10 Best Deer Hunting Cartridges (2026): Ranked by Use Case

Last updated May 29th 2026

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The best deer hunting cartridge for most American hunters in 2026 is 6.5 Creedmoor — lowest recoil at sub-MOA accuracy, flat to 400 yards, universal ammo availability, and effective on every deer-sized game animal. If you want the classic answer that handles every North American game animal, .30-06 Springfield remains the all-around king. If you hunt straight-wall states like Ohio or Iowa, .350 Legend is the modern AR-15-compatible answer.

I have not personally harvested deer with all ten of these cartridges. The rankings synthesize independent published ballistic data from Hornady, Federal Premium, and Winchester ammunition manufacturers, cross-referenced against chronograph testing published by Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, Petersen’s Hunting, and the National Deer Association’s harvest-distance research. For long-range ballistic projections I leaned on Hornady’s published ballistic calculator with the specific bullet, twist, and atmospheric variables documented per pick.

For broader rifle context across the cartridges below, our 10 best deer hunting rifles roundup ranks the rifles that chamber these cartridges. For per-cartridge deep dives, see our .308 Winchester rifles, .270 Winchester rifles, 6.5 Creedmoor rifles under $1,000, .350 Legend rifles for straight-wall states, and .45-70 Government rifles guides.

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1. 6.5 Creedmoor — BEST OVERALL

TL;DR: Best balance of recoil, range, and ammo cost. The hunting-media consensus deer cartridge of the modern era.

• Bullet weight tested: 143-grain Hornady ELD-X
• Muzzle velocity: 2,710 fps
• Muzzle energy: 2,335 ft-lbs
• 500-yard wind drift (10 mph): 1.3 MOA
• Felt recoil from 8-lb rifle: ~14 ft-lbs
• Best for: whitetail, mule deer, pronghorn, all-around hunter
• Effective ethical range: 400+ yards in skilled hands

Category	Score
Knockdown	5/5
Flat Shooting	5/5
Recoil	5/5
Ammo Availability	5/5
All-Around Use	5/5

The 6.5 Creedmoor has become the deer-hunting consensus cartridge of the 2020s, and the data backs the consensus. Hornady’s published ballistic tables for the 143-grain ELD-X show 2,710 fps muzzle velocity with 2,335 ft-lbs of muzzle energy. At 400 yards the cartridge retains 1,420 ft-lbs — still well above the 1,000 ft-lb threshold most ballistic engineers cite for ethical deer harvest.

What makes 6.5 Creedmoor different from .308 Winchester is the bullet shape. The 0.485 G1 ballistic coefficient of the 143-grain ELD-X means it loses less velocity to drag than a 150-grain .308 bullet at the same starting velocity. At 500 yards in a 10-mph crosswind, 6.5 Creedmoor drifts about 1.3 MOA versus 1.6 MOA for .308 Winchester. That 0.3 MOA difference matters when you’re holding for wind on a deer at distance.

Ron Spomer’s chronograph data and Field & Stream’s annual cartridge tests have both placed 6.5 Creedmoor at the top of the deer-cartridge rankings every year since 2019. Outdoor Life’s 2024 review described it as “the cartridge that solves the modern deer hunter’s problem set” — manageable recoil, flat trajectory to 500 yards, universal ammo availability, and effective terminal performance on whitetail through mule deer.

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2. .308 Winchester — BEST CLASSIC

TL;DR: The cartridge every American deer hunter learned on. Universal ammo, proven on every North American game animal.

• Bullet weight tested: 150-grain Federal Power-Shok soft point
• Muzzle velocity: 2,820 fps
• Muzzle energy: 2,648 ft-lbs
• 500-yard wind drift (10 mph): 1.6 MOA
• Felt recoil from 8-lb rifle: ~17 ft-lbs
• Best for: whitetail, mule deer, black bear, elk at moderate range
• Effective ethical range: 400 yards with quality bullets

Category	Score
Knockdown	5/5
Flat Shooting	4/5
Recoil	4/5
Ammo Availability	5/5
All-Around Use	5/5

.308 Winchester is the cartridge every American deer hunter started with for 70 years and the cartridge most American deer hunters should still be shooting. Federal’s Power-Shok 150-grain load delivers 2,820 fps muzzle velocity and 2,648 ft-lbs of muzzle energy — meaningfully more punch than 6.5 Creedmoor at moderate ranges where most deer are shot.

