A friend of mine is thinking about taking the plunge and getting a dedicated rifle for deer hunting here in Indiana. I do know there have been some recent improvements concerning our choices, but I don't keep up with all of the latest and greatest options out there.I would appreciate some feedback on caliber choice, platform, and your reason why you would buy such rifle. Of course like most hunting here, shots range from brush to open fields which could translate into some distance when shooting.
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Recommend a rifle caliber for deer hunting in Indiana
- Thread starter jspy5
- Start date
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irishhunter
Sharpshooter
+ 1 on 44 mag lever action , its light, accurate and holds plenty of rounds. I had a 458 and went back to the 44. It was just to heavy to cary all day.
I'll hit the big ones...
Easy: .357, .44, .45 Colt -effectiveness 125-150 yards
Easy but expensive: .458 SOCOM, .450 Bushmaster - effectiveness 200+ yards
Easy if you are a good reloader: .35 Remington 1.8" (200 yards), .358 Winchester 1.8" (250-300 yards) .45-70 1.8" (150-200 yards)
Easy is you like recoil: .454 Casull (Rossi/Puma 92 - 200 yards) .460 Mag (T/C Encore 200+ yards)
Easy if you can find one: .357 Herrett (200 yards)
Minor changes, single shots: .357 Maximum, 445 super Mag (find a .357 or .44 Mag and ream them out) -- 200 yards for either
Wildcats...
.358 Hoosier -- never seen any actual chronograph data, I believe the claims are inflated or overpressure. -- 250 yards
.358/.25 WSSM -- duplicates the .358 Winchester -- 250 to 300 yards, recoils like a .30-06 w/ same ME 200gr @~2525 to 2550fps
.358 Gremlin (.358/6.5 Grendel) -- 200 yards, see BFG Cartridges
.358 Grant (.358 WSM 1.625") -- exceeds the .358 Win -- 250 to 300+ yards
.358 WSM 1.8" -- can exceed the .35 Whelen -- 300+ yards -- 200gr at >2900fps
I have the .358 WSSM. The barrel is from McGowen and the reamer is from Manson. Shoots 1/2" groups. MPBR is 235 yards +/-3".
Easy: .357, .44, .45 Colt -effectiveness 125-150 yards
Easy but expensive: .458 SOCOM, .450 Bushmaster - effectiveness 200+ yards
Easy if you are a good reloader: .35 Remington 1.8" (200 yards), .358 Winchester 1.8" (250-300 yards) .45-70 1.8" (150-200 yards)
Easy is you like recoil: .454 Casull (Rossi/Puma 92 - 200 yards) .460 Mag (T/C Encore 200+ yards)
Easy if you can find one: .357 Herrett (200 yards)
Minor changes, single shots: .357 Maximum, 445 super Mag (find a .357 or .44 Mag and ream them out) -- 200 yards for either
Wildcats...
.358 Hoosier -- never seen any actual chronograph data, I believe the claims are inflated or overpressure. -- 250 yards
.358/.25 WSSM -- duplicates the .358 Winchester -- 250 to 300 yards, recoils like a .30-06 w/ same ME 200gr @~2525 to 2550fps
.358 Gremlin (.358/6.5 Grendel) -- 200 yards, see BFG Cartridges
.358 Grant (.358 WSM 1.625") -- exceeds the .358 Win -- 250 to 300+ yards
.358 WSM 1.8" -- can exceed the .35 Whelen -- 300+ yards -- 200gr at >2900fps
I have the .358 WSSM. The barrel is from McGowen and the reamer is from Manson. Shoots 1/2" groups. MPBR is 235 yards +/-3".
i went from 357 to 44 mag because they didnt make a 357 bolt action platform then ruger released the 77/357. i will still be using my 44/77 since it shoots a 2 to 3 in group a 175. 175yds is also well outside of my shooting lanes where i hunt so i am very happy with it. Im also very happy with the knock down of a 44 mag in the rifle platform.
