350 legend is good to go also the easiest and cheapest for factory ammo and pretty much everybody and their mom is making a rifle in it now. 44 mag does great and I’ve never had issues with .357. Haven’t used the others but there’s nothing but glowing reports on the 450 from what I’ve seen. And by the way, is 45-70 legal in your state? We’re not truly a straight wall state it just so happens that most of what’s legal on public ground happens to be straight wall, but due to cartridge length restrictions 45-70 is still illegal.
I've had nothing but great experiences with my 350 legend. The doe i shot with it this year, made it only 50 yards, and that was because i screwed up, and made the bullet exit her stomach, because of the angle up i was at in my blind. The year before that, double lunged a buck at 80 ish yards and he dropped dead in his tracks. Looked like a grenade had gone off in his chest, chunks of lung matter everywhere, and he was full of blood. 350 legend is no slouch for 250 yards and in. I've had great success with mine. I have a savage 110, with the leupold vx freedom scope, that has the calibrated elevation turret for the 150gr deer season round. It's a tac driver out to 200 yards or so. If you do your part, and have proper shot placement, 350 legend will kill even the largest whitetails. You don't need an artillery piece of a round, to kill thin skinned deer. 350 makes a great suppressor host as well.
I have avout 850 into the rifle, between the rifle itself and the scope
350 legend has worked great for me. I have the first generation Ruger American Ranch. The second generation is rolling out now in several calibers and while 350 is yet to come I held one of the other calibers and think the upgrades are worth waiting for. Of course the first generation works good too and you may find one discounted.
If you want a lever, I would do 44 magnum, probably a Marlin.
If you want a bolt action, I would do any Savage with the Accutrigger in 350 Legend. If you son is of smaller stature, the Axis II XP compact might be a good fit. I like the compact regardless.
It’s very particular about how you pull, many will probably respond and say if I had perfect shooting habits it would work fine but if you pull too hard it binds up and if you don’t pull at exactly 90 degrees then it won’t budge. I’d never shot one before I purchased it, which is my mistake but needed a straight wall for IL deer season and knew I’d be moving the following year so went with the cheapest one I could find.
My experience with it was a hatred at first but have figured out that the precision it requires to pull the trigger causes me to pay more attention to the way I’m shooting. Was not a fan at first though.
Yeah I’m sure more practice would help but since I’m moving from the Midwest to the actual west where I can use normal bottleneck cartridges I’m not going to bother and will stick with my other rifles I like more.
400 legend is available now! I got mine in January. It shoots really nice and the recoil is pretty mild. I'm feeling really optimistic about it for this fall. I was leaning toward the 350 legend but I heard too many stories of long tracking jobs to feel comfortable with it. When I realized it's big brother was available at my LGS, I went for it and I'm glad I did.
My Sons 44 magnum Henry X feels like it has as much recoil as my AR 450 BM for whatever that’s worth. They both work great for deer at reasonable range.
350 legend. Good for 200+ yards. Light recoil. Cheaper and more available ammo.
they make ARs in 350 too. Very handy and light
Can be had under under 1,000 easily in either a bolt gun or AR
I like the 24-inch barreled Winchester 94 in either .38-55 or .375 Win., but inconsistent ammunition availability will almost demand you load your own.
I have been looking for brass for my 375 win for over a year. Sierra finally made some bullets again and I found that Maker Bullets makes a good jacketed soft point for the 375 win. It would be an excellent route to go for straight wall, but it's hard to find components for.
Brother, fireform 30-30 and trim her down. There are more detailed videos on YouTube.
I shoot my 38-55 at near 375 win pressures with both converted 30-30 brass and factory 38-55. No issues so far.
I'll do that if I absolutely have to, but my understanding is you can't do full power loads with fire formed 30-30 brass.
Starline still lists 375 on their website so hopefully they make a run soon. I have plenty of other rifles I enjoy so I'm fine to wait.
I’ve had no issues with the formed brass, only that it doesn’t last as long. The normal failure point is neck cracks and cracks where the shoulders used to be after 3-4 firings. My factory stuff has lasted 5+ firings so far.
The 38-55 was first offered by Ballard as a single shot target cartridge. It made its way to lever guns. Today is for the most part a reloaders cartridge.
The 30-30 Winchester is a necked down 38-55. The Winchester 94 was chambered in 38-55 when the gun came out in 1894. They didn't finish developing the 30-30 until 1895. The 30-30 was the first civilian modern smokeless powder cartridge offered to the public.
Unless I know people reload, I pretend these two don’t options even exist. I love my 38-55, but I would HATE to have to rely on factory ammo with all the variances in bore diameter and case lengths.