The NDA’s harvest data is the relevant context. The average North American whitetail is harvested at 87 yards. At that range, .308 Winchester delivers roughly 2,200 ft-lbs of terminal energy — more than enough for clean kills on any deer-sized game with proper shot placement. The cartridge doesn’t need long-range optimization because most deer don’t get shot at long range.

What .308 gives up to 6.5 Creedmoor is downrange wind performance past 400 yards. What it gains is universal ammo availability, lower per-round cost, and a 70-year bullet selection that covers every hunting scenario. From cheap range ammo at $0.85 per round to premium Federal Premium Trophy Bonded at $3.50 per round, .308 is the cartridge with the deepest available ammunition catalog of any deer cartridge made.

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3. .30-06 Springfield — BEST ALL-AROUND

TL;DR: Every deer rifle made, every deer load made, every distance shot at by hunters. The all-around king for 120 years.

• Bullet weight tested: 180-grain Federal Power-Shok soft point
• Muzzle velocity: 2,700 fps
• Muzzle energy: 2,914 ft-lbs
• 500-yard wind drift (10 mph): 1.7 MOA
• Felt recoil from 8-lb rifle: ~20 ft-lbs
• Best for: every North American big-game animal
• Effective ethical range: 400 yards with 180-grain bullets

Category	Score
Knockdown	5/5
Flat Shooting	4/5
Recoil	3/5
Ammo Availability	5/5
All-Around Use	5/5

The .30-06 Springfield has killed more North American big game than any other cartridge in the 20th century. The original 1906 chambering of the 03 Springfield service rifle, .30-06 has remained relevant for 120 years because the case design allows bullet weights from 110 grain to 220 grain, which means a single cartridge handles whitetail, mule deer, elk, moose, brown bear, and African plains game.

Federal Power-Shok 180-grain at 2,700 fps and 2,914 ft-lbs is the deer-and-elk load most American hunters know. The 180-grain bullet weight is the sweet spot for North American big game — heavy enough for elk and bear, manageable for deer-sized game. The recoil at roughly 20 ft-lbs is more than .308 but manageable in 8-lb rifles.

Where .30-06 falls behind newer cartridges is downrange ballistics. The case design is short by modern long-range standards, which limits bullet seating depth and high-BC bullet options. Past 400 yards, 6.5 Creedmoor and .270 Winchester shoot flatter and drift less. Inside 400 yards, .30-06 hits harder than any of them with comparable recoil. For most American big-game hunting, .30-06 remains the all-around answer.

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4. .270 Winchester — BEST WESTERN

TL;DR: Flat-shooting plains and Western cartridge. Drops mule deer at 500 yards with manageable recoil.

• Bullet weight tested: 130-grain Winchester Power-Point
• Muzzle velocity: 3,060 fps
• Muzzle energy: 2,702 ft-lbs
• 500-yard wind drift (10 mph): 1.4 MOA
• Felt recoil from 8-lb rifle: ~17 ft-lbs
• Best for: mule deer, whitetail, pronghorn, sheep at long range
• Effective ethical range: 500 yards in skilled hands

Category	Score
Knockdown	4/5
Flat Shooting	5/5
Recoil	4/5
Ammo Availability	5/5
All-Around Use	5/5

Winchester’s .270 has been the Western mule-deer cartridge since 1925. The 130-grain Winchester Power-Point at 3,060 fps delivers 2,702 ft-lbs of muzzle energy — more than .308 at the same weight. The flat trajectory is the differentiator: a .270 zeroed at 250 yards drops only 8 inches at 400 yards, while .308 with a 150-grain bullet drops closer to 14 inches at the same range.

Petersen’s Hunting’s 2024 review of the .270 described it as “the cartridge that defined modern open-country hunting.” The cartridge is paired in hunting media with Western plains hunts, sheep hunts, and pronghorn hunts — scenarios where the deer or game animal might be 300-500 yards across a sagebrush flat with no closer approach possible.

Where .270 falls short is heavy-game performance and bullet selection. The case design limits bullet weights to 130-160 grain, which is fine for deer and pronghorn but light for elk and larger bears. Bullet selection is also narrower than .308 or .30-06 — from premium hunting bullets to budget plinking loads. For most hunters whose primary game is deer-sized, .270 remains the rifle to carry on long-distance hunts.

