Best lever gun hunting cartridge in strait wall

45-70 is the answer. Mild to wild. It'll be all you'll ever need from a straight walled cartridge . easy to load and can shoot black powder if it's all you can get. Awesome cartridge.

Frulk said:

In the OP’s “or something else” category (since it hadn’t been brought up yet)

.454 Casull in a Rossi... although I hear they’re made sporadically and folks that have them don’t like to part with em.

In the woods with consistent shots below 100 yards on deer I’d be comfortable with a light lever in .45 Colt or .44Mag. But the 45/70 would be fine for that as well and provide additional versatility if you were to head west for larger game.

Click to expand...

454 Rossi and matching 454 Ruger red hawk are on my bucket list

AJC1 said:

So in states that only allow strait wall cartridges what is the best one available in a lever gun. 44mag 45c, 454, 45-70 or something else.

Click to expand...

Began my hunting career with a 444 Marlin. Very effective round but feisty on the shoulder. Hold it right and you'll be OK. The .44 mag is the most ubiquitous and proven effective. I like that you can double up with a handgun to hunt with as well. Always wanted a 454 because of all the cartridges that will fit a gun so chambered. I don't know why I never bought one. Guess you can't buy everything. The .45-70 reeks of Americana, and that is a good thing. Learn the trajectories and it would be great. And, as it so happens, I ended up with a .45 Colt - primarily because of the "cowboy appeal"... Admittedly not the best choice for deer, but it works under the right circumstances. Just to play by the rules and actually answer your question I suppose that if I was buying a straight wall just to hunt it would be the .44 mag.

I'll stick with the 30-30, you can get that ammo cheap, and get it anywhere. Probably killed more deer than all the rest combined . hdbiker

hdbiker said:

I'll stick with the 30-30, you can get that ammo cheap, and get it anywhere. Probably killed more deer than all the rest combined . hdbiker

Click to expand...

30-30 is not a straight wall. Probably illegal for hunting in his state.

The pistol cartridges get it done out to 150yds. Beyond that, it's really a matter of range. How much do you need? To get to 200yds and beyond, you need more velocity. The .45-70 and .444 offer that but at the cost of recoil. Both will do the job but are overkill for deer sized game. This is where we might see a resurgence in cartridges like the .375Winchester. You get the range and the ability to take larger game like elk and moose but in a lighter package and less recoil. My Winchester 94 Big Bore .375 weighs a scant 6lbs 4oz. It'd be interesting to see if we don't eventually get new guns in it and the .356.

CraigC said:

The pistol cartridges get it done out to 150yds. Beyond that, it's really a matter of range. How much do you need? To get to 200yds and beyond, you need more velocity. The .45-70 and .444 offer that but at the cost of recoil. Both will do the job but are overkill for deer sized game. This is where we might see a resurgence in cartridges like the .375Winchester. You get the range and the ability to take larger game like elk and moose but in a lighter package and less recoil. My Winchester 94 Big Bore .375 weighs a scant 6lbs 4oz. It'd be interesting to see if we don't eventually get new guns in it and the .356.

Click to expand...

356 isn’t a straight wall cartridge, is it? I thought it was basically a 358 Win with a rim?

IMO the 358 Win is one of the best “failed” cartridges ever created, especially for cast bullets. The ability to use 308 brass is a real plus.

I know, that's why I restricted most of my comments to the .375. Even mentioning the .356 is probably more wishful thinking than anything.

Speedo66 said:

And that's why i deleted it. lol

Forgot about the lever gun aspect.

Click to expand...

My hope is that right now there are a couple manufacturers developing a lever rifle that will chamber the 350L.
My northern Michigan deer rifle is a Browning BLR in .308 And I'm eager for them to produce a BLR for the 350L for hunting the southern half of the state.
A modern short lightweight lever rifle that will shoot this new straight wall cartridge ticks all the boxes for me.

For now I have a 350L upper on my AR. Never wanted to hunt with an AR, but it's a cheap short-term solution.

It would have to be in the BLR or Long Ranger. The .350 is problematic in a tubular magazine, as is the .450BM.

Guy48065 said:

My hope is that right now there are a couple manufacturers developing a lever rifle that will chamber the 350L.
My northern Michigan deer rifle is a Browning BLR in .308 And I'm eager for them to produce a BLR for the 350L for hunting the southern half of the state.
A modern short lightweight lever rifle that will shoot this new straight wall cartridge ticks all the boxes for me.