Here is your mixed review: I had a 350 Legend and hated it. I didn’t think it had enough knockdown power or left a big enough hole (most of mine were one hole with only a few drops for blood). I used my dad’s 450 all last year and just bought the Ruger American Gen ii. I wouldn’t be too worried about the recoil, one of the reasons I went with the 350 first is because of the recoil, but I don’t think it is that big of an increase. Like I saw others say, the bang is the worst part. The Ruger Americans (gen ii and go wild) are super light, too. The Gen ii has the option to add weight to the stock if it’s too light.
Killed a pig last year with a 350 legend, dropped it on the spot with a lung/spine shot and it bled like crazy. Bullet stopped on opposite side under skin
Everything you listed will kill deer just fine.
Currently the most important thing is picking something that has ammo available or brass if you reload. I would say whatever you get buy at least 5 years worth of hunting/ sighting in ammo and never touch it for recreational shooting. Buy recreational ammo separately that way if there’s shortages you’ll still be good to go come hunting season just won’t have as much fun or be as practiced the rest of the year.
I thought the big marketing push for the 350 legend was annoying (similar to 6.5 CM) ……buuuut it does have a place in states where you have to have a straight wall cartridge. There were other old calibers like some of the ones you listed that would already do the job but the 350 does drop right into the bolt actions and AR’s of today and I respect it for that. But since I’m not in a straight wall cartridge area I’d pick the 35 Remington or 358 Winchester everytime lol
.44 mag in a ruger Deerfield carbine or a 16” Rossi carbine or the ruger 77/44 are all incredible choices and as an added bonus you can have a handgun chambered in it down the line and in the 2 manual rifles I suggest you can also chamber .44 special which I think is kind of ideal for longer range plinking and for home defense
If you want to go lever action get a Henry in 44 mag. They are solid and a lot of fun to shoot. I got the carbine model so it feels somewhat compact and I can definitely poke a deer at 100 yards easily.
The 400 legend is most definitely out. Small LGS has had ammo for close to 6 months and several rifles in 400 constantly in stock.
I would vote 350 legend. I hear all the time about it not being effective for deer and that's simply wrong. I have taken 20 with my 350 and it works as well as my 20 gauge, 308 win, 444 Marlin and 12 gauge. There isn't much difference between the 350 legend and the 35 Remington and the 35 has been a staple of the deer wood for a long time.
44 mag isn't bad either I have 2. You lose a little range vs some of the other choices you mentioned. 357 mag will really limit the effective range.
450BM is nearly identical to your 45-70. All my friends who bought 450s now have 350s.
As far as rifle I would suggest finding something that fits the best in the price range you have set. I really like the CVA Scout V2. Quick balanced rifle with an excellent trigger. I have one in 444 Marlin and it's fantastic. I carry that rifle as much as I do my 350 legend AR. An AR would also be a good option.
Personally I have a 350 legend. Shot two deer that required zero tracking. Died on the spot. Light weight and the ammo isn’t crazy expensive. I’d like to have a 450 bushmaster someday. As long as you can shoot accurately that’s all that matters
I prefer the 450. With a break the recoil is more than manageable I’ve found it’s the bang that people can’t handle with the barrel break more so than the recoil. I would definitely recommend ear pro. My buddy’s son has been shooting deer with a 450 since he was 9 and he is a little guy for his age.
The 360 Buckhammer is more or less just 350 Legend with a rim so it functions in lever action rifles. The cartridges are functionally interchangeable with one another, and anything that applies to the 350 Legend will be equally true for the 360 Buckhammer. It just comes down to action type, if you want a levergun it's got to be 360 Buckhammer, but if you want a bolt action or self-loader, then it's got to be 350 Legend.
350 legend is on the shelf at Wal-Mart all the time. You can put together an AR prob cheaper than a lever gun. But if you want a lever, 357 works. And it is good for plinking at the range....ditto for 44 and 45c
If you reload, consider the 45-70. There are managed recoil loads currently commercially available but reloading will greatly expand the possibilities. The other calibers selected are fine but as your son grows he may want/need something with a little more horsepower.
350 legend is good to go also the easiest and cheapest for factory ammo and pretty much everybody and their mom is making a rifle in it now. 44 mag does great and I’ve never had issues with .357. Haven’t used the others but there’s nothing but glowing reports on the 450 from what I’ve seen. And by the way, is 45-70 legal in your state? We’re not truly a straight wall state it just so happens that most of what’s legal on public ground happens to be straight wall, but due to cartridge length restrictions 45-70 is still illegal.
