Indiana Deer Rifle Advice Needed

[Dr. Sandman]

Indiana has recently liberalized the options available for deer hunting with rifles. I have been considering upgrading to a rifle platform from a shotgun platform. Here are the criteria for legal deer rfles in Indiana...

Rifles with cartridges that fire a bullet of .357-inch diameter or larger; have a minimum case length of 1.16 inches; and have a maximum case length of 1.8 inches are legal to use only during the deer firearms and special antlerless seasons. Some cartridges legal for deer hunting include the .357 Magnum, .38-.40 Winchester, .41 Magnum, .41 Special, .44 Magnum, .44 Special, .44-.40 Winchester, .45 Colt, .454 Casull, .458 SOCOM, .475 Linebaugh, .480 Ruger, .50 Action Express, .500 S&W, .460 Smith & Wesson, .450 Bushmaster, and .50 Beowulf.

I am in the market for an Indiana-legal deer rifle. I would like to get a rifle in an AR type configuration. I would like readily available, factory made ammo. I would like to harvest deer at a maximum of 150 yards. I would like to deliver the most energy possible and stay legal.

Given these criteria, what would you do? I need some advice. Thanks in advance.

 

[JDGray]

.450 Bushmaster, and .50 Beowulf, would get it done in an AR platform! A Ruger carbine in 44 Rem Mag would be cheapest to obtain, the Beowulf uppers aren't cheap, ammo not common...

MI. just adapted the same hunting regs

 

[courtgreene]

If you want readily available factory ammo you'll have to use one of the pistol cartridges. If you want AR-configuration, you'll want .458 socom, .450 bushmaster or .50 beowulf from that list.

 

[Inebriated]

So you can use .357 Magnum, a firmly mediocre deer cartridge, but not .243, .308, '06, or .30-30? The hell kinda sense does that make?

But if that's what you've gotta deal with, and you want an AR, then I would be looking seriously at the logistics of .458 SOCOM. From what I gather, you can use the same lower as any 5.56 AR, and just need a new upper. Or even just barrel? But maybe I'm biased, I've always wanted an excuse to have .458 SOCOM.

Not a long range cartridge, but if you're coming from a shotgun, you're basically side-stepping.

I wouldn't mind a .44 lever gun either, though.

 

[loose noose]

I'd go with the .44 Magnum Ruger Carbine, simply because I have one, other than that I'd invest in a .44 Magnum Lever action rifle. Now if you're a re-loader, I'd go with the 50 Beowolf, which I happen to be also. So as far as ammo availability goes I'd go with the .44 Magnum.

 

[Dr. Sandman]

So you can use .357 Magnum, a firmly mediocre deer cartridge, but not .243, .308, '06, or .30-30? The hell kinda sense does that make?

Not much sense made by the regs. I don't know why they have made the regs like they are. It seems kind of arbitrary to me.

 

[illinoisburt]

The regs are fairly straight forward: big bore pistols were made legal a number of years ago, with specific limitations on the dimensions of the round to prevent hunters from using 30-06 in a contender or similar centerfire rifle caliber handgun since a major concern was how far a bullet would travel if it missed the intended target. After years of safe use of handguns, the argument was made that the same rounds should be allowed in rifles. After all, a 44 magnum is a 44 magnum regardless if it was fired from a Ruger Blackhawk or a lever action carbine. Took a lot of lobbying to make those changes. In the end the state still wants big fat bullets traveling at slow speeds with rainbow trajectories so they drop to the earth after a couple hundred yards instead of zipping out of a 10 acre parcel and endangering the neighbors.

 

[HoosierQ]

So you can use .357 Magnum, a firmly mediocre deer cartridge, but not .243, .308, '06, or .30-30? The hell kinda sense does that make?

But if that's what you've gotta deal with, and you want an AR, then I would be looking seriously at the logistics of .458 SOCOM. From what I gather, you can use the same lower as any 5.56 AR, and just need a new upper. Or even just barrel? But maybe I'm biased, I've always wanted an excuse to have .458 SOCOM.

