Best Straight-Wall Hunting Cartridges

Straight-wall hunting cartridges do not always get the spotlight, but they absolutely deserve it. From the old-school punch of 45-70 Government to the softer-shooting practicality of 350 Legend, these rounds can put venison in the freezer and a grin on your face.

What Makes a Straight-Wall Cartridge Different?

It’s easy to get stuck in the mindset of one or two popular cartridges for hunting, and those tend to be rounds like 308 Win and 6.5 Creedmoor. Yes, those really are the top-selling cartridges for hunters. Sometimes things change when you’re chasing something other than deer, but not always. Far too many hunters miss out on straight-wall cartridges, and I’m here to tell you why that needs to change.

But first, let’s do the traditional wandering through the weeds of ammunition facts. Straight-wall cartridges are precisely what they sound like: ammo with a case that’s straight up and down with no shoulder. From one end to the other, the case remains the same size. In contrast, rounds like 223 Remington, 308 Win, and 6.5 Creedmoor have a clear bottleneck shape with a defined shoulder where the case tapers to the mouth.

Why Straight-Wall Hunting Cartridges Still Matter

Today, people will tell you we have straight-wall cartridges because of the ammunition restrictions some states impose on hunters. That’s right, in some states you need those straight-wall options for a successful deer hunt, or at least one with more choices. Restrictive states indeed benefit most from straight-wall cartridges, but that isn’t why they exist. The first straight-wall cartridge was the 45-70 Government, and it’s been around since 1873. We can agree it wasn’t made for restrictive states. Instead, it was a product of the technology at that time.

Bottom line is that straight-wall cartridges span three centuries of use, the 19^th, 20^th, and 21^st century, and they’re not going anywhere. Sure, we have new cartridges being introduced now, thanks to state restrictions on hunters, but straight-walls themselves are nothing new.

.444 Marlin Still Hits Like a Hammer

If you came here expecting only the new hotness in straight-walls, you’re going to be disappointed. The 444 Marlin is an awesome round for hunting. It produces devastating wound cavities and fantastic velocities. This cartridge was designed in 1964 and is basically an extended 44 Magnum, meaning it has greater volume and can push those 0.429-inch diameter bullets faster than the 44 Magnum can. For example, Federal Premium HammerDown 444 Marlin 270 grain Bonded Soft Point delivers a muzzle velocity of 2250 feet per second and muzzle energy of 3036 foot-pounds. Federal Premium HammerDown Handgun 44 Remington Magnum 270 grain Bonded Soft Point’s muzzle velocity is 1615 feet per second, and muzzle energy is 1564 foot-pounds.

One thing to be aware of with 444 Marlin is that it does produce rather significant felt recoil. Using the 270 grain listed above, you’re likely to get around 25 foot-pounds of recoil into your shoulder. To put that in perspective, consider that the 308 Win averages 15 foot-pounds of felt recoil. All these numbers depend on the specific load, but the reality is that the 444 Marlin does recoil harder.

Keep in mind that the fact that the 444 Marlin creates such big wound cavities means it does a lot of damage to small deer. If you’re using this straight-wall cartridge, I’d suggest focusing on larger deer, feral hogs, and other appropriately sized game. Otherwise, you’re losing more meat than you might be happy with.

45-70 Government: Old-School Power That Refuses to Quit

Just because the 45-70 Government is the oldest straight-wall cartridge favored for hunting doesn’t mean I have to include it, but I am. The 45-70 Gov’t is an undeniably excellent round that’s suitable for a wide range of game animals and predators. You can find quite a few lever-action rifles chambered in it, so there are some options when it comes to guns. There’s also a decent assortment of ammunition on the market for this one, and that’s always a huge plus.

The 45-70 Gov’t also makes big holes in things, and whether it produces more or less felt recoil than the 444 Marlin depends on the load. There’s something about hunting with a rifle chambered in .45-70 Gov’t that makes you feel connected to the generations of hunters that came before, even when you didn’t grow up in a hunting family.

Now, I know you’re looking for options beyond levers and bolts for these straight-wall cartridges, and that’s coming. But it’s worth mentioning that there is a relative of the 45-70 Government you might be interested in: the 45-70 Auto. It’s the brainchild of Phoenix Weaponry in Colorado, and it’s specifically engineered for use in an AR platform rifle. Although it’s a bit more challenging to get one of these guns, they’re well worth it. And yes, it’s a straight-wall.

