If you were going to hunt in one of the states that limits straight wall cartridges to 1.8 inches. What do you have in the house that you could go hunting with?
I have a few.
Leverguns
327 Federal
357 Mag
44 Mag
45 Colt
Semi Autos
350 Legend, Yes I built a AR a few winters ago , haven't shot it a lot
351 Winchester Killed a deer with this.
401 Winchester This is the one I would take. I have been sizing down 210 grain XTP's for the 41 Mag for a hunting load when it dawned on me that is has more value in one of these states.
If I wasn't limited to 1.8 inches then I could add
38-55 Have killed a deer
444 Marlin Have killed deer
45-70
Go check your gun locker and tell me if you got one that will work.
Deer Hunting in Indiana, what gun do you have?
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Re: Deer Hunting in Indiana, what gun do you have?
In Iowa they added the 45-70 to the cartridges approved. Ive used that the last 2 years. I also built a 450 bushmaster and 350 legend on the ar platform and used those. 45-70 does a good job. Next year im gonna use my winchester/Miroku 1892 44 mag
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Re: Deer Hunting in Indiana, what gun do you have?
.
I always come back to the 44 Magnum.
Over many years I've shot 44 Magnum 240 grain jacketed soft points out of:
Lever Action - Ruger 96/44
SA Revolver - Ruger Super Blackhawk
DA Revolver - Ruger Redhawk
Bolt Action - Ruger 77/44
Lever Action - Marlin 1894
Lever Action - Rossi 92
.....and..... Savage ML10 Muzzleloader (with 50 cal sabots)....
Lots of other guns and cartridges are useable though.
If I couldn't use 44 Magnum, I'd probably use one of these:
45 Colt (since it is VERY close ballistically - can use a bit heavier bullets a tiny bit larger, but I doubt deer notice
357 Mag - it works (my kids have used it in leverguns)
500 S&W - some say it's overkill, but nobody says you have to use the hottest loads - think 500 Linebaugh if you want
357 Maximum - Always wanted to use my Contender in that but haven't - maybe next year...???
It's been a couple years since I looked in detail at the Indiana law, but at that time, the 444 Marlin and 45-70 were still not legal in Indiana ('would carry too far since they are so powerful') even though itwas ok to load up a 300 Win Mag in an Encore pistol and hunt with that.
I think the 35 Remington is legal now, and 300 Blackout, but it keeps changing so check the laws wherever you're hunting.
As you can see, the BHA 89 carbine in 500 S&W is a bit shorter than a Marlin 1894 44 Mag, so it makes a nice deerstand gun - although I think it's more the heft of a Marlin Guide Gun.
I got my deer a couple years ago with the BHA 89 - http://www.levergunscommunity.org/viewtopic.php?t=72688
...but this year went back to the regular old Ruger 89 in 44 Mag - http://www.levergunscommunity.org/viewtopic.php?t=86889
Mostly because I had more 44 Mag ammo than 50 S&W ammo...
I always come back to the 44 Magnum.
Over many years I've shot 44 Magnum 240 grain jacketed soft points out of:
Lever Action - Ruger 96/44
SA Revolver - Ruger Super Blackhawk
DA Revolver - Ruger Redhawk
Bolt Action - Ruger 77/44
Lever Action - Marlin 1894
Lever Action - Rossi 92
.....and..... Savage ML10 Muzzleloader (with 50 cal sabots)....
Lots of other guns and cartridges are useable though.
If I couldn't use 44 Magnum, I'd probably use one of these:
45 Colt (since it is VERY close ballistically - can use a bit heavier bullets a tiny bit larger, but I doubt deer notice
357 Mag - it works (my kids have used it in leverguns)
500 S&W - some say it's overkill, but nobody says you have to use the hottest loads - think 500 Linebaugh if you want
357 Maximum - Always wanted to use my Contender in that but haven't - maybe next year...???
It's been a couple years since I looked in detail at the Indiana law, but at that time, the 444 Marlin and 45-70 were still not legal in Indiana ('would carry too far since they are so powerful') even though itwas ok to load up a 300 Win Mag in an Encore pistol and hunt with that.
I think the 35 Remington is legal now, and 300 Blackout, but it keeps changing so check the laws wherever you're hunting.
As you can see, the BHA 89 carbine in 500 S&W is a bit shorter than a Marlin 1894 44 Mag, so it makes a nice deerstand gun - although I think it's more the heft of a Marlin Guide Gun.
I got my deer a couple years ago with the BHA 89 - http://www.levergunscommunity.org/viewtopic.php?t=72688
...but this year went back to the regular old Ruger 89 in 44 Mag - http://www.levergunscommunity.org/viewtopic.php?t=86889
Mostly because I had more 44 Mag ammo than 50 S&W ammo...
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Last edited by AJMD429 on Sat Jan 14, 2023 9:33 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
Re: Deer Hunting in Indiana, what gun do you have?
Indiana now allows any .243/6mm round and any
.30 caliber round as well as the straight-walled pistol cartridges. Since I began deer hunting in 2008, I've taken guite a few with the .45 Colt in a Winchester 94AE carbine, the .44 Magnum in a Rossi lever action, and 2 deer with a .30-06. The only deer I've lost was shot with a Hornady polymer-tipped self-defense load in a .30 M1 Carbine.
.30 caliber round as well as the straight-walled pistol cartridges. Since I began deer hunting in 2008, I've taken guite a few with the .45 Colt in a Winchester 94AE carbine, the .44 Magnum in a Rossi lever action, and 2 deer with a .30-06. The only deer I've lost was shot with a Hornady polymer-tipped self-defense load in a .30 M1 Carbine.