Modern Rifle for Shooting Slugs

[rckendall]

A friend of mine asked me about new/modern rifles with smooth bores for shooting lead slugs. He lives in Ohio where shooting slugs is all that is allowed for deer, and up until recently it was only done with shotguns. Lately I hear, manufacturers are building smooth bore rifles in 45-70(?) that do a much better job.

Can someone point us in the right direction for learning about these rifles? He also mentioned that he would want a scope on it, and he doesn't have much money. He said a buddy used one to shoot a deer recently at 60 yards, and that was a long shot for their neck of the woods.

Thanks for any info,
Richard

 

[hogpatrol]

You can use straight wall calibers for deer in Ohio. Smoothbore slug guns wouldn't come close to the accuracy of the centerfire calibers allowed.

Legal deer hunting rifles are chambered for the following calibers: .357 Magnum, .357 Maximum, .38 Special, .375 Super Magnum, .375 Winchester, .38-55, .41 Long Colt, .41 Magnum, .44 Special, .44 Magnum, .444 Marlin, .45 ACP, .45 Colt, .45 Long Colt, .45 Winchester Magnum, .45 Smith & Wesson, .454 Casull, .460 Smith & ...Apr 10, 2014

 

[WyleWD]

Some of the information you have for legal firearms for deer hunting in Ohio is inaccurate.

Gun Season and Youth Gun Season
Shotgun: 10 gauge or smaller shotgun using one ball or one rifled slug per barrel (rifled shotgun barrels are permitted when using shotgun slug ammunition).

Muzzleloading rifle: .38 caliber or larger.

Muzzleloading shotgun: 10 gauge or smaller using one ball per barrel.

Handgun: With 5-inch minimum length barrel, using straight-walled cartridges .357 caliber or larger.

Straight-walled cartridge rifles in the following calibers: New this year! All straight-walled cartridge calibers from a minimum of .357 to a maximum of .50. Shotguns and straight-walled cartridge rifles can be loaded with no more than three shells in the chamber and magazine combined.

You can read more on the Ohio DNR website. WD

 

[Sniper338]

Some of the information you have for legal firearms for deer hunting in Ohio is inaccurate.

Gun Season and Youth Gun Season
Shotgun: 10 gauge or smaller shotgun using one ball or one rifled slug per barrel (rifled shotgun barrels are permitted when using shotgun slug ammunition).

Muzzleloading rifle: .38 caliber or larger.

Muzzleloading shotgun: 10 gauge or smaller using one ball per barrel.

Handgun: With 5-inch minimum length barrel, using straight-walled cartridges .357 caliber or larger.

Straight-walled cartridge rifles in the following calibers: New this year! All straight-walled cartridge calibers from a minimum of .357 to a maximum of .50. Shotguns and straight-walled cartridge rifles can be loaded with no more than three shells in the chamber and magazine combined.

You can read more on the Ohio DNR website. WD

get a marlin lever action 357 mag, or 44 mag. Weve killed lots of deer with em at our ranch, works great.

or a rem 870 shotgun, buy a slug barrel for it, and a scope mount adapter.

 

[243winxb]

https://www.mossberg.com/product/500-combo-fielddeer-54243/ Rifled slug barrel that takes a scope. 12 or 20 gauge. On sale new for about $ 375.

Has an extra shot barrel.

 

[WyleWD]

A friend of mine asked me about new/modern rifles with smooth bores for shooting lead slugs. He lives in Ohio where shooting slugs is all that is allowed for deer, and up until recently it was only done with shotguns. Lately I hear, manufacturers are building smooth bore rifles in 45-70(?) that do a much better job.

Can someone point us in the right direction for learning about these rifles?

Thanks for any info,
Richard

There is nothing that says firearms used for deer hunting in Ohio must have smooth bores. As long as it is on the DNR list of approved firearms, and the season is in, you're good to go. One must read all their rules carefully, as they do have some some fine print.

Getting written landowner permission is THE challenge. JME.WD

 

[jkats]

Being from Iowa slugs are all we use to shoot deer with. There are several good options on setting up a good slug gun, if your a stand hunter savage makes a bolt action slug gun that shoots pretty well. For deer drives I've found what for me is the perfect set up, it is a Remington 1100 with a rifled 24 inch hastings barrel and a 1.5-4.5 scope. Whatever way he goes shoot ALOT of different kinds of slugs to find what it shoots best, you will find some you can't shoot a 2 foot group at 100 yards and the next kind will be 2 inches.

 

[MQ1]

I grew up in Ohio, and my brother still lives there. If he wants to have the perfect Ohio rifle, he should find a Marlin or Henry .44 Magnum. If he hand loads, he can make some easy shooting cast bullet loads that are easy on the shoulder, and don’t destroy the deer.

