Top 5 Rifles for Hunting Iowa
Top 5 Rifles for Hunting Iowa
It’s that time of the year that many Iowa deer hunters dream about. Before, we consider a few of the top choices for rifle cartridges, we should first review Iowa’s deer regulations for rifles. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources rules for the gun deer and youth/disabled season state the following: “Rifles firing straight-wall or other centerline ammunition propelling an expanding-type bullet with a maximum diameter of no less than .350 of an inch and no larger than .500 of an inch, and with a published or calculated muzzle energy of 500 foot-pounds or higher, are legal for hunting deer during the youth and disabled season and the first and second shotgun seasons.”
Many folks are not aware that the term “straight-wall or other” actually includes bottleneck-type cartridges, such as the .35 Whelen and the .375 H&A Magnum. Yes, those can be very large cartridges, however, remember, in Iowa, they must be larger than .350 of an inch and no larger than .500 of an inch.
.350 Legend
The .350 Legend has become one of the more popular straight-wall cartridges in recent years. Winchester Repeating Arms was the first to introduce it in 2019 and is very popular with youth and women due to its extremely light recoil. The Legend has the least recoil of all the choices on the market, measuring at 7.08 foot-pounds of recoil energy. This is comparable to a .223 cartridge firing a 55-grain bullet. There are several bullet weights available, with the most common deer hunting options starting at 150 grains and going up to 180 grain weights.
Most cartridge companies produce factory ammunition for it. Winchester’s 150-grain Ballistic Tip has been a popular factory cartridge, although it may not always create an exit wound when hitting heavy bone at close range. There are all-copper and bonded bullets available that offer better penetration on larger deer. Bullet velocities for the Legend range from 2200 to 2400 feet per second, and reloading options with all-copper bullets are available.
.450 Bushmaster
The .450 Bushmaster is another very popular choice, especially for AR platforms. It can accommodate common bullet weights of 240 grains and up. Hornady’s 250-grain FTX bullet and Winchester’s 250-grain Deer Season XP are popular choices. Remember that all-copper bullet options, like Barnes VOR-TX 250-grain TSX FB, are great choices but may be more expensive. The .450 Bushmaster is known for complete pass-through penetration with heavier bullets. But, it also comes with more recoil compared to the .350 Legend, measuring at 22.22 foot-pounds of recoil energy. This is comparable to the recoil of a .30-06 rifle.
.45-70
The .45-70 is one of the older straight-wall cartridges on our list, developed at the U.S. Army’s Springfield Armory for use in the Springfield Model 1873. It is very popular among Iowa deer hunters, especially those wanting to use a lever-action rifle. The .45-70 is known for firing heavy .45 caliber bullets, with a common factory cartridge being Hornady’s 325-grain FTX bullet in the Lever Evolution offering. The muzzle velocity of the 325 FTX is 2,050 feet per second, and its maximum effective range is 200 yards. Heavier bullets translate to more recoil, and the .45-70 is no different, with recoil energy tables indicating 30.81 foot-pounds of recoil energy, making it unsuitable for youth or those with a low tolerance for recoil.
.360 Buckhammer
In 2023, Remington introduced the latest straight-wall cartridge to the market, called the .360 Buckhammer. Remington offers two loads for the .360 Buckhammer, both using Core-Lokt round nose bullets. One is a 130-grain load with a muzzle velocity of 2400 feet per second and a muzzle energy of 2,305 foot-pounds, which seems to be based on the .30-30 cartridge. The 200-grain load has a muzzle velocity of 2200 feet per second and 2,150 foot-pounds of energy, making it a suitable deer cartridge out to 200 yards. Recoil appears to be moderate, given that this cartridge is essentially a .30-30 expanded to accept a .358 diameter bullet.
.35 Whelen
My personal favorite cartridge, legal for Iowa’s seasons, is the .35 Whelen. It’s essentially a .30-06 cartridge neck up to .35 caliber to accept .352 bullets. This bottleneck cartridge is used for elk, moose, and brown bear hunting in some cases. The .35 Whelen is your best option for longer-range shots, with muzzle velocities for 130 and 200-grain bullets exceeding 2900 feet per second. This cartridge is capable of generating 3500 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle, with recoil slightly more than the .30-06, measuring 27.14 foot-pounds of recoil energy. It is a capable choice for hunting at 300 yards and beyond, offering complete penetration on all deer-sized game. Good luck hunting!
by Randy McPherren
December 2023
