Indiana deer rifle
- Thread starter nch_2018
- Start date
http://www.hr1871.com/firearms/rifles/handirifle.asp
Since Indiana will only allow pistol caliber rifles for deer the 44 mag would be a very good choice. Good accuracy and power out to 100 yards.
For your price range one gun that I have been very impressed with is the H&R handi rifle.
Friend has one in 44 mag and takes his limit every year.
He has a Redding scope on it and when I fired it 3 inch groups were easy to maintain at 100 yards.
And its in your price range.
http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?i=414805
Since Indiana will only allow pistol caliber rifles for deer the 44 mag would be a very good choice. Good accuracy and power out to 100 yards.
For your price range one gun that I have been very impressed with is the H&R handi rifle.
Friend has one in 44 mag and takes his limit every year.
He has a Redding scope on it and when I fired it 3 inch groups were easy to maintain at 100 yards.
And its in your price range.
http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?i=414805
aarondhgraham
New member
I'm with Ozzieman, almost,,,
I think an H&R Handi-Rifle is a viable choice,,,
The only difference is I like the .357 Magnum a little better.
Right now the rifle is only $265.00 at budsgunshop,,,
Decent glass with mounts should run as little as $150.00.
You would be very surprised how fast the second shot is,,,
It does take some practice but it's not difficult at all.
Aarond
.
I think an H&R Handi-Rifle is a viable choice,,,
The only difference is I like the .357 Magnum a little better.
Right now the rifle is only $265.00 at budsgunshop,,,
Decent glass with mounts should run as little as $150.00.
You would be very surprised how fast the second shot is,,,
It does take some practice but it's not difficult at all.
Aarond
.
drive_sideways
New member
Can u use slug guns? The ultra slug hunter by h&r is good choice. Shoots just as far an accurately if not farther then the 44 or 357... Ive heard of guys shooting 150 yards an dropping a deer 1 shot...
drive_sideways
New member
U'd b surprised with how well the shoot with the tech in them nowadays. I'd take a slug gun over either of those, but i also hunt in thick wooded areas (northeast US) so the heavier the bullet the better... 45/70 is my #1 choice tho...
Unlicensed Dremel
Moderator
Can't you use .357 maximum? That's what I'd want for open or mixed-flora areas. Just get a T/C Contender in max and you're in high cotton.
I can but I can't get ammo anywhere. And I don't have the money for the contender.
drive_sideways
New member
That makes more sense now. Shoot both an get whatever one u like the most
What?
If you get a H&R the OAL of the load doesnt matter. (you should still follow overall case length and make sure your not in the rifleing with the bullet). That said you can load the 225gr FTX bullets to full .44 mag potential and not have to trim the casses down to make it cycle. Thoes bullets loaded at the sweet spot will shoot great with good preformance on game, as long as you keep the speed up. I once used a load developed for my rifle in my handgun and shot a doe at 50yrds and the preformance was deffinetly less than stellar.
If you can find one for cheap the ruger 77/44 is a heck of a deer gun but they typically run around 700-800 new.
As far as the .357 mag goes i have never used it in a rifle but had good success with a pistol. The only problem i see with that is if you hunt the same places in indiana i hunted then the lack of blood produced would make tracking dificult. But the higher velocity of a rifle could make the differance there.
If you can find one for cheap the ruger 77/44 is a heck of a deer gun but they typically run around 700-800 new.
As far as the .357 mag goes i have never used it in a rifle but had good success with a pistol. The only problem i see with that is if you hunt the same places in indiana i hunted then the lack of blood produced would make tracking dificult. But the higher velocity of a rifle could make the differance there.
Beings you live in indiana and you reload you could look into a 358 hoosier. That is if you are looking to extend your range. It is a wildcat that is basically a 358 win just shorter sothat it is legal in indiana. From what i understand it is formed from a 358 win brass then trimmed. It shoots a 180gr bullet at 2600 fps.
When i lived in indiana i was looking into it, back then it was $300 to have a 308 family chamberd gun (.308, .243, 7mm-08 and so on) rebarreled. But if your shots are less then 150 yrds then a H&R single shot .44 mag will be perfectly fine.
When i lived in indiana i was looking into it, back then it was $300 to have a 308 family chamberd gun (.308, .243, 7mm-08 and so on) rebarreled. But if your shots are less then 150 yrds then a H&R single shot .44 mag will be perfectly fine.
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.
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.
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.
I live in indiana 45-70 is illegal in a rifle.
Blindstitch
New member
This is from the Indiana DNR site.
What are the rifle cartridge size requirements for Firearms Season?
Cartridges must fire a bullet of .357-inch diameter or larger and have a case length between 1.16 and 1.8 inches. Examples of legal cartridges now include the .460 Smith & Wesson, .450 Bushmaster, and .50 Beowulf as well as the .357 Magnum, .38-.40 Winchester, .41 Special and others.
What are the rifle cartridge size requirements for Firearms Season?
Cartridges must fire a bullet of .357-inch diameter or larger and have a case length between 1.16 and 1.8 inches. Examples of legal cartridges now include the .460 Smith & Wesson, .450 Bushmaster, and .50 Beowulf as well as the .357 Magnum, .38-.40 Winchester, .41 Special and others.