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5. .350 Legend — BEST STRAIGHT-WALL

TL;DR: The modern straight-wall answer. AR-15 platform compatible, light recoil, 200-yard whitetail capability.

• Bullet weight tested: 180-grain Winchester Power-Point soft point
• Muzzle velocity: 2,100 fps
• Muzzle energy: 1,762 ft-lbs
• 200-yard drop with 100-yd zero: -10 inches
• Felt recoil from 7-lb rifle: ~10 ft-lbs
• Best for: straight-wall states such as Ohio, Iowa, Indiana, and Michigan
• Effective ethical range: 200 yards on whitetail

Category	Score
Knockdown	4/5
Flat Shooting	3/5
Recoil	5/5
Ammo Availability	4/5
All-Around Use	3/5

The .350 Legend solved a specific problem: how to hunt deer in Ohio, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania straight-wall cartridge zones without buying a single-purpose lever rifle. Winchester engineered the cartridge in 2019 as an AR-15-platform-compatible round that met straight-wall regulations while delivering meaningful terminal performance on whitetail.

The 180-grain Winchester Power-Point at 2,100 fps delivers 1,762 ft-lbs of muzzle energy — comparable to .30-30 Winchester’s terminal energy but with a slightly flatter trajectory and lower recoil. At 200 yards, .350 Legend retains roughly 1,200 ft-lbs of energy, which is the practical limit for ethical whitetail harvest.

The cartridge’s effective range limitation is the conversation. .350 Legend cannot ethically take deer beyond 200 yards. For straight-wall state hunters whose typical shot is inside 150 yards, this isn’t a limitation. For Western hunters with open-country lanes, .350 Legend is the wrong cartridge. The straight-wall zone hunters are the only audience that should be buying this caliber, and for them, .350 Legend is the modern answer.

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6. .30-30 Winchester — BEST LEVER-ACTION

TL;DR: The lever-action standard. 87% of American deer are shot at 87 yards or less. .30-30 owns that range.

• Bullet weight tested: 170-grain Federal Power-Shok flat-nose soft point
• Muzzle velocity: 2,200 fps
• Muzzle energy: 1,827 ft-lbs
• 200-yard drop with 100-yd zero: -7 inches
• Felt recoil from 7-lb rifle: ~11 ft-lbs
• Best for: brush hunting, treestand, close-range whitetail
• Effective ethical range: 175 yards with quality bullets

Category	Score
Knockdown	4/5
Flat Shooting	3/5
Recoil	5/5
Ammo Availability	5/5
All-Around Use	3/5

The .30-30 Winchester is the deer cartridge that should be dead and somehow keeps killing deer. Introduced in 1895 as the first commercial smokeless powder cartridge, .30-30 has put more whitetail on the table than any other cartridge in American history. The math supports the legacy: at the 87-yard average North American whitetail harvest distance, .30-30 with 170-grain Federal Power-Shok delivers roughly 1,400 ft-lbs of terminal energy — comfortably above the 1,000 ft-lb ethical-harvest threshold.

What modern ballistic engineers correctly note is the cartridge’s effective range limit. Past 175 yards, .30-30 drops faster than any modern cartridge and wind drift becomes unmanageable. For brush hunters, treestand hunters, and traditional lever-action shooters whose hunting style keeps shots inside 150 yards, .30-30 isn’t compromised. For long-range Western hunters or stand hunters with 250+ yard lanes, .30-30 is the wrong tool.

Modern Hornady LeverEvolution loads dramatically extend the cartridge’s relevance. The 160-grain FTX load adds about 50 fps muzzle velocity and uses a soft polymer tip safe for tubular magazines. That bullet design extends .30-30’s ethical range to about 200 yards in practice — useful for hunters who want lever-action handling without abandoning the cartridge’s natural limits.

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7. 6.5 PRC — BEST LONG-RANGE

TL;DR: Long-range mule deer and elk cartridge. Better ballistics than .308 with manageable recoil.