Not a long range cartridge, but if you're coming from a shotgun, you're basically side-stepping.

I wouldn't mind a .44 lever gun either, though.

Despite it's rural reputation (one well deserved mind you) Indiana is a rather well-populated place. Even way out in the country, there's a house every 300 yards in pretty much every direction and very little in the way of topography to stop a bullet. And corn stalks don't do much in that regard either. So presumably the law is there for safety and also because Indiana was hunted completely devoid of all game but rabbits in the 1890s by market hunters who thrived here.

As with just about all gun laws, one has to dig pretty deep to find the rationale, and even deeper to find the sense.

 

[Speedo66]

You only have to look to OH for even more bizarre regulations. They must use straight walled cartridges only. Why that weird criteria?

So no .38-40 or .44-40, but .45-70 is OK. Go figure.

 

[Sunray]

"...It seems kind of arbitrary to me..." Typical of civil servants everywhere. There are municipalities up here where rifles calibres cannot be greater than .275 or .270 by the cartridge name. Some for just small game. Some for anything. The areas with .275 or less allow .270 Win, but a .276 Pedersen, if you could get that, would be illegal. Mind you, north of London(pretty much straight north from Eire PA), you can't swing a cat without there being a building of some type within 200 or so yards.
The whole thing is like trying to figure out why a cartridge is called what it is. Give you brain damage.
Oh and you'd best look into the legality of using an AR style rifle. Assault rifle, don't you know. snicker. If you opt for a SOCOM, find ammo/brass first. Horrendously expensive stuff to start with($60ish plus per 20 at Midway), but reloading will help. Any large calibre will have limited range. 150 is likely too far.

 

[nettlle]

I just put a scope on my brother's new 1894 Marlin .44 mag. Very nice rifle to shoot.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

How about a lever action .45-70.
I like this Marlin myself.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=447719433

I would like to get a rifle in an AR type configuration. I would like readily available, factory made ammo.

If that is an important thing to you, it will limit your caliber choices greatly.

 

[Gtscotty]

If I were under those constraints and wanted to use an AR, I'd look at the .358 Gremlin and the .358 WSSM/Hoosier. They both fit in an AR-15 and I believe that uppers are still available for both. 35 Rem or .358 win performance in an AR-15 package would be a pretty sweet combo for deer or hog hunting.

 

[R H Clark]

I would get a Ruger 77/44 in 44 mag with a VX2 2-7 scope.

 

[Legionnaire]

^^ My thinking, exactly. I like ARs, but not for deer.

 

[Inebriated]

Yeah, AR's are completely silly for deer.

AK's are where its at

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I would love to have a .308 on an AR platform. It may be all I'd ever use for deer.

But that isn't an option for the OP.

 

[wombat13]

I realize you said you want an AR style, but consider a lever gun. My Marlin 1894 in .44mag is a sweet deer rifle. Side eject so you can easily mount optics if you want. I put a Burris FF3 on mine. I didn't see the need for magnification since the .44mag starts to drop pretty fast beyond 125 yards. The red dot makes it very easy to get on target quickly. Much faster than a magnified scope or even irons.

 

[Dr. Sandman]

.45-70 case length is 2.1 inches, thus not legal in Indiana for deer rifles.

.358 Gremlin and .357 Hoosier appear to be specialty ammo that may not be factory made. Is this wrong?

There is no law against using an AR style rifle for hunting in Indiana, I am proud to say. In fact, I wish that more hunters would use them. That could help get rid of the "assault rifle" stigma. I went on a guided pig hunt in TX and all of the "rental" guns that they had available were AK and AR style platforms. AR-10 in .308 and 7.62x39 for the AK. I took some pictures of the hunting party and showed them to some "anti" friends of mine. I was trying to show them a non-military use for the gun that would be legitimate in their minds. Now they can't say stuff like "Oh, those guns are just for killing people" without thinking of my hunting pictures. I encourge everybody to take their black rifle hunting. Sorry about the Canadian gun situation. It must be tough.

