Ever since Ohio had a deer season it had been slug only, then much later, handgun & muzzle loader, with certain restrictions, i.e. caliber, bbl. length of handgun, etc.
Just a couple months back the D.N.R. allowed the use of rifles chambered only for almost any straight walled ctg. case. That is about 20 + calibers if you include some of the very obsolete stuff.
Now lever guns in .44 mag, .45 colt, .357 & the mighty 45-70, fly off dealer shelves at retail plus!
Good for me I've had a love affair with lever guns for......well, a long time, & have Marlins in (2) .357, a .45 Colt Cowboy, .44 mag., & an 1895 in 45-70.
I never paid over $350 for any of them either.
Being as I was pretty much forced to use the s.g. & slug for most of my hunting I experiemented a lot with smoothie accuracy then along came sabots & rifled barrels. Accuracy with the later improved in time but cost went way up. Some sabot slugs can cost nearly $5 bucks a shot!
I load for the now legal levers & can shoot for under .75 cents a shot, often way under that.
I'm getting to my point.
Loading sabot slugs is still a black art. Components are hard to find. Good factory components don't exist.
Reloading for lever action calibers is a breeze & rifles are more accurate.
(opinion there)
Not saying I'm an expert regards sabot slugs & shotguns but it's a rare s.g. that can shoot 2" groups at 100, even so the ammo is stupid expensive.
I'd go with the 45-70 & handloaded 300 grain bullets for deer were it me.
(it will be me this fall)
Just another opinion folks.