350 Legend: The Low-Recoil Straight-Wall Star

A relative newcomer to the hunting world, the 350 Legend managed to make a big impression right off. It was designed by Winchester Ammunition in 2019 specifically for hunters, and as with any new cartridge, there was some skepticism regarding how well it would perform and whether it would last at all in the industry. As it turns out, the 350 Legend is a capable cartridge that’s worth recommending as an addition to your hunting rifle collection.

What’s interesting about the 350 Legend is that it’s smaller than many other straight-wall cartridges you might use for hunting. Its official bullet diameter is 0.357 inches, which is right on the line when it comes to restrictive states. In those areas, bullets must be 0.357 inches or more to be used for deer hunting. This one just gets by, which is genius on Winchester’s part. If you need a comparison for size, the 350 Legend’s rim diameter is 0.378 inches, which matches the rim diameter of the 223 Remington. However, it’s a straight-wall cartridge, so it remains that diameter at the case mouth rather than narrowing as the 223 Remington does. Overall length of the 350 Legend is 2.25 inches. The overall length of the 223 Remington is 2.26 inches. So yes, the 350 Legend is similar in size to the 223 Remington, only it’s a straight-wall cartridge with a larger bullet.

All this translates to a softer-recoiling option than many, if not most, straight-walls. Even so, it’s more than capable of taking whitetail deer, and it offers the big bonus of not damaging as much meat. Oh, and you can get AR-15s chambered in 350 Legend.

450 Bushmaster: The AR-Friendly Thumper

Although it seems the 450 Bushmaster has sort of fallen out of popularity, it’s still a great round. This straight-wall cartridge is the result of Tim LeGendre engineering a cartridge that fits the late Col. Jeff Cooper’s idea for a “thumper.” It’s only been around since 2007, and it seems to enjoy random spikes of popularity, but the 450 Bushmaster is a great cartridge that’s both fun and useful.

450 Bushmaster is the ideal straight-wall cartridge for hog hunters, but it also has its place for deer. Perhaps best of all, you can get bolt actions and AR platform rifles chambered in it. And if you like to build your own rifles, you’ll find fairly plentiful options on the market for components.

One reason it’s nice to have a straight-wall cartridge that can be used in an AR platform rifle is the felt recoil. It’s just reality that the average lever-action lacks the design to soften recoil well, and bolts aren’t a lot better. The AR is great for reducing felt recoil thanks to the design of the buttstock. You can even swap out the stock for one that feels better to you. All that and a hard-hitting straight-wall cartridge? It’s a win-win.

A Quick Straight-Wall Cartridge Comparison

The Real Tradeoff With Straight-Wall Cartridges

Unsurprisingly, the real downside to running straight-wall cartridges on hunts is the reason they’re allowed in restrictive states. These rounds don’t have the flat trajectory or impressive range of most bottleneck rounds. A lot of them drop like a stone, limiting you to 150 yards, give or take, for an ethical shot. You must be familiar with what your gun and ammo can and cannot do before going hunting, so you can calculate the drop rate according to the distance. There’s not a much worse feeling than severely injuring a deer and watching it run away. Don’t outshoot your gun’s abilities or your own.

The upside here is that the average deer hunt takes place within 100 yards, so the drop rate of most straight-walls isn’t the end of the world. They deliver effective wound cavities and create rapid blood loss, meaning you aren’t trailing a deer, hoping for the best. With the right placement, they’re downright there. Yes, that can be true of many cartridges, but some are simply better than others. Don’t let the trajectory of straight-wall cartridges dissuade you from hunting with them, not unless you know you’re going to be taking shots beyond the ethical effective range of these rounds.

Remember, there’s no such thing as too many guns or too much ammunition, so nothing is stopping you from picking up a new rifle without delay.

Pros and Cons of Hunting With Straight-Wall Cartridges

• Pros: Hard-hitting terminal performance, legal utility in restrictive states, classic lever-gun appeal, and solid AR-platform options like 350 Legend and 450 Bushmaster.
• Cons: More limited range, steeper drop, and, in some cases, notably heavier recoil than many bottleneck hunting rounds.

Check out the Rock River Arms LAR-15M in 350 Legend here.

Like 45-70 Gov’t? Then visit Marlin’s website.