Straight Wall Regulations

[WookieBowcaster]

Would you ever choose to use a straight wall cartridge in an area that does not regulate that you have to use them?

One piece of property I hunt: I’m very conscious of the houses creeping closer each year. And I do wonder, however improbable it might be, that a 308 round would travel to one of those homes.

So, I’m beginning to wonder about a slug gun or a straight wall gun.

 

[rookieforever33]

Plenty of people that know they are limited by range use a 30-30 rather than other cartridges. Another thing to consider is your bullets. A frangible bullet will ricochet much less than a bonded, which will ricochet less than a mono. Also be more cautious when conditions are frozen. Soft trees and ground will absorb energy better than frozen.

 

[Kauaihunter]

We don’t have straight wall regulations here but I’ve been shooting a 350 Legend for going on 2 years now. It’s my bush gun, in the forest here, my shots can be measured in feet at times. You can’t hardly see 25 yards so the caliber is perfect. I’d much prefer to carry a 94 in .30-30 as I did for many years but I can’t shoot irons anymore.

 

[207North]

I would much rather shoot something like a .223 with a thin jacket match bullet in that situation.

 

[Chris in TN]

I bought one for my kids thinking that a single-shot would be a great safe rifle for a first deer gun - which I still generally believe - and thinking I'd like being able to use it with subs - which lost its appeal once I figured out the things I actually do with subs, can all be done with .22lr. It's a .350 Legend. Two shots, two deer, for my oldest daughter. Very compact for treestand use even with a 20" barrel and a can.

We have places we hunt on both public land and our own farm where 100-125 yards would be a long shot and the .350 Legend is fine for that, I'd say with handloads it's a 200-225 yard cartridge. That covers most of what I do in an average deer season.

Would I buy it again? No, because I realize I don't have a serious use-case for subs, ergo I'd rather have a bottlenecked round. I should have bought them a .243 or 6.5cm instead. Oh well.

Part of me would like to have a .360BuckHammer lever gun just because I think the idea is cool, but I realize that when I stick a can on the end of a lever gun they get long and muzzle-heavy and without a can I ain't gonna shoot the thing much, so I've moved on.

 

[WookieBowcaster]

I would much rather shoot something like a .223 with a thin jacket match bullet in that situation.

We can’t use .223 for big game where I am. But I have batted around the idea of 300 Blackout.

 

[WookieBowcaster]

I bought one for my kids thinking that a single-shot would be a great safe rifle for a first deer gun - which I still generally believe - and thinking I'd like being able to use it with subs - which lost its appeal once I figured out the things I actually do with subs, can all be done with .22lr. It's a .350 Legend. Two shots, two deer, for my oldest daughter. Very compact for treestand use even with a 20" barrel and a can.

We have places we hunt on both public land and our own farm where 100-125 yards would be a long shot and the .350 Legend is fine for that, I'd say with handloads it's a 200-225 yard cartridge. That covers most of what I do in an average deer season.

Would I buy it again? No, because I realize I don't have a serious use-case for subs, ergo I'd rather have a bottlenecked round. I should have bought them a .243 or 6.5cm instead. Oh well.

Part of me would like to have a .360BuckHammer lever gun just because I think the idea is cool, but I realize that when I stick a can on the end of a lever gun they get long and muzzle-heavy and without a can I ain't gonna shoot the thing much, so I've moved on.

Good insight.

Very similar situation for me where over 100 yards would be a long shot.

I keep circling around 300 Blackout, 6.5 Creedmore, and now 350 Legend each in a compact gun.

 

[Chris in TN]

We can’t use .223 for big game where I am. But I have batted around the idea of 300 Blackout.

I'd buy a 6arc or 6.5Grendel or 6.8SPC or any similar round, before I'd buy a .300BO.

The problem with the BO, is velocity. It's hard to get a .30 bullet from that little case up into the good killing velocity range and keep it there for any appreciable distance if there's any chance whatsoever of a 100+ yard shot.

ETA: I say that as someone who has killed a lot of deer with a 6.8spc. Keep those 110 grain vmaxes at 2000' or faster and they're killers.

 

[WookieBowcaster]

Plenty of people that know they are limited by range use a 30-30 rather than other cartridges. Another thing to consider is your bullets. A frangible bullet will ricochet much less than a bonded, which will ricochet less than a mono. Also be more cautious when conditions are frozen. Soft trees and ground will absorb energy better than frozen.

Yep. Good thinking. Right now I use an all copper round in the 308.

 

[Blurry1]

Bought my .44 magnum lever gun for just this purpose. Have access to several sub 10 acre properties with roads and houses close by. I almost hunted my elk season with it but didn’t want to hamstring myself too much.

 

[lil' bear]

I would absolutely not recommend a shotgun. I've been to wayy to many rodeos. I've used a straightwall for 2 years now. And I'm loving it. Henry model x chambered in 360 buckhammer. Shoots great to 300 yards. I would absolutely use that on a bear or pig if necessary.

 

[lil' bear]

Part of me would like to have a .360BuckHammer lever gun just because I think the idea is cool, but I realize that when I stick a can on the end of a lever gun they get long and muzzle-heavy and without a can I ain't gonna shoot the thing much, so I've moved on.

Henry just came out with their HUSH line of levers. Carbon fiber, lightweight, short threaded barrels.
I've got the 360 and I really like it.

 

[Huntsalot]

Very similar situation for me where over 100 yards would be a long shot.

I have two 350 legends that I use. One is a Contender hobbit rifle and a 16” Tikka that I use as a back up. 125 yards would be a really long shot for me and in those situations I wouldn’t feel under gunned.

If you go for the 350 legend check out Bear Creek ballistics. I’ve shot a lot of deer with their 160 grain version, crazy blood trails every time.

 

[Dave0317]

Would you ever choose to use a straight wall cartridge in an area that does not regulate that you have to use them?

One piece of property I hunt: I’m very conscious of the houses creeping closer each year. And I do wonder, however improbable it might be, that a 308 round would travel to one of those homes.

So, I’m beginning to wonder about a slug gun or a straight wall gun.

I’d hunt with a .223 or 6mm of some kind using a lighter faster bullet. Preferably from an elevated position. Slug gun would probably be last choice.

Archery would be a great option if it’s getting almost suburban.

How far is the nearest house?

 

[RockAndSage]

If the goal was the most optimal cartridge/rifle combo, then no, not at all. But just for the fun or interest of giving something a go, heck yes. The biggest factor would be rarity of tag/opportunity.

I wouldn't hesitate to try a big-bore levergun on a coyote, or hogs if in a state that hunted them, or something like blacktail deer where I could get a tag every year. But it would be my last choice on a tag that takes years to draw.

Guys tend to get hyper-focused into black-or-white thinking when it comes to guns and cartridges - it's either crap, or awesome, great or obsolete. It's more useful to think in terms of advantages, disadvantages, and understanding limitations.