I live in S.E. Ohio where we must use a straight wall cartridge to deer hunt. I am interested in the best cartridge for my G-2 to kill a deer in ranges up to 200 or 300 yards.
I have read info. on the 357 max. being on target at 200 yards , but not much killing whitetails past 125 or so.
The 414 S.M. and 445 S.M. both seem be little higher then the 357 max.
J.D. Jones stated the best round for whitetail in Ohio is the 444 Marlin. I have found a little info on this round and it sounds like 200 yards out of a 14 inch Contender is pretty deadly. But its pressure is at the top end of the contenders max limit, will this affect the life of the frame.
What experiences have all of you found out of these types of rounds and what advice would you give me.
Reloading will be used , and understand 444 brass is still readily produced , 357 max brass must still produced, but only in limited amounts. However the 414 and 445 supermags must not be as easy to find . Due to these factors I am leaning toward the 444 and 357 max but I do not know enough info yet to decide.

I think the 444 would have plenty of oomph if you could handle the ark. Have you considered the 375 Win? Ballistically it is pretty close to a 35 Rem.

Duane

TCMan is well, a T/C man. What ever you try look at I think it was Northern precision that spitzers for those big straight wall calibers. TC probably knows.

My vote would go for the .444 Marlin, then the .375 Winchester. Brass can sometimes be hard to find for the latter, but recoil will be a bit less than the .444. In my opinion, much over 200 yards is optimistic with either.
As an aside, a wise man will always listen to J.D.

Northwest Custom Projectiles

Is this the link you were looking for?

I root for the 375 win also. Great bullet and readilly available.

Lars

Hunlee will tell you 375 Windchester is very bad new for buck an doe deer!!!!!Hunlee allso say 444 is very good aswell but you think about 45-70??????Hunlee hear 357max is bad to the bone along with 414 and 445sm!!!!!!!Hunlee will tell you good straight wall case will kill to 200 yard but youin will have to have good scope on there to shoot to 200yard!!!!!Get your self nice 2-7x power Burris with billistic Plex in there and go to shootin!!!!!!!Site in cross hair at 100 then see where she hit out at 200!!!!!!!!Hunlee only have cheap Bushnell 2-6x power on 375 Windchester butt Hunlee have good 3-12x power Burris with billistic plex on 7-30 water!!!!!!!Billistic plex is very good for Hunlee and Hunlee have plan of selling 2-6x power Bushnell and replacement 2-7 Burris billistic plex scope on 375 Windchester.......Jusy who tell you about 357max annaway?????Who tell you about 414 and 445sm annaway??????Jd Jone tell you about 444 but Hunlee is sure JD Jone say something about 45-70 aswell!!!!!!!

hunlee

The .460 S&W Magnum is an excellent cartridge with plenty of velocity and knock down power to take whitetail at 200 yards and beyond.

No sir , I have not. Do not know anything about the 375 win. I have only ran across its name in a couple of 357 max searches I have done .Is it capable of a 200 yard kill?

Liv2Hnt460, you are right, the 460 is awesome, but I don’t think it is doable in the G2.

Rug1, Yes I do beleave it is. It will project a 220-225 at 2000 fps out of a 14in barrel. 200 yards is about it’s max range though, Just like a 35 Rem.

I have an Encore in 460 S&W and haven't shot anything yet but am pleased with how it shoots at 100 yds and the ballistics for out to 200 look good.

From what I have heard the .460 would be the best choice if available in the G2

the 460 operates at too high of a pressure for the G2, you are pretty much limited to the 357mag, 357 max, 41mag, 414mag, 445 mag, 44mag, 444 marlin, 375win, 45 Colt, 45 win mag, and 45-70 Govt. I'm sure I may have missed one or two but those are the primary straight wall hunting cartridges, I personally like the 45-70 but you will need to practice alot with that one because at 200 yds you'll have a bit of drop but it's hard to beat out of the contender for shear knock down power. I don't own one anymore but I had a factory barrel without a brake and a SSK with a brake and I'd definitely go with the brake and I believe the Leverevolution ammo is safe in the Contender but you might want to double check but the bullets will be available as a reloading component sometime after the first of the year and that should help with the trajectory issue. Dan B. now has my SSK barrel and it seems like he smoked a deer with it so maybe he has some more info on that for you.

