straight wall cartridge for deer hunt

[LUCKYDAWG13]

This is not quite true, 300 BLK and 30 Bellm are legal pistol cartridges and have used both to harvest deer here is So. Ill.

Yes true OP was just asking about straight wall cartridge why I left that out

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Michigan is still straight walled cases at least 35 cal. and case no more than 1.8" long in restricted deer hunting zones.
I am quite sure the CO's would not be amused to find you hunting with a 35 Rem for deer. You would be free to use it for ground hogs and predators though.
I never said our game laws made any sense.

Within those size limitations, apart from having an out of work .35 barrel blank, there is a lot going for the .445 Super Magnum, which is basically a .44 Magnum given the same treatment as the .357 Maximum, at 1.61in. case length. I don't know about local or even any availability of the cases, but I am sure they could be made from .303, and both that and the bullets are freely available.

Dies are probably special order items, but unlikely to be as expensive or as slow as made to measure ones. The reamer would be, but I would be inclined to try a 29/64 engineering reamer, drilled with a carbide drill to insert a pilot. That should measure .453125, and the stated base diameter for .303 is 455, but much brass is slightly smaller. I think you could produce the necessary diameter and a very slight taper by lapping, or abrasive paper on a wooden mandrel.

You could even lengthen it close to the 1.8in. and reload with the .445 dies. In fact I believe you could go through a few cycles, enough to assess what you'd got, with .44 Magnum dies.

[Hamish]

Yes true OP was just asking about straight wall cartridge why I left that out

Very true sir. I have a hard time not mentioning the Bellm when the subject comes up for any Illinoisans that may not know about it.

I've got a factory T/C Contender bbl in Max that I've been meaning to ream out 9x45 after reading about Moleman's exploits,,,,,.

[nekshot]

Very true sir. I have a hard time not mentioning the Bellm when the subject comes up for any Illinoisans that may not know about it.

I've got a factory T/C Contender bbl in Max that I've been meaning to ream out 9x45 after reading about Moleman's exploits,,,,,.

I would prefer a 357max but I was under the assumption there was a case length which excluded the 357 maxi. The gun is a carcano that I bubbasized beyond reality but it sure is a nice and lite gun. 6 pounds empty!

[Moleman-]

In Michigan a straight walled cartridge case has to be between 1.16" and 1.8" and a minimum of .350" for the limited zone. There is no COL limitation.
I'm working on a barrel for a 336 Marlin right now that will primarily be used as a 357Max but it also feeds 38 special and 357Mag. My mill bearings took a dump last night which is holding me up until they're replaced.

[Hamish]

nekshot,

Any straight wall cartridge length for Illinois.

Keep us in the loop please!

[LUCKYDAWG13]

nekshot,

Any straight wall cartridge length for Illinois.

Keep us in the loop please!

yep we can hunt with a 45/70 in a pistol if we want If we could use a rifle with a straight wall cartridge I would have MGM make
me a 460 barrel for my Encore so fast it would make your head spin but for now i just use my 13" Encore in 454

[Thin Man]

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is right now considering an amendment to their current muzzle loading season rifle regulations. At this time only muzzle loading rifles are permitted. The proposal they are going to consider is whether to add straight wall cartridges in dedicated single-shot only rifles to the approved list. It seems there was a minimum caliber diameter, but that detail has escaped me. I suspect that this proposal came about because the deer harvest has been lower for the past 2 years than the State wanted it to be. These numbers dropped when the state amended their definitions of a buck v. doe. The older standard stated that if the animal had any antler longer then 3 inches it was a buck, but if there no antler longer than 3 inches the animal scored as "antlerless" and did not count against the hunter's maximum harvest for bucks. Two years ago the State declared that if any antler was visible above the hair line of the head, that animal scored as a buck. Now, two years out, the State has found that many hunters were not taking (or declaring) short-antlered deer in their harvest. The antler ruling is up for discussion to return the older 3-inch rule so hunters will take more deer. Now with 2 rule change proposals on the table, hunters are looking forward to relaxed hunting opportunities. My personal take on these proposals is that I want to be ready if / when they are enacted. I have a single shot H&R 30-30 (Topper model 158) and have sent the barrel to JES for reboring to 38-55. I already have my cast boolits ready for this cartridge, now to start load development. Even if the black powder regulations do not change I will take this rifle into the woods this year and look forward to enjoying time with it.

