Indiana deer rifle

nch_2018 · July 6, 2014, 01:02 AM

What is the best indiana deer rifle for around $300? Yes, I know there is no definite best and I will get alot of opinions, just seeing what's out there.

Ozzieman · July 6, 2014, 07:41 AM

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/modper...s.cgi?i=414805

aarondhgraham · July 6, 2014, 12:23 PM

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 · July 6, 2014, 08:38 PM

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...

Ozzieman · July 6, 2014, 09:29 PM

You can use slug shotguns but I don't like the drop compared to a 357 or 44 out to 100 yards.

drive_sideways · July 6, 2014, 09:49 PM

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 · July 7, 2014, 07:43 AM

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.

nch_2018 · July 7, 2014, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unlicensed Dremel

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.

nch_2018 · July 7, 2014, 10:18 AM

We can use slug guns and I own a fully rifled mossberg 500 in 20 gauge. I am looking into the rifles because I recently got alot of brass and dies for .357 and .44 mag so it would be cheaper to reload than spending 15 dollars or more for 5 slugs.

drive_sideways · July 7, 2014, 01:19 PM

That makes more sense now. Shoot both an get whatever one u like the most

Skans · July 8, 2014, 04:46 PM

Deleted.

nch_2018 · July 8, 2014, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skans

Deleted.

What?

riverratt · July 8, 2014, 09:11 PM

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.

Skans · July 9, 2014, 07:21 AM

Quote:

What?

Don't worry - self deleted because my response overlooked something and wasn't appropriate.

TimSr · July 10, 2014, 04:58 PM

Is muzzle loader an option there?

riverratt · July 11, 2014, 02:01 AM

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.

jeager106 · July 11, 2014, 02:28 PM

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.

nch_2018 · July 12, 2014, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeager106

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.

jmay · August 9, 2014, 04:59 PM

Maybe a used Win 94 post 64 30-30?

Blindstitch · August 10, 2014, 12:40 AM

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.

nch_2018 · August 17, 2014, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmay

Maybe a used Win 94 post 64 30-30?

30-30 is illegal for deer in a rifle

steveNChunter · August 18, 2014, 09:22 PM

The most practical and effective solution to stay within your budget would be a Handi-Rifle in .44 mag.

But if you ever decide to go all out, the "top dawg" of "Indiana rules" hunting is the .358 WSSM wildcat. You get muzzle velocities that surpass the .358 win, while staying just under the case length limit. Just find a Winchester or Browning rifle chambered for either 223 wssm, 243 wssm, or .25 wssm, and have it rebarreled. Of course you would have to form your brass from one of the wssm cases, but that's no big deal if you're already reloading.

More info on the .358 wssm: http://cheapermalice.com/2011/11/358-wssm/

Unlicensed Dremel · August 21, 2014, 07:11 PM

Is .375 Win legal? Too long?

nch_2018 · August 22, 2014, 06:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unlicensed Dremel

Is .375 Win legal? Too long?

Its 0.202 in. Too long

nch_2018 · August 22, 2014, 06:02 AM

Correction, 0.208 in. too long

July 6, 2014, 07:41 AM	#2
Ozzieman Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 6,117	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/modper...s.cgi?i=414805 __________________ It was a sad day when I discovered my universal remote control did not in fact control the universe. Did you hear about the latest study.....5 out of 6 liberals say that Russian Roulette is safe.

July 6, 2014, 12:23 PM	#3
aarondhgraham Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2009 Location: Stillwater, OKlahoma Posts: 8,638	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 . __________________ Never ever give an enemy the advantage of a verbal threat. Caje: The coward dies a thousand times, the brave only once. Kirby: That's about all it takes, ain't it? Aarond is good,,, Aarond is wise,,, Always trust Aarond! (most of the time)

July 6, 2014, 09:29 PM	#5
Ozzieman Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 6,117	You can use slug shotguns but I don't like the drop compared to a 357 or 44 out to 100 yards. __________________ It was a sad day when I discovered my universal remote control did not in fact control the universe. Did you hear about the latest study.....5 out of 6 liberals say that Russian Roulette is safe.

August 18, 2014, 09:22 PM	#22
steveNChunter Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2012 Location: Southern Appalachian Mtns Posts: 1,520	The most practical and effective solution to stay within your budget would be a Handi-Rifle in .44 mag. But if you ever decide to go all out, the "top dawg" of "Indiana rules" hunting is the .358 WSSM wildcat. You get muzzle velocities that surpass the .358 win, while staying just under the case length limit. Just find a Winchester or Browning rifle chambered for either 223 wssm, 243 wssm, or .25 wssm, and have it rebarreled. Of course you would have to form your brass from one of the wssm cases, but that's no big deal if you're already reloading. More info on the .358 wssm: http://cheapermalice.com/2011/11/358-wssm/ __________________ DEO VINDICE

July 6, 2014, 01:02 AM	#1
nch_2018 Member Join Date: July 2, 2014 Posts: 49	Indiana deer rifle What is the best indiana deer rifle for around $300? Yes, I know there is no definite best and I will get alot of opinions, just seeing what's out there.

July 6, 2014, 08:38 PM	#4
drive_sideways Senior Member Join Date: July 4, 2014 Posts: 142	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...

July 6, 2014, 09:49 PM	#6
drive_sideways Senior Member Join Date: July 4, 2014 Posts: 142	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...

July 7, 2014, 07:43 AM	#7
Unlicensed Dremel Junior member Join Date: February 13, 2014 Location: Flathead Valley, MT Posts: 2,187	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.

July 7, 2014, 10:18 AM	#9
nch_2018 Member Join Date: July 2, 2014 Posts: 49	We can use slug guns and I own a fully rifled mossberg 500 in 20 gauge. I am looking into the rifles because I recently got alot of brass and dies for .357 and .44 mag so it would be cheaper to reload than spending 15 dollars or more for 5 slugs.

July 7, 2014, 01:19 PM	#10
drive_sideways Senior Member Join Date: July 4, 2014 Posts: 142	That makes more sense now. Shoot both an get whatever one u like the most

July 8, 2014, 04:46 PM	#11
Skans Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2008 Posts: 11,132	Deleted.

July 8, 2014, 09:11 PM	#13
riverratt Senior Member Join Date: February 21, 2014 Posts: 314	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.

July 10, 2014, 04:58 PM	#15
TimSr Senior Member Join Date: March 8, 2013 Location: Rittman, Ohio Posts: 2,074	Is muzzle loader an option there?

July 11, 2014, 02:01 AM	#16
riverratt Senior Member Join Date: February 21, 2014 Posts: 314	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.

July 11, 2014, 02:28 PM	#17
jeager106 Junior member Join Date: November 24, 2006 Location: N.E. Oh. Posts: 527	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.

August 9, 2014, 04:59 PM	#19
jmay Member Join Date: July 31, 2013 Location: Dallas Tejas Posts: 53	Maybe a used Win 94 post 64 30-30?

August 10, 2014, 12:40 AM	#20
Blindstitch Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2013 Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 2,692	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.

August 21, 2014, 07:11 PM	#23
Unlicensed Dremel Junior member Join Date: February 13, 2014 Location: Flathead Valley, MT Posts: 2,187	Is .375 Win legal? Too long?

August 22, 2014, 06:02 AM	#25
nch_2018 Member Join Date: July 2, 2014 Posts: 49	Correction, 0.208 in. too long