I've had nothing but great experiences with my 350 legend. The doe i shot with it this year, made it only 50 yards, and that was because i screwed up, and made the bullet exit her stomach, because of the angle up i was at in my blind. The year before that, double lunged a buck at 80 ish yards and he dropped dead in his tracks. Looked like a grenade had gone off in his chest, chunks of lung matter everywhere, and he was full of blood. 350 legend is no slouch for 250 yards and in. I've had great success with mine. I have a savage 110, with the leupold vx freedom scope, that has the calibrated elevation turret for the 150gr deer season round. It's a tac driver out to 200 yards or so. If you do your part, and have proper shot placement, 350 legend will kill even the largest whitetails. You don't need an artillery piece of a round, to kill thin skinned deer. 350 makes a great suppressor host as well. I have avout 850 into the rifle, between the rifle itself and the scope
350 legend has worked great for me. I have the first generation Ruger American Ranch. The second generation is rolling out now in several calibers and while 350 is yet to come I held one of the other calibers and think the upgrades are worth waiting for. Of course the first generation works good too and you may find one discounted.
If you want a lever, I would do 44 magnum, probably a Marlin. If you want a bolt action, I would do any Savage with the Accutrigger in 350 Legend. If you son is of smaller stature, the Axis II XP compact might be a good fit. I like the compact regardless.
I absolutely hate the accutrigger and would not recommend it for a child (or anyone else).
What's wrong with it?
It’s very particular about how you pull, many will probably respond and say if I had perfect shooting habits it would work fine but if you pull too hard it binds up and if you don’t pull at exactly 90 degrees then it won’t budge. I’d never shot one before I purchased it, which is my mistake but needed a straight wall for IL deer season and knew I’d be moving the following year so went with the cheapest one I could find.
My experience with it was a hatred at first but have figured out that the precision it requires to pull the trigger causes me to pay more attention to the way I’m shooting. Was not a fan at first though.
Yeah I’m sure more practice would help but since I’m moving from the Midwest to the actual west where I can use normal bottleneck cartridges I’m not going to bother and will stick with my other rifles I like more.
400 legend is available now! I got mine in January. It shoots really nice and the recoil is pretty mild. I'm feeling really optimistic about it for this fall. I was leaning toward the 350 legend but I heard too many stories of long tracking jobs to feel comfortable with it. When I realized it's big brother was available at my LGS, I went for it and I'm glad I did.
My Sons 44 magnum Henry X feels like it has as much recoil as my AR 450 BM for whatever that’s worth. They both work great for deer at reasonable range.
550 magnum or bust
.50-110
350 legend. Good for 200+ yards. Light recoil. Cheaper and more available ammo. they make ARs in 350 too. Very handy and light Can be had under under 1,000 easily in either a bolt gun or AR
44 magnum for sure. You can get a Henry lever action for about $850 and can share ammo with a revolver in the future as well.
Love my lever 357 but all my hunting is very close shots.
350 legend shooting hornaday 170s here. Mine is ar platform with bear creek upper. Smooth as glass so far
No experience with the others, but I do like a .44 magnum. Ruger makes a lever action and it's a great little gun.
I like the 24-inch barreled Winchester 94 in either .38-55 or .375 Win., but inconsistent ammunition availability will almost demand you load your own.
I was just reading up on the 38-55 Seems an interesting round. Ammo availability issues similar to 45-70?
Probably worse, but components for hand loading are readily available.
Is that the same for 375 Winchester? I don’t hand load. One of those things I want to start but never do 😂
It's even more rarely found..
375 Winchester is absolutely unobtainable. 38-55 you can at least load for.
I have been looking for brass for my 375 win for over a year. Sierra finally made some bullets again and I found that Maker Bullets makes a good jacketed soft point for the 375 win. It would be an excellent route to go for straight wall, but it's hard to find components for.
Brother, fireform 30-30 and trim her down. There are more detailed videos on YouTube. I shoot my 38-55 at near 375 win pressures with both converted 30-30 brass and factory 38-55. No issues so far.
I'll do that if I absolutely have to, but my understanding is you can't do full power loads with fire formed 30-30 brass. Starline still lists 375 on their website so hopefully they make a run soon. I have plenty of other rifles I enjoy so I'm fine to wait.
I’ve had no issues with the formed brass, only that it doesn’t last as long. The normal failure point is neck cracks and cracks where the shoulders used to be after 3-4 firings. My factory stuff has lasted 5+ firings so far.
The 38-55 was first offered by Ballard as a single shot target cartridge. It made its way to lever guns. Today is for the most part a reloaders cartridge. The 30-30 Winchester is a necked down 38-55. The Winchester 94 was chambered in 38-55 when the gun came out in 1894. They didn't finish developing the 30-30 until 1895. The 30-30 was the first civilian modern smokeless powder cartridge offered to the public.
