When hunters visit your store looking for a new rifle, don’t jump straight to the obvious options such as 6.5 Creedmoor or .308 Winchester. There’s more to hunting life — and successful sales — than bottleneck cartridges alone.
Straight-wall cartridges are often overlooked, and they shouldn’t be. Not only are they highly effective on whitetail deer and other game, but they’re also legal in states where calibers are restricted for hunters.
Currently there are only a few states that restrict hunters to shotguns for deer season, but there are quite a few more with caliber restrictions for rifles. Shotgun-only states include Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island. States that restrict the caliber of long guns during the season in ways that eliminate most popular AR-15 models include Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Virginia and Washington State.
Some of the biggest whitetails in the continental U.S. are found in restricted-caliber states, and that’s a fantastic reason to suggest customers turn to straight-walled cartridges. Straight walls are legal in states that are either shotgun-only or caliber-restricted, and thanks to advances in engineering, your customers can get AR-platform rifles chambered in those legal cartridges.
Straight-Wall Trivia
Many people, including hunters visiting your store, believe the .45-70 Government was the first straight wall, but it was actually the .50-70 Government. Of course, it’s the .45-70 Government that remains in regular use today, so the slightly newer cartridge wins. Sharing fun facts with customers alongside useful information is a great way to keep them engaged and interested in the sales process.
Straight walls got their name thanks to the straight sides — walls — of the cartridge itself. Unlike the .308 Winchester, which is bottlenecked and narrows at the case mouth, straight walls are the same diameter from base to mouth. There are both rimmed and rimless straight walls. For example, the .45-70 Government is rimmed and the .350 Legend is rimless.
While some of these details might not matter to every customer, it’s wise to ensure your team is familiar with the correct terminology. Here’s a list of cartridges your team should be steering hunters to, and why.
.45-70 Government: Old Reliable
The .45-70 Government remains a popular straight-walled cartridge today, just as it has since its inception in 1873. In fact, you’ll find more lever-action rifles to keep in stock that are chambered in .45-70 Government than any other straight wall option. The downside is that it’s only found in lever-actions — and one surprisingly fun Bond Arms derringer — and not all customers will want to hunt using that platform.
It’s worth keeping rifles such as the Marlin Guide Gun Series 1895 in stock (the model name of this rifle used to be 1895GBL). While there are other brands available, Marlin remains the gold standard. Despite the change in the model name, this lever retains the big loop lever it’s always been known for, and that will appeal to hunters. Not only does the larger loop comfortably accommodate a wider range of hand sizes, but it also makes it easier to run the gun while wearing gloves.
As for the cartridge itself, there’s no debating the efficacy of .45-70 Government. It’s a fantastic cartridge with an effective range of 150 yards on deer, a distance that does depend on the gun and ammunition being used. The fact that it’s ideal at closer distances is great because the average deer hunter isn’t taking shots beyond 100 yards (in fact, it’s frequently closer to 75 yards or less). The .45-70 Government creates a wide, permanent wound cavity for rapid fluid loss, which translates to deer that drop on the spot or don’t go far at all, and the resulting blood trail is easy to spot.
Hunting pros: Heavy enough to perform well in dense brush with large enough wound cavities to drop deer quickly with good shot placement.
Hunting cons: Produces significant felt recoil and is only available to hunters in lever-action rifles.
350 Legend: The Newcomer
It’s true that the .350 isn’t technically brand new — it was introduced by Winchester in 2019 — but it’s taken some time to get a foothold in the gun world. The .350 Legend is relatively new, but established enough that there’s a wider range of firearms available in this caliber, and ammunition isn’t hard to find.
Customers who’d like a straight-wall option that produces significantly less felt recoil and muzzle rise will gravitate to the .350 Legend. It’s also a great option for customers who’d rather not get a lever-action, because bolt-action rifles and AR-15s are manufactured in this caliber. Smith & Wesson also offers it in the Model 350, an X-frame revolver that’s heavy enough to noticeably reduce recoil.
Although the .350 Legend is a significantly smaller cartridge than the .45-70 Government, it delivers an effective range similar to that of the older round. When shooting deer using a rifle, hunters can expect an effective range out to 200 yards. Using the Model .350 revolver, that range drops to 100 yards due to shorter barrel length. The .350 Legend does deliver a flatter trajectory than the older, heavier straight-walled cartridges, which is an added bonus.
Due to the newness of this cartridge and the customers most likely to prefer it, it’s a good idea to stock a rifle like the Rock River Armory LAR15M. With its 16-inch barrel and adjustable stock, the LAR15M in .350 Legend is sure to appeal to tactical-minded deer hunters.
Hunting pros: Smaller cartridge with a flatter trajectory and greater options for choice of rifle, especially hunters who want an AR-15.
Hunting cons: Best for open areas without potential brush or limbs as barriers.