As has been pointed out, the 460 is not a 'Tender option. It is also brutal in recoil without a brake. The 375 Winchester is really the only option you have for 200 yards without having to deal with the noise of a brake (444 Marlin and 45/70) but 200 yards is at the very end of the curve for all three. Get a 375 Winny with a 14" or 15" barrel and a Burris 2-7 with B-Plex and call it good, IMO.

Have you looked at Teddy's round the 405 win

hunlee got to thinking!!!!!!!45-70 is old calliber that buffalo hunter used to kill buffalo out at long yardage an bullit from 45-70 kill buffalo!!!!!!Sure 45-70 will kill deer out to 200 yardage if shooter know where to hold cross hair!!!!!!Hunlee sometime get confused butt Hunlee is not confused today!!!!!Burris scope with billistic plex and straight wall case Contender do the job to 200 yardage!!!!!!!If you not beleive Hunlee ask JD Jone or Mr Bullyberry

hunlee

The load I shoot in my .45-70 (300 gr @ 1890fps) is sighted in 3" high at 100 yards. At 200 yards, it is 9" low and should be around 1100 fps. Is the .45-70 allowed under the straight walled definition since it does have a slight taper?

I don't think that would be too safe in the 'Tender either.

nope, it's an Encore round

SSK load data show 300 grain Sierra bullit traveling at 1741 feet per second with max load!!!!!!!!Tammy email SSK data to hunlee and this show data for 45-70 with 300 grainer up to 500 grainer bullit!!!!!!!Usein H322 for powder startin load is 51 grain with speed of 1570!!!!!!Max load is 54 grain with speed of 1741!!!!!!!Max load with 300 grainer bullit will hit hard from 0 to 200 yard!!!!!!No deer stand up after hit in heart lung regin!!!!!Very good for hunlee!!!!!!

hunlee

I'd give the 375 win a go. I just got mine a few weeks ago and have been wringing it out. I'm very impressed. I know where a little band of elk hang out and I'll be carrying it on that hunt. The max range I would use it on is 200 yds. With the 200 gr bullet sighted in at 3" high at 100 it drops to 6-7" low at 200. I'll stuff it with 220's for elk but for deer the factory 200's would be fine.

Bill in OR

Yes, the 460 has made me consider trading in the G2 for an encore, may still consider it.But I like this size of the contender.
Alright the 375 win. does sound like I need to research it some more, 500 WE stated the brass is some times hard to find, how many of you have had trouble with this ?
The 45-70 does seem to be a good, large round. I have read it has a pretty larger following behind it.
Hunlee, the e-mails that I sent to and received from J.D.Jones only covered the 460 and the 444 Marlin. He did say the 444 could deliver 3" or 4" groups at 200 yards. I forget if it was 3 or 4 .
I will diffentily scope it whichever one I decide to build.
Any more info would be enjoyed and considered. Thank You.

Winchester runs them only once a year I think. When they come available buy a hundred pcs or more. It will last a long time.

I have wondered about this before. The argument could be posed that the case wall is straight, as in having no shoulder. Yes it tapers from the base to the mouth but the wall is straight.

I guess that's what's left up to "Interpretation".

Inquiring minds want to know.

Then could you use the 40-65 Gov? It would, under those guide lines, be a straight wall cartridge. But, could it be chambered in the Contender?

Duane

When in doubt, get it in writing from your game official. Some states restrict maximum overall length, some actually designate the "legal" cartridges. Straight is straight, and not necessarily parallel, and vice versa. Railroad tracks are parallel, but not always straight.

Ohio has 3 rules to handgun hunt : 1) atleast a 5 inch barrel. 2) straight wall cartridge. 3) must be larger then a 357.
That is as it is written on their web site and in their hand books. It does say straight , nothing about parralel is mentioned . Good point.

I haven't had trouble buying .375 Win brass or loaded ammo. Two gun shops had brass in stock and one had ammo on the shelf (WW 200 gr). I found the .375 Win dies easy enough. I owned a .357 Max in a T/C, the bullet selection was greater but for hunting I'd lean to the .375 Win. If you are thinking of game bigger then deer then the .375 Win wins hands down.