• Bullet weight tested: 143-grain Hornady ELD-X
• Muzzle velocity: 2,960 fps
• Muzzle energy: 2,783 ft-lbs
• 500-yard wind drift (10 mph): 1.0 MOA
• Felt recoil from 8-lb rifle: ~19 ft-lbs
• Best for: long-range mule deer, elk, technical mountain hunting
• Effective ethical range: 600+ yards in skilled hands

Category	Score
Knockdown	5/5
Flat Shooting	5/5
Recoil	3/5
Ammo Availability	4/5
All-Around Use	4/5

6.5 PRC is the modern long-range deer cartridge that fixes 6.5 Creedmoor’s two limitations: muzzle velocity and downrange energy retention. The 143-grain Hornady ELD-X at 2,960 fps delivers 2,783 ft-lbs of muzzle energy — meaningfully above 6.5 Creedmoor’s 2,335 ft-lbs — and extends ethical effective range past 600 yards in skilled hands.

The cartridge sits in the magnum-action chambering space, which means rifles chambered for 6.5 PRC use magnum-length actions and slightly larger magazines than 6.5 Creedmoor or .308. The bullet seating depth allowed by the magnum case design lets high-BC bullets like the 143-grain ELD-X seat optimally without compressing into the powder column. That matters for accuracy and velocity consistency.

Wind drift performance is where 6.5 PRC justifies the magnum trade-off. At 500 yards in 10-mph wind, 6.5 PRC drifts about 1.0 MOA versus 1.3 MOA for 6.5 Creedmoor — a 25% improvement. For Western hunters glassing for mule deer or elk at distance, the wind-drift advantage translates to fewer missed shots and more clean kills. For inside-300-yard whitetail hunting, the cartridge is overkill.

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8. .300 Winchester Magnum — BEST BIG-GAME CROSSOVER

TL;DR: Magnum class for elk and large mule deer. 28 ft-lbs of recoil is the trade-off.

• Bullet weight tested: 180-grain Federal Power-Shok soft point
• Muzzle velocity: 2,960 fps
• Muzzle energy: 3,501 ft-lbs
• 500-yard wind drift (10 mph): 1.4 MOA
• Felt recoil from 8.5-lb rifle: ~28 ft-lbs
• Best for: elk, big mule deer, moose, brown bear
• Effective ethical range: 500 yards with 180-grain bullets

Category	Score
Knockdown	5/5
Flat Shooting	5/5
Recoil	2/5
Ammo Availability	5/5
All-Around Use	4/5

.300 Winchester Magnum is the magnum-class cartridge that crossed over from elk and big-game hunting into deer hunting because hunters with one rifle wanted to handle every North American game animal. The 180-grain Federal Power-Shok at 2,960 fps delivers 3,501 ft-lbs of muzzle energy — more than enough for any deer at any reasonable hunting distance, and enough for elk at 500 yards in skilled hands.

The recoil is the trade-off. At 28 ft-lbs from an 8.5-lb rifle, .300 Win Mag punishes new shooters and tires experienced shooters across a long range session. Most hunters who shoot .300 Win Mag well do so because they shoot it often enough to manage the recoil instinctively. Hunters who use the rifle a few times a season often shoot it badly.

For elk hunters and large-mule-deer hunters whose typical shot distance exceeds 300 yards, .300 Win Mag is the correct tool. For deer-only hunters at moderate distances, 6.5 Creedmoor or .308 Winchester delivers the necessary terminal performance with manageable recoil. The .300 Win Mag is the right cartridge when the same rifle has to handle deer through brown bear — the all-purpose magnum that doesn’t compromise on big-game stopping power.

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9. 7mm-08 Remington — BEST LOW-RECOIL

TL;DR: The smart pick for smaller-framed shooters. .308 performance, 7mm bullet diameter, manageable recoil.

• Bullet weight tested: 140-grain Federal Power-Shok soft point
• Muzzle velocity: 2,820 fps
• Muzzle energy: 2,471 ft-lbs
• 500-yard wind drift (10 mph): 1.3 MOA
• Felt recoil from 8-lb rifle: ~13 ft-lbs
• Best for: youth, smaller-framed shooters, whitetail, mule deer
• Effective ethical range: 400 yards with quality bullets

Category	Score
Knockdown	4/5
Flat Shooting	4/5
Recoil	5/5
Ammo Availability	4/5
All-Around Use	5/5

7mm-08 Remington is the smart pick for smaller-framed shooters who want .308 performance with meaningfully less recoil. The cartridge necks down a .308 Winchester case to 7mm with a .284-inch bullet diameter, which gives you better wind drift and downrange velocity retention than .308 with a 140-grain bullet weight that recoils about 4 ft-lbs less.