MQ1

 

[1shot]

T/C Encore in 454 Casull is my "go to" rifle for deer in Ohio. Light weight, easy to carry and hits like a hammer.

Lloyd

 

[rckendall]

Thanks to everyone who has replied. I am not a hunter so I certainly didn't know how to answer, but I knew some of you guys (and gals?) would! He hunts from his own property so that isn't a problem for him, but his eyes are getting bad like a few of us.

He seamed to be drawn to a lever action but figured they would be out of his price range, but I think the Marlin might fit the bill real well. I'll shop a bit before I get back to him, but again, thanks everyone.

Richard

 

[hogpatrol]

In Iowa, my buddies use smokeless muzzleloaders. Good to over 300 yards with the right load setup and bullets.

 

[sawcarver]

If he has a contender or encore then a 357 maximum barrel could make him real happy. Use a 1-14T and cutting edge 150gr raptor bullets and it's a killer out to 400 yards

 

[284winner]

You can use straight wall calibers for deer in Ohio. Smoothbore slug guns wouldn't come close to the accuracy of the centerfire calibers allowed.

Legal deer hunting rifles are chambered for the following calibers: .357 Magnum, .357 Maximum, .38 Special, .375 Super Magnum, .375 Winchester, .38-55, .41 Long Colt, .41 Magnum, .44 Special, .44 Magnum, .444 Marlin, .45 ACP, .45 Colt, .45 Long Colt, .45 Winchester Magnum, .45 Smith & Wesson, .454 Casull, .460 Smith & ...Apr 10, 2014

New this year for Ohio deer hunting. ALL straight wall cartridges from .357 to .50 cal are legal in Ohio for deer.

 

[snert]

Contender carbine in 45-70 or 357 Maximum.

HR slugster in 20 ga

HR in 45-70

in descending order of cost...

 

[Ohio Varmint Shooter]

I'm a little late to the postings here. Ohio has been shotgun only for decades. But recently allowed straight walled cartridges for deer hunting. I'm not a deer hunter, but some of my deer hunting buddies tell me a shotgun with the rifled barrel and a scope with the correct kind of slugs (sabos?) can be VERY accurate out to 100 yards or so. Ok, very accurate for a shotgun...we're not talking one ragged hole like a varmint rifle.

Not that I've researched this subject much, but I've wondered two things:

1) Why has Ohio been shotgun only? If someone's argument is the landscape/terrain of the state (flat or hills), that doesn't make much sense because the central and northwestern portion of the state is flat as a pancake, the southern and northeastern have hills. Perhaps there's another reason.

2) Why a distinction between straightwalled and tapered cartridges? Both can go considerably further than a shotgun slug. So the same question still arises as in #1 above....

Personally, if I were a deer hunter in Ohio looking for a straight walled gun, I'd most likely get a 44 magnum. Either a lever action or a break open single shot. It's easy to find hollowpoints in this caliber. Some of those other cartridges are either unnecessary 'shoulder cannons' (yes, I'm talking to you 45-70 govt) or cartridges that would be difficult to find with hunting bullets. (as opposed to things like inappropriate FMJ pistol bullets)

Maybe a 41 mag, but those might be rare to find in the lever or break open rifle....not to mention appropriate cartridges.

 

[jimmymac]

1) Why has Ohio been shotgun only? If someone's argument is the landscape/terrain of the state (flat or hills), that doesn't make much sense because the central and northwestern portion of the state is flat as a pancake, the southern and northeastern have hills. Perhaps there's another reason.

I certainly don't know but my guess is because of the terrain, and the state decided to error on the side of safety and made the regulation a state wide thing to keep things simple for all involved.

 

[JRS]

Population density.

 

[jimmymac]

Good point. Where I live in SW PA we are also limited with what we can hunt with.

 

[people]

2) Why a distinction between straightwalled and tapered cartridges? Both can go considerably further than a shotgun slug. So the same question still arises as in #1 above....

Most straight walled cartridges use bullets that have a very low BC. It is almost totally opposite with tapered or shoulder cartridges.

If I had to deal with this limitation I would pick a round that would give me performance at the distance I could hunt at. If all my shots were less than 50 yds my pick would be very different than if I could get 200yds.

With all of this being said one needs a good back stop. Poking a hole in a house or car is going to cause a bad day. Hitting something like a person will bring on a new level of suck.

 

[Nomad47]

Its dangerous enough with shorter range weapons during deer gun season in Ohio considering the numbers of hunters in the field - even more so when you take into account all those "once a year for a week gun toters".

Agreed that rifles wouldn't be TOO dangerous in the hilly counties, but they would be downright scary around the outskirts of the cities in the flatter parts of the state.