B&K Bullet Casting can trim and reload .35 Rem, if a person doesn't reload their own.
Thanks for all of the suggestions, I will pass information along. Although I am a deer hunter, I only use a muzzleloader, and all things being equal what advantages do the 357, 44 Mags have over most 12 ga. slugs. Would it be a gain in maximum effective range without a reduction in energy ? I believe the lever action would be a better choice than a bolt action if a follow up shot is needed, but other than that is their any other disadvantages ? I'm pretty sure the AR platform is not something he would want to pursue, although it would be my personal choice.
hammer24
Master
Shooting a .44 is a fraction of the cost of shooting a 12 ga. with modern slug loadings. It is also a fraction of the recoil. Put those two things together and it leads to more range time and PRACTICE. As far as energy, a properly placed .44 will make any Indiana deer just as dead as a 12 ga. Remember, it is a deer, not a charging Grizzly.
A .357 or .44 Mag isn't going to get you any added range over a modern slug, especially not a saboted slug. As mentioned, cost and recoil were the big factors for me. I started deer hunting with a .454 Casull in a 9.5" revolver after a search for a .45 Colt Ruger Redhawk turned up nothing. I carried my dad's Remington 1100 slug gun exactly once, hated the weight and recoil, could barely hit a paper plate a 50 yards from sandbags (foster slugs), at 75yds and 100 yards all bets were off -- unless I wanted to spend $4 per shot on saboted slugs, and I went back to the .454 the next outing...
And started thinking of building a rifle... for at least a year I really wanted a Puma 92 in .454 Casull, and I found the 16" version I wanted... but a day at the range with another owner soured me on that thought. (The new Rossis are said to have overcome the problem-magazines unscrewing themselves.) And then I started looking at all the wildcat options. My rifle was built before the 1.8" rule, but looking back now, I don't see the need of having any more recoil than my .358 WSSM, and I'm very pleased with my rifle... I haven't shot it at long distances, but I suspect that it would shoot softball or better size groups at 250 yards. (My worst group was 1.2" and those loads all had different powder charges as I was working up to max. The rifle shoots 1/2" groups with my hunting load.)
IMO the best rifle for a non reloader in Indiana is probably the .44 Magnum.
And started thinking of building a rifle... for at least a year I really wanted a Puma 92 in .454 Casull, and I found the 16" version I wanted... but a day at the range with another owner soured me on that thought. (The new Rossis are said to have overcome the problem-magazines unscrewing themselves.) And then I started looking at all the wildcat options. My rifle was built before the 1.8" rule, but looking back now, I don't see the need of having any more recoil than my .358 WSSM, and I'm very pleased with my rifle... I haven't shot it at long distances, but I suspect that it would shoot softball or better size groups at 250 yards. (My worst group was 1.2" and those loads all had different powder charges as I was working up to max. The rifle shoots 1/2" groups with my hunting load.)
IMO the best rifle for a non reloader in Indiana is probably the .44 Magnum.
458 Socom or a 44 Magnum. Socom is very cool and you will look and feel like a Ninja in the woods. The .44 magnum is a little understated in comparison but also very hard core. The ballistics good too and you have the advantage of being able to take the rifle anywhere as a bush gun. Imagine Canadian Customs freaking out at the border over a Socom... Also, the 44 Magnum can be used to shoot 44 Special
snapping turtle
Grandmaster
Canadian border guards do not like my 16 inch barreled marlin and until I proved it was factory they were not going to allow it in Country.
Look at contender carbines as you can switch out barrels for other game. I personally love the 44 mag lever action rifle from marlin.
Look at contender carbines as you can switch out barrels for other game. I personally love the 44 mag lever action rifle from marlin.
We are quite satisfied with our Ruger 77/44 using MagTech 240 grain SJSP ammo for our HOOSIER Deer Hunting. Last year 5 (total) went down , with one shot per critter over the season. Most at 75 yards or less. The 44 Magnum is fine with us, and the Ruger Bolt-Action performs just fine.
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