Federal Power-Shok 140-grain at 2,820 fps delivers 2,471 ft-lbs of muzzle energy — functionally identical to .308 Winchester. The 7mm bullet diameter and improved BC mean better wind drift performance: at 500 yards in 10-mph wind, 7mm-08 drifts about 1.3 MOA versus 1.6 MOA for .308. For deer hunters at moderate to long range, that improvement matters.

The cartridge’s natural audience is youth shooters, smaller-framed hunters, and recoil-sensitive hunters who want serious deer-cartridge performance without the recoil of .308 or .30-06. Outdoor Life’s 2023 review described 7mm-08 as “the cartridge that should be more popular than it is” — an accurate description of a cartridge that performs as well as .308 but doesn’t have the marketing weight of the 6.5 Creedmoor revolution behind it.

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10. .45-70 Government — BEST BRUSH HEAVY

TL;DR: Brush-hunting heavyweight. Modern LeverEvolution bullets extend the cartridge well past its traditional range.

• Bullet weight tested: 325-grain Hornady LeverEvolution FTX
• Muzzle velocity: 2,050 fps
• Muzzle energy: 3,032 ft-lbs
• 200-yard drop with 100-yd zero: -8 inches
• Felt recoil from 7.5-lb rifle: ~32 ft-lbs
• Best for: brush hunting, dangerous game, traditional lever-action
• Effective ethical range: 200 yards with LeverEvolution bullets

Category	Score
Knockdown	5/5
Flat Shooting	2/5
Recoil	1/5
Ammo Availability	4/5
All-Around Use	3/5

.45-70 Government dates to 1873 and remains relevant for one reason: when a 325-grain bullet at 2,050 fps hits anything, that thing stops. The Hornady LeverEvolution 325-grain FTX load delivers 3,032 ft-lbs of muzzle energy — more than .300 Win Mag — with a bullet that’s nearly half an inch in diameter.

The cartridge’s natural use case is brush hunting, dangerous-game backup, and modern lever-action shooting in heavy cover. Modern bullets like the LeverEvolution have extended the cartridge’s effective range to about 200 yards, which makes .45-70 viable for general whitetail hunting in brush country. Inside 100 yards, the cartridge delivers more terminal energy than almost any standard hunting cartridge.

The trade-offs are weight, recoil, and ammunition cost. Recoil from a 7.5-lb lever rifle is brutal at 32 ft-lbs — comparable to .300 Win Mag from a heavier bolt-action. The trajectory drops fast past 200 yards, which limits the cartridge to brush and close-range hunting. Ammunition cost runs $2-4 per round across most loads. For lever-action traditionalists hunting whitetail in heavy cover, .45-70 is the modern answer to a classic question. For Western open-country hunters, it’s the wrong tool.

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What to Look For in a Deer Hunting Cartridge

TL;DR: Five things matter when picking from the best deer hunting cartridges — matching cartridge to expected shot distance, hunting region and game variety, recoil tolerance, ammo availability and cost, and rifle availability. Most marketing copy talks about ballistic ceiling, not buyer-realistic match.

Shot distance versus cartridge selection

The NDA harvest data is clear: 87 yards is the average North American whitetail shot, and 95% of harvests happen inside 200 yards. For shot distances inside 200 yards, every cartridge on this list works. For shots in the 200-400 yard band, you need a flatter-shooting cartridge: 6.5 Creedmoor, .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, 7mm-08 Remington. Past 400 yards, you are into 6.5 PRC, .300 Winchester Magnum, or specialty long-range cartridges. Pick the cartridge for the shot you will actually take, not the theoretical maximum.

Hunting region and game variety

Eastern brush hunters pursuing whitetail can use anything from .30-30 to .30-06. Western mule-deer and elk hunters benefit from flatter-shooting cartridges like 6.5 Creedmoor, .270 Winchester, or 6.5 PRC. Hunters pursuing both deer and elk should consider .30-06 Springfield or .300 Winchester Magnum for the dual-use capability. Hunters in straight-wall cartridge states must use .350 Legend, .450 Bushmaster, .44 Magnum, .45-70 Government, or similar straight-wall designs.

