Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 1.800" hunting cartridges for restricted zones???

Here is another option for those that may have such a beast.....I have found that if you cut a .375 Winchester case down to 1.8, you can still load it to full cartridge length with a full power load. I have 6 hunting buddies that are using this with single shot rifles, namely Ruger #3's and Contenders. I have done the case trimming and loading for all. I wouldn't put it in a repeater because you aren't holding the bullet by much in the case neck, but in the single shots it works. I use an old Hornady 225gr spire pt.and IMR 4198. It's a 200 yard load without turret twisting. 2100 fps out of the 19" Ruger, 2200+ out of the 23" Contender.

Ken, I hear you on that. It's so hard to paint with a broad brush. I can only speak for my small corner of the world....During Deer season around here you may find 12 or more people in a square mile trying to corner a deer. We seldom see a predator hunter, unless it's a buddy and myself.

I think if they do it, it for sure will be private land only, and maybe also dependent on the size of the parcel. The Ruger 450 Bushmaster is being sold as a 300 yard gun, and it falls under the current restrictions. And, I know some guys think nothing of taking cracks at 300+ yards with muzzleloaders and slug guns.

Some people are always going to be stupid. And a stupid person with any gun is unsafe.

Disregard my last if you read it Ken. I misread your post.

The Ruger 96/44 lever is my all-time favorite deer rifle for short range, thick stuff. Extremely fast follow-up shots with such a short throw lever travel, literally just flick your fingers down/up to work the action. Very fast.

Removable magazine is very nice when going in/out of vehicles during the day. Very short, light, and a dream to carry all day. I've taken more deer with a 96/44 than any other rifle I own....

Expanding on the 357 Max.....In my experience, about all the velocity can be gotten in 18" and less. I prefer 16.25". Second, if follow ups are a priority, there's other guns/calibers. A 357 mag lever carbine ain't even close in ballistics to what I'm talking about. It's about as efficient for velocity vs barrel length vs bullet weight vs blast vs recoil vs energy as anything ever conjured, IMO. You'll have to burn a lot more powder, have more recoil, more blast, more barrel, etc....to get any better.

I hunt southwest MI as well...ever since they changed the law, I've tried many different calibers, including 44 mag, 375 Winchester and 45-70 trimmed to 1.8", 450 Bushmaster, and 460 S&W. All of them worked well...although I can say that I'll never shoot a 460 S&W from inside a box blind with a 20" encore barrel, my ears rang for the entire day after that.

First I've heard of the potential for a law change again, I would really like it if I could use a .243 or .308. I hunt in the thick stuff, but most of my shots are 50 to 100 yds around one field.

MI recently allowed centerfire rifles at night for predator hunting, so maybe there's a good chance for allowing bottleneck calibers.

To the OP...two seasons ago I used a 44 mag (77/44) to take a doe. Shot was about 90 yds, I shot her behind the shoulder in the lungs with a handload using Hornady 240 gr. XTP at just over 1700fps. Bullet zipped through her no problem, but I had to track her about 100 yds.

I used a Ruger 44 Mag pistol this last season with success. But EVERYBODY seems to be going to the 450 BM in southern Michigan. You should be seeing a lot of slug guns for sale soon.

Unless the state goes nutso and decides to not make permanent or expand the limited rifle regulations. Then all the 450 Bushmasters would be worthless for deer hunting purposes. Not likely but certainly possible given how little the pencil pushers know about firearms.

I just researched this further. The current straight wall limited cartridge law will expire in May. If nothing is done, they will no longer be legal. The NRC fought this allowance for 5 years before it passed and they dont want it made permanent or renewed. They will be reviewing it in meetings in April and May. MUCC says it will be enacted with possible cartridge additions.

What does this mean? Straight walled cartridges won't be legal, only slugs or?

If the law is not extended or reinstated in some form the cartridges would no longer be legal for southern Michigan deer hunting.
Maybe it is not a coincidence that the dealer is moving so many of the 450 Rugers out the door currently. Before the competition gets the cataloged version and before the law is decided.

http://imgur.com/KWBykY9

450 Bushmaster. I live in NY and I built one for the woods. The fixed magazine sucks but that rifle seems to pack a serious punch.


Dan

The 444 and 45-70 are far better cartridges, all around.

Man. A lot to check into. I think I'll hold off until this summer until they figure out what is what. If they allow 308 and offspring of it on private land I'm good. If the 1.8" rules are renewed then the bushmaster will get the nod. Time will tell I guess. Thanks again. You've all been helpful.