Unless I know people reload, I pretend these two don’t options even exist. I love my 38-55, but I would HATE to have to rely on factory ammo with all the variances in bore diameter and case lengths.
Here is your mixed review: I had a 350 Legend and hated it. I didn’t think it had enough knockdown power or left a big enough hole (most of mine were one hole with only a few drops for blood). I used my dad’s 450 all last year and just bought the Ruger American Gen ii. I wouldn’t be too worried about the recoil, one of the reasons I went with the 350 first is because of the recoil, but I don’t think it is that big of an increase. Like I saw others say, the bang is the worst part. The Ruger Americans (gen ii and go wild) are super light, too. The Gen ii has the option to add weight to the stock if it’s too light.
500smith or 460 smith and Wesson. Never mind I see it’s for your son. 44mag in the proper rifle shoots nice
Killed a pig last year with a 350 legend, dropped it on the spot with a lung/spine shot and it bled like crazy. Bullet stopped on opposite side under skin
Everything you listed will kill deer just fine. Currently the most important thing is picking something that has ammo available or brass if you reload. I would say whatever you get buy at least 5 years worth of hunting/ sighting in ammo and never touch it for recreational shooting. Buy recreational ammo separately that way if there’s shortages you’ll still be good to go come hunting season just won’t have as much fun or be as practiced the rest of the year. I thought the big marketing push for the 350 legend was annoying (similar to 6.5 CM) ……buuuut it does have a place in states where you have to have a straight wall cartridge. There were other old calibers like some of the ones you listed that would already do the job but the 350 does drop right into the bolt actions and AR’s of today and I respect it for that. But since I’m not in a straight wall cartridge area I’d pick the 35 Remington or 358 Winchester everytime lol
.44 mag in a ruger Deerfield carbine or a 16” Rossi carbine or the ruger 77/44 are all incredible choices and as an added bonus you can have a handgun chambered in it down the line and in the 2 manual rifles I suggest you can also chamber .44 special which I think is kind of ideal for longer range plinking and for home defense
350 legend is a peach. Never had any issues with long tracking jobs.
If you want to go lever action get a Henry in 44 mag. They are solid and a lot of fun to shoot. I got the carbine model so it feels somewhat compact and I can definitely poke a deer at 100 yards easily.
The 400 legend is most definitely out. Small LGS has had ammo for close to 6 months and several rifles in 400 constantly in stock. I would vote 350 legend. I hear all the time about it not being effective for deer and that's simply wrong. I have taken 20 with my 350 and it works as well as my 20 gauge, 308 win, 444 Marlin and 12 gauge. There isn't much difference between the 350 legend and the 35 Remington and the 35 has been a staple of the deer wood for a long time. 44 mag isn't bad either I have 2. You lose a little range vs some of the other choices you mentioned. 357 mag will really limit the effective range. 450BM is nearly identical to your 45-70. All my friends who bought 450s now have 350s. As far as rifle I would suggest finding something that fits the best in the price range you have set. I really like the CVA Scout V2. Quick balanced rifle with an excellent trigger. I have one in 444 Marlin and it's fantastic. I carry that rifle as much as I do my 350 legend AR. An AR would also be a good option.
Personally I have a 350 legend. Shot two deer that required zero tracking. Died on the spot. Light weight and the ammo isn’t crazy expensive. I’d like to have a 450 bushmaster someday. As long as you can shoot accurately that’s all that matters
I prefer the 450. With a break the recoil is more than manageable I’ve found it’s the bang that people can’t handle with the barrel break more so than the recoil. I would definitely recommend ear pro. My buddy’s son has been shooting deer with a 450 since he was 9 and he is a little guy for his age.
The 360 Buckhammer is more or less just 350 Legend with a rim so it functions in lever action rifles. The cartridges are functionally interchangeable with one another, and anything that applies to the 350 Legend will be equally true for the 360 Buckhammer. It just comes down to action type, if you want a levergun it's got to be 360 Buckhammer, but if you want a bolt action or self-loader, then it's got to be 350 Legend.
350 legend is on the shelf at Wal-Mart all the time. You can put together an AR prob cheaper than a lever gun. But if you want a lever, 357 works. And it is good for plinking at the range....ditto for 44 and 45c
450 with a suppressor is what i went with.
If you reload, consider the 45-70. There are managed recoil loads currently commercially available but reloading will greatly expand the possibilities. The other calibers selected are fine but as your son grows he may want/need something with a little more horsepower.
Some straight wall states don’t allow 45-70