For now I have a 350L upper on my AR. Never wanted to hunt with an AR, but it's a cheap short-term solution.

Click to expand...

I hunt in northern Michigan as well but have been using straight wall cartridges for some time. My property is heavily wooded and rarely get a shot over 100 yards. I bought a 375 Marlin when they first came out and have killed a pile of deer with it. I still have it but the problem with the 375 is that it is essentially obsolete i.e, no longer made and even the reloading components are uber expensive.

I've alternately used 357 mag and 44 mags as well. A couple years ago I built AR uppers in 450 BM and 350 Legend. Both were very successful but I'm ambivalent about hunting with an AR. I think a lever gun in those calibers particularly the 350L would make an ideal brush gun.

When it comes right down to it a 44 mag has everything I need. I would love to have 45-70, just don't need one.

CraigC said:

. The .350 is problematic in a tubular magazine, as is the .450BM.

Click to expand...

How so?

Rimless, no shoulder, headspaces on the mouth, no ability to roll crimp to keep the bullet from pushing back into the case in the magazine.

I pondered the idea of a 450 BM Marlin 336 conversion for a while but when I saw the Henry Long Ranger conversions I changed my mind. I would like to be able to use the Barnes 275 gr TSX and a tubular mag would be a no go. Now I am pondering the Long Ranger as well as a Rem 7600 conversion as well. I hope to figure it out before next hunting season. Ha.

hdbiker said:

I'll stick with the 30-30, you can get that ammo cheap, and get it anywhere. Probably killed more deer than all the rest combined . hdbiker

Click to expand...

I love the .30-30 and I love my three 336 Marlins, two JM and one an REP (and it is my fav), but the .30-30 is a bottle neck cartridge and not legal in states that have a straight wall cartridge requirement like Ohio for example. Some also have length specifications also which can rule out the .45-70 and 38-55 . I am not particularly happy with state straight wall regulations but a rifle is better than a shotgun (IMO) and it is nice to have that choice now available. But your .30-30 would not be legal .

earlthegoat2 said:

Now I am pondering the Long Ranger as well as a Rem 7600 conversion as well.

Click to expand...

Who's doing that work? I've always had an odd fascination with the Remington pumps and autos. Still kick myself for not grabbing that deluxe 7600 carbine a few years ago.

CraigC said:

Who's doing that work? I've always had an odd fascination with the Remington pumps and autos. Still kick myself for not grabbing that deluxe 7600 carbine a few years ago.

Click to expand...

Accuracy Systems in Colorado is the major player and I have been in communication with them about the conversion.

https://www.accuracysystemsinc.com/

Hillbilly Gun Works does 7600 conversions as well. I think they are out of Maine or NH. They don’t have much of a web presence though. I think there is a Facebook page. The owner there says 7600 conversions are “pretty easy”.

I forgot all about my new favorite "straight wall" lever action cartridge.

The .577 (When it has to be dead yesterday) Snider.

450gr paper patched miné projos --> 750gr round nose soft point smashers in a lever action single shot Martini rifle.

I'm surprised there isn't more plugs for the .450 marlin here. I know there is alot of love for hard cast for great penetration and 350gr FP interlocks. I have heard people refer to it as a 45-70 on roids. 200fps faster, etc. I have also heard people say it's hard to find although I was seeing it fairly regularly where I would go for ammo. I thought about an 1895M levergun for a while. If I was looking for a thunker for straight wall cartridge that would probably be my choice if I was sticking to factory ammo boxes buy if you're a reloader, given the current situation though it might be wise to pick whatever is readily available ammo and/or component wise.

You probably can't go wrong with any of the 450,45-70, 44mag, 454, 45lc. I'd probably pick whatever was readily available and most economical...

444 Marlin. I own two of them...both mod 444's one micro groove the other ballard rifling. I have a vintage 2x Weaver scope on the older and have taken a couple of Whitetails with it out to around 130yds. Neither took more than a couple of steps.

I have a Model 94 in 44 Mag. Would be comfortable making shots on deer sized game out to 100 yards. I imagine with even Winchester White Box 240gr SP, it has sufficient power to easily anchor an elk, let alone a deer. That would be my choice out of simple convenience and ammo selection.

Can someone explain why state laws would require a straight walled cartridge?