If you had your choice...

[et_miller_87]

What would your preferred straightwall cartridge be, and why?the most common I hear are:
45 70 govt
357 magnum
444

I'm looking for a rifle for next gun season, and don't know what my range could be. Probably 200 yards max. What are your thoughts?

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[Blkram]

You did not mention what type of rifle you are looking for in particular, or what type of big game you are going to be using it for. This will help for straight wall cartridge suggestions.

 

[et_miller_87]

White tail is the game to be had.

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[JD338]

45-70
I have a Marlin 1895G with a VX-3 1.75-6x32mm scope shooting the 300 gr BST at 2100 fps.
It's a hammer on WT deer. Zero at 100 yds just need to hold on the top of the back for a 200 yard kill.

JD338

 

[et_miller_87]

What kind of load are you using for that 45 70?

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[Billyram]

I had a .444 at one time for woods hunting that I killed about 15 deer with. It was quite accurate for what it was and handy in a climbing stand. Shooting 265 gr Hornadys and Rem 240 gr factory loads worked well on deer at woods ranges but lost it's punch around 100 yds. I would say the .444 may be a better choice for deer with the faster moving bullets. The 240gr Rem semi jacketed at 2400 fps would do some damage at close range. I got tired of replacing scopes on mine and got rid of it. I just use the 30-06 for everything now.
Billy

 

[et_miller_87]

I would use my .308 if the law allowed a shouldered rifle cartridge. This year I settled for my 12 gauge slug gun. Next year I'd like a more reliable weapon.

Did you break scopes due to recoil?

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[Blkram]

Of the cartridges you listed, the 45-70 and 444 Marlin will work. The 357 Mag will not have enough energy at 200 yards. While the 38-55 is very similar to the 375 Win, it's 255 gr bullet only carries just under 1000 ft-lbs of muzzle energy, so will not be what you are looking for out to 200 yards.

Another good option is the 375 Winchester, which handles higher pressures.

After that you get into cartridges such as the 40-60, 45-90, 50-110, 9.3 x 74R, 458 Win Mag and the various Nitro Express cartridges.

The rifle choices are generally lever actions and single shots of various manufacture.

The one I have the most experience with is the 375 Winchester. It has worked wonderfully on black bear, caribou and moose, so whitetail will not be a problem.

 

[et_miller_87]

200 yards is probably a gross overstatement to what I could be hunting. Everything is brush here with a clearing with a maximum of 100 yards, 140 if it's huge. I don't know why, but I feel very partial to the 357 or 45 70. Hmm...

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[Billyram]

I would use my .308 if the law allowed a shouldered rifle cartridge. This year I settled for my 12 gauge slug gun. Next year I'd like a more reliable weapon.

Did you break scopes due to recoil?
Yes the type recoil would jar things loose in the scopes and they wouldn't hold zero. I'm sure more robust / expensive scopes would hold up but I wasn't wanting to spend a lot more money for a scope than I payed for the .444 Marlin. My old 30-30 seemed to be just as effective on deer so I got rid of the .444.
Billy

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[DeerTracker]

I'd go with 45-70. I love my 1895! Haven't killed anything but paper with it yet but it sure is a sweetheart to carry!


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[Paul Barnard]

It's hard to go wrong with a 45-70. You can find a good CVA single shot in an off season sale for $200. I have one in 44 magnum, and it's a great rifle out to about 125 yards. A Marlin 1895 45-70 is another good choice, but they cost at least twice as much. Any good scope can handle their recoil.

 

[Dwh7271]

45-70 or 444. Either works perfectly. 375 Win would be great also but finding a reasonably priced decent rifle in that may prove difficult.
You can get a little flatter trajectory with the 444 but it's really not that significant a difference.
Load any 300 to 405 decent bullet in the 45-70 or any good 240 (I like AFrames) 265 or 280 in the 444 and you're good to go. Practice with it, test your loads and bullets and you're good.
At the risk of offending,(sorry all!)if you're going to be hunting Ohio at the ranges you mention, you will be under gunned with the 357 IMO.
Buy once, cry once. :grin:

 

[et_miller_87]

Well, consensus says 357 is not practical for hunting here. Looks like that may just be a fun gun. 45 70 may be my next purchase. Thanks for the insight folks.

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[Anonymous]

Yeah- .357 isn't really enough for deer at anything other than very close range. Of the cartridges mentioned in a straight wall case- I'd take a 45-70.

I'd forgotten Ohio has some bizarre rules regarding rifle cartridges for hunting. If I were going to look for one- I'd probably opt for either a 45-70 or a .500W&W in a handy little Thompson Encore carbine.

 

[Elkman]

I will list my suggestions in priority order .
1. 45/70, it's been around for a lot of years because it works.
2. 45/70, because they look cool, pack a hell of a thump, and in a lever action short barreled Marlin they are a great carry gun.
3. 45/70, because it's easy to load for and fun to shoot. , I have even used mine on predatory ground squirrels. ( and it really does the job)
4. 45/70, because not much in North America will walk away from a well placed shot from one.
And last but not least the .357 was a great pistol cartridge, and the .444 never achieved anything the 70 can 't do.

Me and a couple of friends put 40 rounds through mine today and had a great time. We also found out that at 40 yards, if you were in a gunfight you would be a lot better off with a 70 than a 45ACP.

 

[RiverRider]

I like the idea of a Big Bore 94 in .375 Winchester. Not so sure what the cartridge can do (but I'll bet it's fine for lots of things within limited ranges), but the rifles themselves are very seductive!

 

[SJB358]

I've got both the 444 and 45-70. Find the rifle you like and go from there. Both of them are pretty danged nice cartridges. Good bullets make them both effective.

 

[Wincheringen]

444, mostly because I already have one. Mine is pretty accurate and it's fun to shoot. I don't have anything against the 45-70. It's a good choice also.

 

[AK7AN]

I have owned a Triple 4 for 15 years and have killed several Mule Deer, 1 Elk and a few Whitetail. It hits game like a hammer, which is why mine has the nickname of Thor. The 265gr FP from Hornady are very good bullets and shoot 1 MOA form my Marlin. The early ones with the 1-38 twist may struggle with the heavier bullets, but mine is the later 1-20 twist and it just shoots.
I have never shot a 45-70 but I am sure it is just as much a hammer on game as the Triple 4..
Whichever you pick they should do the job just fine..
Take Care and Merry Christmas
Ed