No .460 S&W fans out there?

My sense is that a .44 Mag AR would likely be an expensive custom job, correct?

Thanks for the advice.

 

[redneck2]

I've used an AR in Indiana for the past three years. It's a Dedicated Technologies .358 WSSM. I have to fireform and load my own cases from .24 parent cases

My hunting buddy made fun of me for using the AR until I did the drive and he posted over an open field at the end using my rifle while I carried his .44 mag. He killed a doe at 279 yards. Now he has one.

Your only options for factory ammo have been listed with the SOCOM and others. I had a SOCOM. Hits like a freight train, but ammo is $3+ per round and hard to find. Pretty much a 150 yard Max cartridge. Took one deer with mine before I sold it to get the WSSM.

FWIW, my WSSM has a Shilen Ultra Match barrel and shoots three 180 grain Hornady FTX's into .4" @ 100 yards.

If you use a .450 Bushmaster, gotta be careful of the bullets you use. They are .452 pistol bullets rather than the .458 rifle bullets in the SOCOM. Most .452's are made for pistol velocity and may give poor penetration at close range at rifle velocity

 

[Arkansas Paul]

.45-70 case length is 2.1 inches, thus not legal in Indiana for deer rifles.

In that case, consider this. A .454 Casull in a lever.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=447737266

 

[HOOfan_1]

Despite it's rural reputation (one well deserved mind you) Indiana is a rather well-populated place. Even way out in the country, there's a house every 300 yards in pretty much every direction and very little in the way of topography to stop a bullet. And corn stalks don't do much in that regard either. So presumably the law is there for safety and also because Indiana was hunted completely devoid of all game but rabbits in the 1890s by market hunters who thrived here.

As with just about all gun laws, one has to dig pretty deep to find the rationale, and even deeper to find the sense.

So they could do what a number of Virginia localities do. Require that a rifle chambered in other than a pistol cartridge, be shot only from a stand elevated at least 10 feet above the ground.

If Indiana is really that flat, and deer usually stand less than 4 feet tall at the shoulders, a person shooting from 10+ feet above the ground will be shooting into the ground.

 

[Agsalaska]

That AR criteria is going to eliminate most of the good options. Fair enough if you are trying to make a statement, but the best option combining ballistics, ammo choice, price, etc is probably a Marlin 1894 in 44 mag or a Ruger Deerfield.




-After reading that I wanted to clarify. I don't mean 'trying to make a statement' as a negative. Often times it is very important.

 

[Reloadron]

You may want to give this thread a read because it looks like Indiana used the Lower Michigan playbook in describing the cartridge. Anyway, you may want to give that thread a read for some ideas.

Since you define the rifle type as being an AR type rifle then I would be looking at the cartridges mentioned as any of them will get things done in the range you mention. Just make sure when you choose a cartridge you can get the ammunition with a good hunting game bullet without a problem.

Personally I would prefer a nice lever gun or semi-auto hunting rifle like the Ruger 44 Carbine for hunting in a 44 Magnum or 45 Colt chambering even though I see both as 100 yard cartridges for deer hunting. However, that said, going the AR route does make for some good cartridges.

Ron

 

[goathollow]

So you can use .357 Magnum, a firmly mediocre deer cartridge, but not .243, .308, '06, or .30-30? The hell kinda sense does that make?

But if that's what you've gotta deal with, and you want an AR, then I would be looking seriously at the logistics of .458 SOCOM. From what I gather, you can use the same lower as any 5.56 AR, and just need a new upper. Or even just barrel? But maybe I'm biased, I've always wanted an excuse to have .458 SOCOM.

Not a long range cartridge, but if you're coming from a shotgun, you're basically side-stepping.

I wouldn't mind a .44 lever gun either, though.

Proposal has been put forth to allow all centerfire calibers .243 or larger...but not until next year.

To the OP, based on your criteria, I'd just wait one more year and buy a 7.62/.308. It would be everything you asked, including readily available ammo.