.360 Buckhammer: Remington’s Round
Although the .360 Buckhammer is another newer, slimmer straight-walled cartridge, it does differ from the .350 Legend enough to make it a good one to keep stocked. Remington introduced this cartridge in 2023 specifically for deer hunters, and it delivers. The .360 Buckhammer produces greater velocity and energy and is optimized for lever-action rifles. Because it doesn’t recoil as hard as the .45-70 Government, it’s become the perfect alternative for lever fans.
The parent case of this cartridge is the classic .30-30 Winchester. If customers are looking for a performance comparison, tell them to imagine the beloved .30-30 Winchester in a straight-walled cartridge that moves faster and hits harder than the older round. The .360 Buckhammer also flies with a flatter trajectory and less drop than its parent case out to 200 yards. It’s the newer, improved cartridge that’s perfect for deer season.
Customers will be pleased to find out they can get .360 Buckhammer in either a lever-action rifle, single-shot rifle, or revolver. The Henry H9 X is an eye-catching choice for the gun counter thanks to its burnt bronze finish and lever-action design. And thanks to its 16.5-inch barrel, it’s easier to maneuver in hunting blinds. For revolvers, there’s none more beautifully crafted and suited to the deer woods than the Magnum Research BFR in .360 Buckhammer.
Hunting pros: Engineered for peak performance in lever-actions and designed for fantastic effectiveness on deer.
Hunting cons: Lighter, slimmer cartridge than the bigger straight-walls, meaning it’s best for open spaces. It’s not available in bolt-action or AR-15 rifles.
450 Bushmaster: The Thumper
The creation of the .450 Bushmaster was the result of the late Col. Jeff Cooper’s desire for a large-bore hunting rifle in the AR-15 platform. Cooper called it the Thumper, and Tim LeGendre of LeMag Firearms ran with it. Long story short, the result was the .450 Bushmaster, and it is indeed a thumper.
Customers who love the energy and hard-hitting reputation of the .45-70 Government will find the .450 Bushmaster is a great fit. With this round, deer hunters can run AR-15s while staying within any existing regulations regarding straight-walled cartridges. This cartridge does produce stout recoil, but firearms designed with stocks that absorb some of that make it more comfortable to shoot. Its effective range on deer is 150 yards, depending on barrel length and ammunition.
Acme Machine’s AM-15 in .450 Bushmaster is a solid value rifle that outperforms its more affordable price point significantly. The 16-inch barrel, Acme Hive handguard, and B6 SOPMOD adjustable stock make it a nice fit for deer hunters. If you’d like to cater to customers who already own an AR-15 that’s chambered in a different caliber, Acme Machine also manufactures complete uppers in .450 Bushmaster. The uppers are compatible with AR-15 lowers, so the customer can simply exchange the new upper for the old.
Bolt-action and single-shot rifles are also available in this caliber. To reduce felt recoil and sharpen accuracy, show customers the Bergara HMR in .450 Bushmaster. The HMR is a bolt-action rifle with a 20-inch barrel and synthetic chassis with an adjustable cheek riser and length-of-pull inserts so the rifle can be customized to better fit the hunter.
Hunting pros: Sufficient energy to drop deer and game of various sizes. Offered in the AR-15 and also bolt-action rifles.
Hunting cons: Noticeable felt recoil and a faster drop rate.
444 Marlin: The Multitasker
There will be more than a few customers visiting your gun counter who want one rifle that does it all (or at least as close to “all” as possible). The .444 Marlin is the straight-wall capable of taking down deer, elk, moose, bear — it’s quite versatile. It’s important to let customers know the effective range of the .444 Marlin is limited to 200 yards, so they won’t be taking unethical shots at elk far across valleys or fields. This is a close- to moderate-range cartridge that produces more impressive ballistics than .45-70 Government.
The .444 Marlin is largely a lever-action caliber, although it can be found in some single-shots and break-action rifles. This straight-walled cartridge goes a step beyond the .45-70 Government for velocity and energy, giving it a distinct edge for big game. There’s significant felt recoil and muzzle rise, but it’s manageable.
A great lever to stock for hunters looking for a truly hard-hitting rifle is the Rossi R95 in .444 Marlin. The laminate stock holds up well to use, and a Picatinny rail over the receiver makes it easy to add optics. Magnum Research does manufacture a BFR chambered in this cartridge for revolver lovers.
Hunting pros: Enough energy and bullet diameter to create permanent wound cavities large enough to reliably drop elk and moose while remaining useful for deer.
Hunting cons: Significant felt recoil and a tendency toward some meat loss when used on smaller game, such as Texas whitetails.
Why Go Straight?
The reason for suggesting straight-walled cartridges to customers is two-fold: tradition and broader choices. By adding straight-walls to their collections, your customers have more options for hunting, especially in restricted states. The fact that it continues the straight-wall tradition that spans generations is an excellent bonus. Using a straight-wall in an AR-15 simply modernizes the process, and that’s as things should be.
Stock a selection of good quality lever-actions and AR-15s chambered in straight-walled cartridges. Not only are they gaining popularity at long last, but these are effective hunting rounds that give hunters the results they want in the field.
