Deer Hunting with Straight Walled Cartridges

[Rich Anderson]

We are going Pheasant hunting. I'll take Gunner's Gun and the DHE 20 I used the other day.
The Fox is getting restocked and made into a straight grip. The new trigger guard will need to be engraved and I'm thinking on having the receiver finished in a French Grey to highlight the engraving VS case colored.
I shot a nice 7pt opening day (Nov 15) with a new custom built 257 Roberts. He was good eating and with a little help from my friends he has been consumed. I hope to get out for a late doe season with the custom built Ruger #1 I posted pics of earlier in the year.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

That Fox should turn out beautiful, I think French gray would be my choice. I too, will be out pheasant hunting this weekend. Our birds were released on Nov 1st, and there are very few left, and they have turned quite wild, I SHOT ONE WITH THE gRADE 3 Ithaca on Sat. and had a double come up over point with the DHE 16 Parker on Sun. They are in the smoker right now. I love those Ruger #1's. Now that Ohio has legalized straight walled cartridges for deer, I would get one in 45-70. I use a single shot 20 ga H&R slug gun now, and it will eat the bullseye out of a target at 100 yds using Win Supreme sabots. I want to take a doe with the muzzle loader in Jan.

[Rich Anderson]

Is there a case length limit in OH? MI did basically the same thing but a 45-70 would be to long. I bought a Winchester M94 in 38-55 but that is to long also. It seems they limit it to pistol cartridges.

[tom tutwiler]

Is there a case length limit in OH? MI did basically the same thing but a 45-70 would be to long. I bought a Winchester M94 in 38-55 but that is to long also. It seems they limit it to pistol cartridges.

Because I'm following this thread, I dug out the following from Ohio's regs:


357 Magnum, .357 Maximum, .38 Special, .375 Super Magnum, .375 Winchester, .38-55, .41 Long Colt, .41 Magnum, .44 Special, .44 Magnum, .444 Marlin, .45 ACP, .45 Colt, .45 Long Colt, .45 Winchester Magnum, .45 Smith & Wesson, .454 Cassull, .460 Smith & Wesson, .45-70, .45-90, .45-110, .475 Linebaugh, .50-70, .50-90, .50-100, .50-110, and .500 Smith & Wesson.

[Rick Losey]

45-110 and up???

whitetails or are there woods bison in Ohio??

[Fred Preston]

And plugged for 3 rounds; 1 in the chamber, 2 in the mag.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

yep, they do get pretty big around here, and mean to. Tom, you saved me a lot of time, thanks. Rich, you could use that 45-70 on my farm in Ohio(170 acres), but the EHD hit the deer pretty hard around here.

[Rich Anderson]

My goal is to shoot a deer with the M94 38-55 but probably not this year. I'm taking the custom 7mm-08 Ruger #1 out tomorrow. If your interested I posted pics in a thread titled a Bespoke Rifle. After the Ruger gets bloodied it's back to the 257 Roberts built on a 1909 Argentine Mauser. Next years project is in the works and will be in 7X57 with a full Manlicher stock.

I'd bring the 38-55 to Ohio in a heart beat. Your idea of the #1 in 45-70 is a good one. I had a Marlin in that chambering and I wish I had it back.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

This is the 10 pt from this season. Just going to do a skull mount. No more head mounts until one goes over 140, and I'm just guessing that this one is around 125 or so.

[charlie cleveland]

nice deer hope you get the monster buck i m still looking for mine...charlie

[George Davis]

I had the opportunity several years ago to spring bear hunt in northern Canada. Three of us took straight walled cartridges, .444 Marlin, Alex Henry .500 2 1/2 inch and I took my 1893 Marlin 38/55 built in 1902 while three others in the group told various short magnums.The three straight walled cartridges dropped the bears in their tracks. Spent one whole day trying to find a wounded bear shot with .270 short magnum, interesting note is all the guides carried Marlin .450 or 12 gauge shotguns with slugs.
I'm currently working up loads for my two .450 3 1/4 BPE rifles for another bear hunt or a New Mexico Buffalo Hunt.

The straight walled cartridges are a lot of fun to shot with little to no recoil.
Congratulations to Ohio for being progressive on their hunting regulations.