[bronte454]

Back 30 yrs ago when I was 16 I had several contender 10” barrels one was a 357 magnum. Went hunting with a high school friend and shot a doe facing us at 75 yards with a factory 125 grain PMC jacketed FP . We were sitting on a hillside with the gun resting between my knees upon recoil all 5 deer were gone back in the plum thicket . I asked the kid beside me where the deer I had shot had gone? His mouth was hanging open and as she still right there . Her legs buckled and she hit the ground where she’d been standing. Found the bullet under the skin of the left rear jam perfect mushroom after traversing 3 or so feet of deer . Fast forward 29 yrs and last yr I shot a spike buck with a Ruger Super Blackhawk in 357 Maximum at 40 yards with a 180 grain cast at the shoulder neck junction with the same results knees buckled hitting the turf . The 357 barely being big enough for gophers really does kill deer all out of proportion to its size . I’ve shot deer with handguns in 7 TCU , 7-30 Waters , 41 mag , 44 mag , 45 colt (+P+) Ruger Blackhawk , 454 Casul , and 45-70 in a Contender and none have fallen at the shot except the ones hit with the 357 . None have gone over 20 yards but for some reason the 357 has been magical (for lack of better term ) . Will try and figure out how to post a pic .

[missionary5155]

Greetings
I am rather partial to the 414 Supermag with 265-280 grain gc FN from a 14 " Contender or our 8" DW Revolver.
But as we hunt river bottoms and thick stuff we use recurves 99% of the time. Last corn cruncher I popped was with the 375 SM with the old Ideal 255 PB slug chugging along at 1275 FPS to duplicate old 38-55 loads. It was overkill at our ranges. Poor buck was hit and passed through so fast he just stood there and wondered what happened. Walked a some yards and laid down the last time. 12 yards just does not need much even on big ILLinois corn fed white tails.
Mike in Peru but Short.

[Wayne Smith]

Within those size limitations, apart from having an out of work .35 barrel blank, there is a lot going for the .445 Super Magnum, which is basically a .44 Magnum given the same treatment as the .357 Maximum, at 1.61in. case length. I don't know about local or even any availability of the cases, but I am sure they could be made from .303, and both that and the bullets are freely available.

Dies are probably special order items, but unlikely to be as expensive or as slow as made to measure ones. The reamer would be, but I would be inclined to try a 29/64 engineering reamer, drilled with a carbide drill to insert a pilot. That should measure .453125, and the stated base diameter for .303 is 455, but much brass is slightly smaller. I think you could produce the necessary diameter and a very slight taper by lapping, or abrasive paper on a wooden mandrel.

You could even lengthen it close to the 1.8in. and reload with the .445 dies. In fact I believe you could go through a few cycles, enough to assess what you'd got, with .44 Magnum dies.

Before you guys start fiddling with various reamers to try to chamber a barrel check out what Dave at CH4D has available for rental. I'm pretty sure he will have what you want.

[roverboy]

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is right now considering an amendment to their current muzzle loading season rifle regulations. At this time only muzzle loading rifles are permitted. The proposal they are going to consider is whether to add straight wall cartridges in dedicated single-shot only rifles to the approved list. It seems there was a minimum caliber diameter, but that detail has escaped me. I suspect that this proposal came about because the deer harvest has been lower for the past 2 years than the State wanted it to be. These numbers dropped when the state amended their definitions of a buck v. doe. The older standard stated that if the animal had any antler longer then 3 inches it was a buck, but if there no antler longer than 3 inches the animal scored as "antlerless" and did not count against the hunter's maximum harvest for bucks. Two years ago the State declared that if any antler was visible above the hair line of the head, that animal scored as a buck. Now, two years out, the State has found that many hunters were not taking (or declaring) short-antlered deer in their harvest. The antler ruling is up for discussion to return the older 3-inch rule so hunters will take more deer. Now with 2 rule change proposals on the table, hunters are looking forward to relaxed hunting opportunities. My personal take on these proposals is that I want to be ready if / when they are enacted. I have a single shot H&R 30-30 (Topper model 158) and have sent the barrel to JES for reboring to 38-55. I already have my cast boolits ready for this cartridge, now to start load development. Even if the black powder regulations do not change I will take this rifle into the woods this year and look forward to enjoying time with it.

Thanks for posting this, I hadn't heard about what TWRA was considering.

[robinsroost]

Indiana used to be straight wall pistol cartridges only, but last year opened up to any caliber over .243 Winchester. I have two Model 1894 rifles, one Winchester AE .45 Colt and one Marlin .44 magnum but will likely use my 600 Remington in 6mm Remington loaded with 100 grain Nosler Partition's...……..robin

[Rick Hodges]

Indiana used to be straight wall pistol cartridges only, but last year opened up to any caliber over .243 Winchester. I have 1894 rifles, one Winchester AE .45 Colt and one Marlin .44 magnum but will likely use my 600 Remington in 6mm Remington loaded with 100 grain Nosler Partition's...……..robin

You don't have to use partitions in the 6mm for deer, unless you want to. Straight 95, 100, and 105 cup and core Jwords work just fine. I am partial to Hornady interlocks, 100 gr. BTSPs.

[Jedman]

Since Ohio included all strait walled cartridges between .357 and 50 cal. I am happy ! I own lots of rifles in bottle necked cartridges and it would be nice to be able to use them but I am good to 150 yards + with what is now legal so that's 99 % of any shots I get.

Jedman

[500Linebaughbuck]

500 linebaugh in tc encore with a 24" MGM heavy barrel. 450-525gr boolit is fine. i use a 460gr lfn gc.