Bill in OR

I will most likely will not hunt anything larger then whitetail or hogs.
I live in a little valley and I have a open area my house over looks. with open shoots up to 250 yards. Deer ( daily ) and a few coyote try to pass through.The woods I hunt shots over 40 or 50 yards are unlikely. But would like to be able to reach them legally if I need the food.
How does the 357 max and the 375 win. compare?How flat does the 375 shoot? I saw Pab1 said it was 3 high at 100 and 6 low at 200.
Thank you for shareing your knowledge.

I would say .460 from what I have been reading and hearing.

Again, it's not compatible with the Contender platform.

That's about the best you are going to get. Straight wall cartridges pack a big bullet just due to the design and big bullets don't fly "flat", except maybe Tigger's 25/38/120 or whatever that thing is called. The 375 will outgun the 357 because of it's capacity. You are not going to find a laser flat straight wall, you will just have to learn to compensate for the trajectory. Best to get a Burris with ballistic plex reticle and learn what the lines mean for the particular caliber, and a good rangefinder. There is no free lunch ;-)

The 45LC is doable in the Contender. The 454 is not, there is too much pressure. The 460 is even larger than the 454.

The 375 Win is about awesome in a Contender. It shoots a little flatter than a 44 but still has as much punch when you look at the KO numbers. The 45-70 is an absolute hammer… on both ends. But it is doable and comfortable with a break.

Then Contender has its limitations. If you practice and realize its limitations it is remarkable effective. If you want a “flat” shooting straight wall cartridge you are going to have to move up to the Encore. You are also going to want a break. For what you will gain in a flat shooting cartridge you are now going to make up for with immensely stout recoil.

That about sums it up!

When HUnlee go to the hunting brush the 375 Windchester go aswell!!!!!!Hunlee think new scope is in order for 375 Windchester barrel,,,,say nice 2-7x power Burris with billistic plex in there and this wood be very good for shooting to 200 yardage for Hunlee!!!!!!!When Hunlee receive money from the wife very soon Hunlee have plan of ordering said scope from Midway Shooter Supply!!!!!!!Hunlee will then place Cheap Bushnell 2-6x power on 45-70 barrle once TC send barrel back to Hunlee!!!!!!Hunlee can then place big thump on deer with 375 Windchester and 45-70!!!!!!7-30 water is long ranger for hunlee!!!!!The wife win two big court case last month so Hunlee an the wife will be in the green back$$$$$USA$$$$$Dollar!!!!!!

hunlee

414 Super Mag = 180grain bullet at a little better that 2300fps w/14" barrel will do 200yds with no problem.
I believe it can be had in the G2, though I am shooting this in a Encore.
No brake needed.

David

The 375 win. has got my attention. It sounds to be a very versatile round. I have been reading alot of information and opinions on it. How does it operate at 52,000 pounds of pressure in the contenders ? Doesn't this exceed its max. pressure.I read that it is like the only round that is able to operate at this pressure in the contender,I wonder if that has something to do with it being less diameter in the chamber which causes the thickness of the chamber to be thicker. But that's only a guess do any of you know why this is?
What is oyur favorite load in 375 win. ? I read on another forum where a man used 2.8 gr.s of bullseye/w 250 grain cast bullit as a varmit load? I understand the seriousness of reloads and the caution that must be used when doing such. Just wondering what you have found to work.Thank You!

My load I got from an old timer at the TC factory. Hornady 220-225 bullet and max load of RL 7. I have 4 reloading books here and every one of them list that loading combinations as the one to try.

the 375 win would get my vote especially with handloads as with anything else once you make your decision get to the range and shoot, shoot, shoot, then when you think you got it licked shoot some more. any of the aforementioned calibers will work to atleast 250yrds but you also have to be able to work at that distance. just remember to be honest with your self and dont be afraid to admit when a shot presents itself at extended ranges that it may be to far for you to shoot. i have shot deer elk and caribou from 3yrds with a bow to over 750 with a rifle but i also put a load of time and effort at the shooting bench as well at the reloading bench. think long and hard about your options and work from there.