What’s your go-to for “Straight Wall” season?

What straight wall cartridge do you deer hunt with?


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if you live in a state that has a special season for “straight wall” rifle cartridges, or you are in an area that only allows straight wall calibers, what’s your go-to cartridge? I didn’t capture all the options so let me know what you use if it’s not on here!

I’m using a Marlin XLR 45/70 that I’ve had for years, and I love it, but I’m curious to see what everyone else is using.
 
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SloppyJ

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Feb 24, 2023
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if you live in a state that has a special season for “straight wall” rifle cartridges, or you are in an area that only allows straight wall calibers, what’s your go-to cartridge? I didn’t capture all the options so let me know what you use if it’s not on here!
I've been thinking about this a lot too. Maybe when I shoot up all of my blackhorn 209 I'll buy a straightwall. I've built 3 rifles this year and would rather spend my money on loading a ton of ammo for practice.

The "non-semiautomatic" clause in there really sucks IMO. I would put together a 350 legend upper and use that wuth my R9 or deadair mojave but I can't legally. Maybe I'll use my .30-30 straightwall 🤣
 
OP
Ozarkansas
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I've been thinking about this a lot too. Maybe when I shoot up all of my blackhorn 209 I'll buy a straightwall. I've built 3 rifles this year and would rather spend my money on loading a ton of ammo for practice.

The "non-semiautomatic" clause in there really sucks IMO. I would put together a 350 legend upper and use that wuth my R9 or deadair mojave but I can't legally. Maybe I'll use my .30-30 straightwall 🤣
You can probably find a single shot rifle like a CVA scout for dirt cheap, my dad just got one in .44 mag for around $325. Used from a pawn shop they can be even cheaper than that. It’s not as cool as a lever action though
 

Bluefish

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I actually use two different ones. 45/70 for rifle season and 360 Buckhammer for muzzle (pistol). Have not taken a deer with the 360 yet, but did take one a few years ago with a 357 max pistol.
 
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After starting with a Marlin lever 444 I now use a Winchester XPR 350
Legend with a VX3i 2.5-8x36 mounted in Talley LWs.

I been shooting the Winchester Deer Season 150s.

After years of using different stuff for my hunts in
Ohio I always wanted to use a lighter weight , lower recoil , scoped bolt gun similar to what I use everywhere else. No weird mag sticking out the bottom. Just what I call a basic deer rifle.

The XPR isnt a swiss watch quality rifle but its very accurate and checked all the boxes. And despite my initial reservations it has proven itself capable on two large bucks and a doe all out at 185-190 yards DRT.

Still a bit concerned about the Deer Season 150s they are killing deer but they are coming apart inside the deer.
 

Clayman77

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Oct 9, 2023
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I killed my first big buck with a marlin 1895 trapper in 45-70 . About a 30 yard chest shot DRT . I grew up around houndsman so lever guns was very familiar to me . Seems like no kidding that every deer hunter around here gets a 300 magnum to shoot less than 200 yards . WNC mountains . I always thought that was just ego or fad . I guess I shot everything with a lever till I got my first bolt gun 14 years ago . Still use a lever gun now often . I now carry the Henry big boy x - suppressed with a vx3i 1x4x20 which rides on the buggy all the time . No cartrige restrictions here . Straight wall is just some really cool rounds . IMG_5834.jpeg
 

Bigboone1988

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IL
I killed my first buck with a straight wall rifle last season. CVA Scout 450 BM with Bear Creek Ballistic 240 gn hand loads. Worked great on deer, similar hole size to old school rifled slugs
 

The Guide

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I just saw on Midway that Tikka has a 350 Legend riffle. I'm sure a guy could do a 350 Legend barrel on a 223 Tikka rifle for those straight wall states and have a high volume barrel and a hunting barrel.

Jay
 

rayporter

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arkansas or ohio
After starting with a Marlin lever 444 I now use a Winchester XPR 350
Legend with a VX3i 2.5-8x36 mounted in Talley LWs.

I been shooting the Winchester Deer Season 150s.

After years of using different stuff for my hunts in
Ohio I always wanted to use a lighter weight , lower recoil , scoped bolt gun similar to what I use everywhere else. No weird mag sticking out the bottom. Just what I call a basic deer rifle.

The XPR isnt a swiss watch quality rifle but its very accurate and checked all the boxes. And despite my initial reservations it has proven itself capable on two large bucks and a doe all out at 185-190 yards DRT.

Still a bit concerned about the Deer Season 150s they are killing deer but they are coming apart inside the deer.
what county do you hunt?
 

Rjk300

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Feb 17, 2024
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My daughter and have been using ar’s here in Ohio both 450bm hers has a brake and mine is suppressed. My daughter uses a Ruger bolt 450bm in PA when hunting the timber. My niece uses an ar in 350 Legend and my nephews use 450bm Ruger bolt guns while one of them use a Ruger bolt 44 mag.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Ditt44

Lil-Rokslider
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Mar 30, 2023
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TC Encore/Pro Hunter .50 muzzle loader. Here in PA it's just as good in any area I would hunt as a straight wall would be. Just can't justify buying a new rifle when this TC is more than adequate. If I didn't have the TC, I would likely buy a .350 Legend, probably a Savage since I have a couple and like the 110 models.
 
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Bitchin B.C.
if you live in a state that has a special season for “straight wall” rifle cartridges, or you are in an area that only allows straight wall calibers, what’s your go-to cartridge? I didn’t capture all the options so let me know what you use if it’s not on here!

I’m using a Marlin XLR 45/70 that I’ve had for years, and I love it, but I’m curious to see what everyone else is using.
500 S&W Mag with a 500 grain flat nose bullet launching out of a Model 89 lever gun.

Perfection.
 

wesfromky

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Nov 23, 2016
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KY
Ruger ranch .350 - gen 1 in previous years, but picked up a gen 2 for this year. Bear creek 140gn. The gen 1 has a dead air wolfman, which works pretty well, but is kinda heavy. I have an OCL lithium on the gen2 for now, but have a special order .358 bore OCL hydrogen in jail. Hoping it clears before season, as the lithium works ok and is super light, but the hydrogen should be noticeably quieter while still being fairly light.

This is the special order hydrogens - marked as 8.6, but overbored enough to handle .350/.357/9mm. Have to see how it does once I get it, but on paper, it looks like it should be just about perfect for .350 legend hunting.

 
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Joined
Apr 14, 2019
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Fort Myers , FL
flat up there and not like down south.

i am in guernsey co.
We did hunt at Salt Fork a few years. I killed a pretty nice 7 point there. We were still shooting slugs back then. Maybe 2006/7. Got a little crowded there for us so we went back down to Wayne. Then guys started getting old dropping out and hunting the farm made more sense. Plus the hunting got pretty good up in the northwest. At one time we would have 20-25 guys from NW Ohio and 3-4 from Florida meet up in Wayne. The last time we went we had 4.
 
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May 22, 2023
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334
My state has a shotgun zone but doesn’t allow straight walls yet. When then 350legend was released I immediately built a AR in it with the hopes MN would allow them in the future. If they don’t it’s still a great cartridge in the woods a hunt.

Haven’t taken any thing with it yet and have been holding off till I can get around to loading up some coppers. 62646091097__89D938A1-4A04-4133-8A54-D1BD1FD22A8F.jpeg
 
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