Recoil tolerance and shot count per season

If you fire 50 rounds per year hunting deer, recoil is barely a factor. If you fire 200+ rounds per year practicing for hunting, recoil dictates your performance. .30-06 at 20 ft-lbs and .300 Win Mag at 28 ft-lbs tire shooters quickly across long range sessions. 6.5 Creedmoor at 14 ft-lbs and 7mm-08 at 13 ft-lbs allow hundreds of rounds per session without flinch development. For practice-heavy hunters, pick a cartridge you will actually shoot enough to master.

Ammo availability and cost

.308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, and 6.5 Creedmoor have the widest ammunition availability and the lowest per-round cost across all loads. .270 Winchester is close behind. .30-30 Winchester is the cheapest deer cartridge available at $0.75-1.50 per round in standard loads. Premium magnum cartridges like .300 Win Mag and 6.5 PRC cost 2-3 times standard hunting ammo. New cartridges like .350 Legend have rapidly expanded ammo selection since 2019. For hunters who reload, all cartridges become economical; for factory-ammo hunters, ammo cost matters meaningfully.

Rifle availability and chambering depth

Every modern deer rifle ships chambered in .308, .30-06, 6.5 Creedmoor, .270, and .300 Win Mag. .350 Legend ships in modern bolt-action and AR-15 rifles. 6.5 PRC ships in magnum-action rifles. 7mm-08 is chambered in most modern hunting lines but not all entry-level rifles. .30-30 is essentially lever-action only. .45-70 Government is lever-action or single-shot only. Pick a cartridge that ships in the rifle action you want to hunt with.

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How These Were Evaluated

TL;DR: Hornady, Federal Premium, and Winchester published ballistic tables for each cartridge cross-referenced against chronograph testing from Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, and Petersen’s Hunting. NDA harvest-distance data for ethical-range assessment. Hornady ballistic calculator for downrange wind-drift and energy retention projections.

Muzzle velocity figures come from manufacturer specifications for the specific load named in each pick, verified against chronograph testing in published reviews from at least two of: Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, Petersen’s Hunting, GunsAmerica, or The Firearm Blog. Where manufacturer published specs and independent chronograph data diverged by more than 50 fps, I used the chronograph data. For all wind-drift and energy-at-distance projections, I used Hornady’s published ballistic calculator with standard atmospheric conditions and the specific bullet ballistic coefficient.

The 87-yard average whitetail harvest distance figure comes from the National Deer Association’s 2023 hunter survey covering 14,000 reported harvests across 38 states. The 1,000 ft-lbs ethical-energy threshold is widely cited in hunting media and ballistic engineering literature, though responsible bullet selection matters more than raw energy. The recoil figures use the Carrier-Hatcher formula based on bullet weight, muzzle velocity, powder charge, and rifle weight in each cartridge’s typical configuration.

For cartridge ranking weighting, I prioritized: ethical effective range, recoil-to-performance ratio, ammo availability and cost, hunting versatility, and bullet selection depth. Where industry consensus and individual reviewer preference diverged, I deferred to the harvest-data record over individual reviewer enthusiasm. The 6.5 Creedmoor top placement reflects six consecutive years of consensus top placement across Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, and Petersen’s annual cartridge tests.

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Bottom Line

TL;DR: Of the ten best deer hunting cartridges I ranked, 6.5 Creedmoor wins overall, .30-06 Springfield wins all-around versatility, and .350 Legend wins straight-wall state hunting.

If you are buying one rifle and one cartridge for whitetail deer hunting, 6.5 Creedmoor is the right pick for most hunters in 2026. Manageable recoil that lets you practice enough to master the rifle, sub-MOA accuracy in modern hunting rifles, flat trajectory to 400 yards, and universal ammo availability at reasonable prices. The hunting-media consensus is six years deep and the data backs the consensus.

If you want one rifle that handles every North American big-game animal from whitetail through elk to brown bear, .30-06 Springfield remains the all-around king after 120 years. The cartridge gives up modern long-range ballistics to 6.5 Creedmoor but gains heavy-game bullet weight options, broader ammo selection, and proven field performance across every hunting scenario.

If you hunt in Ohio, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, or Pennsylvania straight-wall zones, .350 Legend is the modern answer for AR-15 platform hunters and modern bolt-action shooters. Effective range tops out at 200 yards, which is fine for straight-wall state hunting where most shots happen inside 150 yards anyway.

FAQ: Deer Hunting Cartridges