What is a shouldered cartridge?
In the beginning, all cartridges were straight-walled. At the turn of the last century, advancements in manufacturing, the invention of smokeless powder and the continuous tinkering of inventors led to changes in the cartridge design. Shouldered or bottlenecked rifle cartridges have a smaller opening diameter than the base of the brass. This enables more pressure behind the bullet, increasing the velocity and the range of the firearm.
That longer range was the concern when Ohio reopened deer hunting. In a state that is as densely populated as Ohio, and with an increased number of excited people taking to the field, the idea of potential stray bullets traveling for miles gave lots of people pause. Looking at available options for modern firearms, smoothbore shotguns firing a single ball or slug was the choice.
The big and slow projectiles drop faster and don’t carry as far as other rifles. That’s how it was for the next 60 years or so.
While shotguns are certainly capable weapons, they don’t provide the most consistent point of impact, especially compared to any kind of centerfire rifle. And the downrange energy they deliver comes at the expense of recoil going the other way. That’s not a great combination for encouraging practice or introducing new hunters.
As interest in hunting with big-bore revolvers and pistols advanced, the ballistics compared favorably to slugs and muzzleloaders. They had the power to ethically take whitetails at appropriate and common ranges in Ohio, but not the long distances of the shouldered cartridges. Specific calibers of straight-walled cartridges were allowed at the encouragement of Buckeye Firearms Association.
In the 2007 season, approximately “8% of the deer killed were taken with handguns,” according to their website. From there, it was only a logical step to allow longarms of the same and similar calibers into the field. Ohio hunters apparently couldn’t wait to make the change. Last year (the 2024-25 season) marked a top-five harvest of whitetails in Ohio.
Straight-walled cartridges were the choice of successful hunters more than twice as often as shotguns and second only to crossbows. Handguns apparently went back in the safe and accounted for just 1%. In the end, combined with hunter education and general awareness, hunting accidents continue to decline.
The real danger
Gun safety should never be taken for granted at any time. Know your target, be aware of your muzzle, and look out for other hunters. Keep the safety on until you’re absolutely ready to pull the trigger. You can’t bring a bullet back after you pull the trigger. But the most common cause of accidents during deer seasons involves tree stands.
Hunters should be extra cautious getting up to, while they’re in the stand, and getting down from any elevated stand. Always make sure the gun is unloaded and harnesses are attached and used appropriately.
Don’t try to defeat any safety mechanisms as a shortcut or because it’s inconvenient. And like any time you’re outdoors, if you do go alone, make sure that someone knows where you’re going and when you’ll be back.
Deer firearm season starts Dec. 1. To all those going out, be safe, and I look forward to seeing pictures of your success when you return.
Devin Meister is a local outdoors and wildlife enthusiast and has a blog called “Average Guy Outdoors.” He is an Ohio University graduate. Reach him at meister.devin@gmail.com.
LEGAL HUNTING FIREARMS IN OHIO
- Shotgun: 10 gauge or smaller shotgun using one ball or one rifled slug per barrel (rifled shotgun barrels are permitted when using shotgun slug ammunition).
- Muzzleloading rifle: .38 caliber or larger.
- Muzzleloading shotgun: 10 gauge or smaller using one ball per barrel.
- Handgun: With 5-inch minimum length barrel, using straight-walled cartridges .357 caliber or larger. The barrel is measured from the front of the cylinder or chamber to the end of the barrel.
- Straight-walled cartridge rifles in the following calibers: All straight-walled cartridge calibers from a minimum of .357 to a maximum of .50. Shotguns and straight-walled cartridge rifles can be loaded with no more than three shells in the chamber and magazine combined.
OHIO DEER HARVEST 2024-25 BY IMPLEMENT
- Crossbow: 78,254 (33%)
- Straight-walled cartridge rifle: 77,027 (32%)
- Shotgun: 34,338 (14%)
- Vertical bow: 30,839 (13%)
- Muzzleloader: 17,092 (7%)
- Handgun: 587 (less than 1%)
MORE ONLINE
- Ohio 2024-25 Deer Harvest Report: ohiodnr.gov
- Handgun Hunting for Deer: buckeyefirearms.org/handguns-are-deer
About the Author
