Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Favorite 35-375 cal whitetail round

I'm looking to buy a 35-375 caliber carbine barrel (Contender or Encore) for the "primitive weapons" season next year. The problem is every one of them looks appealing to me.

I'm going to be sticking close to a 20" barrel. Shots are typically under 75yrds but can stretch out to 150-175 yrds. I only shoot handloads so not concerned about factory ammo. So what do you guys like?

38-55 would be my choice lots of boolit styles rimed case (friedly to breakopens) easy to load for and a very accurate round.

In a contender, .358jdj...handles heavies better than the .35remmy, and the extra speed would be handy when stretching the barrel out to 200 yards.

In the encore, .358winchester. I went the .350mag route, but realistically the .358 would do all the work with less powder & less recoil.

35 whelen or 358 wra with 200 gr TSXs.

Mar336,

What are the gun and caliber legal constraints of your "primitive weapons" season? The only caliber mentioned so far that even remotely resembles anything "primitive" is the 38-55.

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Big Redhead brings up a valid point. I believe that most of the states that have allowed cartridge arms in the primitive season have limited them to straight wall cases. The 375 Win would be a good one. A 220 gr Hornady flat point at 2200 fps ought to do the trick out to 150 yards.

In MS the "primitive weapons" season has turned into a free-for-all. It's pretty ridiculous but any cartridge 35 caliber and larger and an Encore qualifies for the gun. A lot of people are using 35 Whelens and 358's. http://home.mdwfp.com/License/info.aspx?id=13

In LA where I live though the PW regulations are much more strict.

"primitive weapons"? you gotta be kidding. PA is the only state I know of that really has "primitive weapons" deer hunting.

I heard from a game warden that they've been relaxing the rules because they're worried about shrinking numbers of hunters and it increases revenue. If you're a black powder shooter though it's great because shops can't give the stuff away now. You can find some pretty good bargains.

For me being able to use it during primitive weapons is a good excuse to buy a large bore barrel. In reality even if it's legal I doubt I would use it except during the gun season. A 209x50 is practically a high power rifle anyway.

The great thing about the Encore or the Contender is that you can buy a custom barrel from someone like MGM, and have it chambered exactly the way you want.

You have a ton of choices here.

First what are the exact restrictions there. Does it have to be a straight waled case??

Take a look at the 38-40. Great choice, and it shoots cast bullets great. 38-55 if it doesn't need to be straight wall. The 358 Winchester is tough as nails with a 200 grain jacketed or cast bullets. We really need to know the restrictions first. Tom.

I like the 356 Win. I have a Marlin 336SD that Regan Nooneman rechambered from 35 Rem and it is a great cartridge. The 180 grain Speers are dynamite on deer, while the 220 grain Speers ought be be equally deadly on bear, elk, and moose.

If you can get into a barrel with a smaller bore at a good price, there is a guy in OR who does a nice reboring job for around $150. Weagle had a Marlin 336 rebored from 30-30 to 375 Win and thought that the work done was 1st class.

Jeff

Jeff

Very hard to beat a .38-55 with a case of about 46 gr of Swiss 2f and a paper patched bullet. But I did try to beat that with a .38-72. The deer get just as dead with either one.

Take a good hard look at the .357 Maximum. It will do everything you want for deer and it has the added benefit of being able to use 38 Special for plinking, small game, etc.

It doesn't have the panache of the 38-55 ilk, but it is practical up the wazhoo!


Johnny $

Well guys I bought my sold called "primitive weapons" barrel. It's an 18" 357 maximum for my Contender. I can't wait to get it and shoot it. Not only have I heard a lot of good reports about it, I already load 38 special and 357 mag so it made a lot of sense.

For those curious, cut and pasted from the MDWFP website -

PRIMITIVE WEAPONS
"Primitive firearms" for the purpose of hunting deer, are defined as single or double barreled muzzle-loading rifles of at least .38 caliber; single shot, breech loading, cartridge rifles (.35 caliber or larger) and replicas, reproductions or reintroductions of those type rifles; and single or double-barreled muzzle-loading, shotguns with single ball or slug. All muzzle-loading Primitive Firearms must use black powder or a black powder substitute with either percussion caps or #209 shotgun primers or flintlock ignition. Breech loading single shot rifles must have exposed hammers and use metallic cartridges. Cartridges may be loaded either with black powder or modern smokeless powder. Scopes of any magnification are allowed on primitive weapons.

It has turned into a free-for-all for sure.
Dang I never thought I'd feel all archaic and stuff
with an iron-sighted in-line ml
About tempts me to be an azz and take my Ruger No.1
Hey, I can see and touch the hammer, it's exposed to me!
Well, the tip of the back of it, anyhow.
Actually had one warden tell me, "As long as it looks like
a single shot, and you don't come sticking it under my nose,
I don't care"

I wasn't going to make the switch but almost everyone in our camp went to 45-70 Handi-rifles. After that I figured I like hunting with my Contender so might as well use it. My T/C Hawken will still get some field time when I hunt during primitive weapons here in LA. Although there's talk that we're going to loosen up the rules to match MS.

.357 Magnum 158gr. JSP.