Ohio’s straight wall cartridge list for deer hunting is not a fixed brand-name list at all. The state allows any straight-walled cartridge with a bullet diameter from .357 to .515 inches, with no case-length requirement.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Administrative Code 1501:31-15-11 – Deer Regulations If a cartridge has no shoulder or bottleneck and falls inside that caliber window, it qualifies. New commercial cartridges are legal the moment they hit shelves, without waiting for a regulator to add them anywhere.
Cartridges That Qualify in Ohio
Because the rule is dimension-based, dozens of cartridges meet the standard. The ones you will most often see in Ohio deer camps:
- .350 Legend. The most popular choice statewide, with mild recoil and affordable ammunition. ODNR specifically calls it out as a qualifying cartridge.2Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2025-26
- .400 Legend. Winchester’s newer offering, sitting between the .350 Legend and .450 Bushmaster on energy and recoil.
- .450 Bushmaster. Hits harder than the .350 Legend with correspondingly more recoil.
- .45-70 Government. An 1870s cartridge still going strong, common in lever actions.
- .444 Marlin. Another lever-action favorite with serious knockdown power at typical Ohio distances.
- .44 Magnum. Works in both rifles and handguns, with widely available ammunition.
- .357 Magnum. Right at the minimum caliber threshold. Legal, but better suited to closer shots and lighter deer.
- .360 Buckhammer. Remington’s recent entry, designed for straight-wall states and a good fit in lever-action rifles.
- .500 S&W Magnum. At the upper end of the range, primarily a handgun cartridge but chambered in some rifles.
The list is not exhaustive. Older rounds like the .38-55 Winchester, wildcat cartridges, and any future commercial releases all qualify as long as they meet the two requirements: straight-walled case, caliber between .357 and .515.
What Straight-Walled Means
A straight-walled cartridge is one whose brass case has roughly the same diameter from base to mouth. There is no shoulder where the case narrows down to grip the bullet. Common rifle rounds like the .308 Winchester and .30-06 are bottlenecked, and any necked-down rifle cartridge is illegal for deer hunting in Ohio during gun season.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Administrative Code 1501:31-15-11 – Deer Regulations
The safety logic behind the rule is straightforward. Bottleneck cartridges drive small-diameter bullets at very high velocities and stay dangerous far downrange. Straight-walled rounds use wider, heavier bullets at lower velocities, so they shed energy faster. In a state where farms, roads, and homes sit near most hunting cover, that shorter danger zone matters.
The Caliber Window and Case Length
The regulation sets two boundaries on the bullet itself: at least .357 inches in diameter, and no more than .515 inches.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Administrative Code 1501:31-15-11 – Deer Regulations ODNR’s hunting summary often rounds the upper limit to “.50 caliber,” but the Administrative Code reads .515, which accommodates .50-caliber bullets whose true diameter sits slightly above .500 inches.2Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2025-26
Ohio imposes no minimum or maximum case length. Some hunters confuse Ohio with Michigan, which does specify a case-length range. Here, case length is irrelevant as long as the cartridge is straight-walled and falls inside the caliber window.
Magazine Capacity Limit
Straight-walled cartridge rifles are limited to three rounds total, counting both the magazine and the chamber combined.2Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2025-26 If your rifle holds more than three rounds as manufactured, plug it or run a reduced-capacity magazine before you head out. Wildlife officers can check capacity in the field.
A first-time hunting violation is generally a misdemeanor of the third degree under Ohio law. On a second or subsequent offense within three consecutive years, firearms and other equipment in your possession at the time of the violation can be seized.3Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 1533.99 – Penalties
Handguns and Muzzleloaders
The straight-wall cartridge rule reaches beyond rifles. Handguns used for deer hunting must be chambered in .357 Magnum or larger, fire a straight-walled cartridge, and have a barrel at least five inches long measured from the front of the cylinder or chamber to the muzzle.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Administrative Code 1501:31-15-11 – Deer Regulations Muzzleloaders follow a separate rule: .38 caliber or larger, single projectile per barrel.2Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2025-26 You can only carry one hunting implement at a time in the field.
When You Can Use Them
Straight-walled cartridge rifles are legal only during Ohio’s designated deer gun seasons. For 2025–2026 those are:
- Youth Gun Season: November 22–23, 2025
- Gun Season: December 1–7, 2025
- Gun Season (continued): December 20–21, 2025
These dates apply statewide on both private land and public hunting areas. Using a firearm outside the gun-season windows during archery-only periods can trigger license revocation of up to three years for illegally taking a deer.5Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 1533.68 – License Suspension or Revocation