Deer Hunting in Indiana

[bruce drake]

As a new resident of the state of Indiana, I am dealing with their unique deer-hunting restrictions regarding centerfire rifles. The DNR only allows pistol cartridges of less than 1.8 inches in length and with a minimum of 35 caliber bullets.

Short of having to re-barrel one of my other rifles or buying another rifle completely setup with one of the restricted list of calibers, I decided that I would use my 358 Winchester-barreled Mauser that I built two years ago for a hunt in Kansas that never manifested.

The brass cartridge itself is longer than the 1.8" length restriction so I cut the neck off a test cartridge at the max-length and then seated a 358311 (200gr RN) boolit into the very short neck (.145") of the new ".358 Winchester Special". The dummy cartridge feeds and ejects fine from the rifle and I hope the bullet doesn't rebel from the large jump into the rifling although I may reset the seating die to extend the cartridge OAL closer to the rifling once I build more of these short cases.

I will try to get a test trip to the range in the next few weeks to try this out and see if it will be a viable option for next year's deer hunting.

I could rebarrel the Mauser to 35 Remington but I would still need to trim the brass .10" to meet the DNR's restriction of 1.8".

If the 358 Win Spl doesn't work out, I could still use a slug from one of my shotguns or a 357 Magnum pistol to go hunting but I'd prefer to use a good cartridge to ethically hunt past 50 yards.

We live in interesting times.

Bruce

[badge176]

http://357maximum.com/the-concept/

.357 Max in a rechambered .357 mag H&R Handi Rifle!

[runfiverun]

hmm that's an interestin way to get around the rule, I dunno how the game warden or the F&G would view it though.
they might call out the chamber spec's instead of the cartridge itself.

interesting side note.
I have seen people cut off almost the entire neck from a case and use a boolit to fill in the gap with pretty dang good accuracy before.

[Djones]

I'm doing the same this with 45-70 and 35 remington. I dont change the OAL though.

You can check out my progress here:
http://ingunowners.com/forums/ammuni...velopment.html

http://ingunowners.com/forums/ammuni...l-year-ii.html

I killed a deer last year with a 45-70 1.8" cast with a Lee 457-450F. I purchased the boolits. This year I am casting my own! Very Excited! The 35 rem I'm shooting J's though for now. Still waiting on the group buy Mihec 220 grain hp hunting bullet.

Good luck with you 358 win!

[bruce drake]

It's been approved by the DNR in my phone call to their Chief Warden's office yesterday that their requirement is that the cartridge is 1.8" in length. If I only have those cartridges in my possession when a Warden checks my papers, that would be the determinant.

I'm not opposed to a 357 Max but I would prefer to have a Mauser based rifle as my hunting arm and that rimmed case would make the tweaking a bit difficult..

Djones, where do you live? I'm in Brownsburg. NW of Indy. I've cut a bit more off the neck than your 35 Rem Cartridge so even pushing the boolit out a bit will still make it shorter than the standard 358 Winchester cartridges overall length.

[lancem]

See you called, and it's ok, that was going to be my suggestion to be sure you are able to hunt this way.

[Djones]

I'm in Greenfield. I hunt in Hamilton and Putnam counties.

I have a buddy who just got a 358 Hoosier barrel for his Rem 700. I am going to be doing the reloading for him. That should be interesting.

[Beerd]

It's been approved by the DNR in my phone call to their Chief Warden's office yesterday that their requirement is that the cartridge is 1.8" in length. If I only have those cartridges in my possession when a Warden checks my papers, that would be the determinant.

Might want to get that in writing, signed.
Just sayin'.
..

[bruce drake]

I figure using load data for 35 Remington should be a good starting point for most applications. Its still a 200gr boolit flying at 1900fps.

Bruce

[backroad]

Might want to get that in writing, signed.
Just sayin'.

A wise man i would listen.

[bruce drake]

http://www.eregulations.com/indiana/hunting/pageFlip/
1.8" max length
Page 24 in the regs.

Bruce

[Djones]

http://www.eregulations.com/indiana/hunting/pageFlip/
1.8" max length
Page 24 in the regs.

Bruce

I agree it is clearly written in our regs. I would trim your case to 1.790" just to make sure that your case easily passes through the go-no go gauge used by the DNR officers.

[backroad]

I guess i take that to mean saami case dimensions.Don,t know which is right but i would be nervous

[06ackley]

.I am doing the same thing with my 358 win and it works fine.It is legal ,yes I have been checked.There are a lot of guys cutting cartrdges down.I know of several that are using cut down 45-70 in lever guns and single shots.I am using the rcbs 200gr boolit in my 358 cast of 50/50.

[starmac]

Sometimes you just have to wonder who wrote the regs. lol

I have not read the regs on buffalo here, but I understand that you have to use a rifle and cartridge that exceeds a certain amount of ft pounds of energy.lol

[06ackley]

I don't think the person who wrote the regs thought about what a handloader could do with the specs they allow.A lot of cut down and custom calibers have come about from the use of rifles.I don't understand them but I will follow them.

[bruce drake]

Exactly! I'm sorely tempted to build a 35 Remington or 358x39mm Small Ring Mauser as well.

Bruce

[richhodg66]

Between Fort Riley and Fort Sill and the National Grasslands in NE Texas where my folks live that have good deer hunting, but restrictions on weapon type due to safety, I have figured out the easiest, cheapest and best way to crack that nut. Two words; Inline muzzleloader.

There's a Traditions Buckhunter like the one I use in the WTS forum and they seem to be legal in just about any season other than archery even if it's a shotgun only area.

[bruce drake]

very limited muzzleloader season and I have everything I else I need to make this cartridge.

[Djones]

Got any pics of your loaded cartridge?

Here is my 457-643 in a 1.79" case.