 case to 1.79" as Djones suggested would be considered legal in MI.

[chuckbuster]

I wonder if cutting down a 45-70 case to 1.79" as Djones suggested would be considered legal in MI.

>.35 cal, Straight wall and under max case length so no reason it would not be.

Actually a .45-70 is legal in a Handgun since the Handgun rule does not limit the case length to the 1.8"

Copied straight from the current Mi. Regs
...

• A conventional (smokeless powder) handgun must be .35 caliber or larger andloaded with straight-walled cartridges and may be single- or multiple-shot butcannot exceed a maximum capacity of nine rounds in the barrel andmagazine combined.
  
  
  

Kevin

[clintsfolly]

Going to use my 450marlinx1.8 In a Savage 110 LH. The plan at this time is to use a 500gr cast bullet to be able to seat the bullet into the throat. Clint

[runfiverun]

I may try the same thing with a 38-55 case.

use the 375 win case and it's called the 375 super mag or the 375 u.s.a. mag on the die set, the dies are spendy though.
I believe missionary 5155 has built a marlin in 414 super, and the 375 super cases will feed through the 375 marlin like butter [you'd need a shortened chamber though as they feed great but don't shoot well]
I'd imagine a 30-30 could be swapped over easy enough with just a barrel change I'm not familiar with the marlins internals to say yes or no though.

the rossi's in 454 casull and 480 ruger would be more than enough gun for this type of hunting and both are cast friendly.
there isn't a deer walking the earth that is gonna shrug off either round at nominal [pedestrian] velocity's with nominal boolit weights.
in fact I'd back both of them down and soften the alloy some, I use both a 45 colt [452664], and a 44 mag [429667] now and out to 100 yds deer are down in 20 steps or less.
no need to go all starry eyed over shooting a deer with some super creation when 9.5 grs of unique under a regular cast boolit will do what you need without a bunch of drama and gyrations.
sometimes I get super fancy and use a 429241 over 19.3 grs of 2400 in the 44, or put that much 2400 under the 454424 in the colt and crimp over the front drive band, somehow it makes me feel like I done better or tried harder or something, and the deer are just as dead.

[DougGuy]

Jeez are the deer there born with body armor? Henry Big Boy or any other rifle in .45 Colt with this boolit over 22.5gr H110 will take out any deer up there PLUS the tree he is hiding behind!

[Djones]

Jeez are the deer there born with body armor? Henry Big Boy or any other rifle in .45 Colt with this boolit over 22.5gr H110 will take out any deer up there PLUS the tree he is hiding behind!

No body armor on our deer just funny regulations!

i happened to have a 45-70 for target shooting down at friendship indiana. I wanted to use my own cast bullets for hunting here in indiana. I didn't have money to buy another rifle, so the 45-70 Libertarian was born.

Your Colt loads would work perfect here. They look good.

[JimA]

Jeez are the deer there born with body armor? Henry Big Boy or any other rifle in .45 Colt with this boolit over 22.5gr H110 will take out any deer up there PLUS the tree he is hiding behind!

That looks suspiciously like the very load I'm going to be using... Will try to test it out on meat next Saturday in the early antlerless season. We have too many trees anyway.

[Charlie U.]

I'm just going to use my Marlin 1894 Cowboy in .41 Mag and call it good. I am in Jackson County, some of the biggest deer in the state but still ain't seen any that were bullet proof.

My interest in the 460S&W has nothing to do with some misconception of whitetail toughness.

The rule changes that allow us the limited use of rifles has the potential for something that will have a flatter trajectory and greater range than shotguns. Sure, I could use a lever gun like your Marlin in .357, .41mag, and 44mag. However, those calibers don't offer me any greater reach than my 12guage slug gun using sabots.

If you are happy with the .41mag then God bless you, enjoy the hunt. I am interested in finding the flattest shooting caliber possible within the goofy limitations they have imposed on us. That's why I opened the thread asking about the 460S&W....it's the most rifle-like pistol caliber I know of.

Sorry, I should have explained that in my opening post.