ChalupaCabras
Expert
With the new law, why would anyone want to hunt with a shotgun when you can shoot a rifle with one of the following cartridges.
Because none of those cartridges give you any sort of range, energy, or trajectory advantage over a shotgun with a sabot slug. Not even a 458 SOCOM. Not even a 500 S&W.*
A few months back, I started pouring over the DNR regulations, cartridge dimensions, wildcat cartridges, and the archives of several different internet forums. What I found was disappointing.
IF the new deer regulations get passed, and the case length restriction gets boosted to 1.80", then a 460 carbine would be able to give you a HAIR better trajectory according to the data guys are reporting, but it really wont be all that much. While it would have plenty of power, the ballistics are nearly identical to a 45-70, and as such, the trajectory is abysmal much beyond 200 yards.
The WSSM wildcats (such as the BFG version) are ALREADY legal, and effective to 300+ yards. IF the new regulations get passed, similar cartridges based on the WSM cartridge would be able to extend that.
* The 500 S&W carbine can indeed generate more power than any shotgun slug at the muzzle... but its ballistics are even worse. Even if you gain 300fps with a carbine over revolver velocities (3,700 ftlbs @ muzzle) the 350gr bullet would loose a staggering 1,500 foot pounds in the first 100 yards, and have nearly a foot of drop at 200 yards if zeroed at 100.
Basically there is no advantage, at this point, to using any factory pistol caliber rifle over a rifled shotgun. The ONLY way you are ever going to top it in the near future (read: several YEARS) is to custom build a wildcat rig. The only advantage as of now is the novelty of using a rifle.
I know, it sucks and its stupid. But that's how it is for the time being. I was pretty upset to hear that news when I was trying to decide what my deer rifle would be, but you just have to roll with it. The DNR is playing it VERY safe with these new grants and cartridges. They simply are not giving up very much.
I'm going to go with a 12ga Browning A-bolt. That's about as good as it gets for hunting deer with factory guns in Indiana. If you want anything with appreciably better ballistics, then you have to build a wildcat.
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