CVA Scout for Straight-Wall Deer Hunting States

If you hunt deer in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, or any of a growing number of Midwest and Northeast states with straight-wall cartridge restrictions, you already know the frustration. Bottlenecked rifle cartridges like .308 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor are off the table for specific seasons. You’re limited to straight-wall cartridges – rounds where the case wall runs parallel from base to neck with no shoulder taper.

The reason these laws exist is ballistic: straight-wall cartridges lose energy faster and arc more steeply than bottlenecked rounds, which theoretically limits dangerous overshoot in densely populated agricultural states. Whether the ballistic argument is sound is a debate for another day. The practical reality is that hunters in these states need specific cartridges for specific seasons, and the options have expanded significantly since the original .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum days.

The CVA Scout covers more straight-wall cartridges than any other single production rifle. It’s available in .350 Legend, .360 Buckhammer, .400 Legend, and .450 Bushmaster – every major straight-wall cartridge currently used for deer hunting in restricted states. This guide breaks down each cartridge, which states allow which, how they compare on deer inside 200 yards, and how to set up a Scout for each application.

Which States Have Straight-Wall Restrictions?

The laws vary significantly by state and sometimes by county within a state. Here’s the current picture for the major Midwest states:

Ohio: Requires straight-wall cartridges in certain zones during the gun season. Legal calibers must be at least .357″ diameter with a case length of 1.16″ to 1.8″. This covers .350 Legend, .360 Buckhammer, .357 Magnum (rifle), .44 Magnum, .45 Colt, .450 Bushmaster, .45-70, and .400 Legend. Does NOT cover .308 Winchester or most bottlenecked rifle cartridges.

Michigan: Allows straight-wall cartridges in the Lower Peninsula during firearm deer season. Minimum .35 caliber. .350 Legend, .360 Buckhammer, .400 Legend, and .450 Bushmaster are all legal. .308 Winchester is not permitted in these zones.

Indiana: Allows only straight-wall centerfire cartridges during the firearms season statewide. .350 Legend, .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, .45 Colt, .450 Bushmaster, and .45-70 are legal. .308 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, and other bottlenecked rounds are not.

Iowa: Expanded to allow straight-wall cartridges in 2017. Minimum .357″ diameter, case length 1.16″–1.8″. The same general roster applies: .350 Legend, .357 Mag, .44 Mag, .450 Bushmaster, .45-70.

Illinois, Kentucky, and several others have adopted similar restrictions for specific zones or seasons.

Always verify current regulations with your state’s DNR before the season. The laws change as states add calibers to approved lists, and county-level restrictions can differ from state-level rules.

The Four Straight-Wall Cartridges in the CVA Scout

.350 Legend

Introduced by Winchester in 2019, the .350 Legend became the fastest-selling new rifle cartridge Winchester had launched in decades. The appeal is obvious: low recoil, affordable ammunition, and adequate deer performance inside 200 yards.

Specifications from a 20″ CVA Scout barrel:

• Winchester 150gr FMJ: ~2,200 fps, ~1,612 ft-lbs
• Hornady 170gr InterLock: ~2,050 fps, ~1,587 ft-lbs
• Federal 180gr Trophy Bonded: ~1,950 fps, ~1,521 ft-lbs

The .350 Legend’s primary selling point is recoil – approximately 8–9 ft-lbs in a 7-lb rifle, which is less than a .243 Winchester. For youth hunters, smaller-framed adults, or anyone who wants to shoot a lot without getting beat up, this matters. The trade-off is terminal performance: the .350 Legend runs out of steam past 200 yards more quickly than the other cartridges in this comparison, and the wound channel on large deer is less decisive than heavier bullets at lower velocity.

For whitetail inside 150 yards – which covers 90% of Midwest agricultural hunting – the .350 Legend is perfectly adequate. A well-placed 170gr InterLock at 2,050 fps delivers clean kills on deer without the recoil that makes less experienced hunters flinch.

Best use case: Youth hunters, recoil-sensitive adults, first-time straight-wall hunters, and anyone who shoots from a ground blind where compactness matters. The 20″ barrel configuration keeps overall length manageable.

.360 Buckhammer

The .360 Buckhammer is Remington’s 2023 answer to a legitimate criticism of the .350 Legend: the original cartridge’s performance on large deer was marginal at moderate velocity. The Buckhammer uses a larger .358″ diameter bullet and generates meaningfully more energy than the .350 Legend.

Specifications from a 20″ CVA Scout barrel:

• Remington Core-Lokt 180gr: ~2,400 fps, ~2,303 ft-lbs
• Hornady 200gr FTX: ~2,200 fps, ~2,150 ft-lbs

The .360 Buckhammer is a significant step up in terminal performance from the .350 Legend. The .358″ diameter bullet at 180gr pushes roughly 700 ft-lbs more energy than the .350 Legend at muzzle – that difference is felt on deer-sized game. The Buckhammer also maintains legal straight-wall status in all the same states that accept .350 Legend.

The downside: ammunition selection is still limited compared to .350 Legend (which has Winchester, Federal, Hornady, and several other manufacturers fully committed), and prices are higher per box. This will improve as the cartridge matures.

Best use case: Hunters who want better terminal performance than the .350 Legend but don’t want .450 Bushmaster recoil. The Buckhammer is the straight-wall cartridge for hunters who take occasional shots on large-bodied northern whitetail at 150–200 yards.

.400 Legend

Also new for 2025 from Winchester, the .400 Legend is essentially a straight-wall .40-caliber deer cartridge designed to compete directly with the .450 Bushmaster on performance while offering reduced recoil. It sits between the .350 Legend and .450 Bushmaster in both energy and felt recoil.

Specifications from a 20″ CVA Scout barrel (preliminary data):

• Winchester 215gr Power-Point: ~2,200 fps, ~2,310 ft-lbs

The .400 Legend is too new to have extensive real-world field data, but the ballistics suggest it will perform similarly to the .360 Buckhammer at hunting ranges. Ammunition availability is still limited to Winchester and Hornady at initial launch.

Best use case: Hunters who want a step above the .350 Legend and .360 Buckhammer without committing to .450 Bushmaster recoil. Watch this cartridge – if ammo availability improves and the field reports confirm the paper ballistics, it could become the dominant straight-wall choice for moderate-range deer hunting.

.450 Bushmaster

The original serious straight-wall deer cartridge, the .450 Bushmaster was designed by Tim LeGendre and introduced around 2007 specifically to create a legal “thumper” cartridge for straight-wall states. It uses a .452″ bullet – the same diameter as .45 ACP – in a rebated-rim straight-wall case designed to function in AR-15-pattern rifles with a modified bolt.

Specifications from a 22″ CVA Scout barrel:

• Hornady 250gr FTX: ~2,200 fps, ~2,686 ft-lbs
• Federal 300gr Trophy Bonded: ~1,900 fps, ~2,405 ft-lbs
• Remington 260gr Core-Lokt: ~2,180 fps, ~2,744 ft-lbs

The .450 Bushmaster delivers more muzzle energy than any other commonly available straight-wall deer cartridge. A 250gr FTX at 2,200 fps hits with more authority than a .30-06 at comparable distances. On deer-sized game inside 200 yards, it is definitively decisive.

The trade-off is recoil – approximately 28–30 ft-lbs in a 7-lb rifle, which is comparable to a .300 Win Mag. From the light CVA Scout platform, this is a genuine handful. Hunters who shoot the Scout .450 Bushmaster from field positions report it as manageable but not pleasant for extended range sessions. A shooting rest, good stance, and proper form help significantly.

Best use case: Hunters who want the most powerful legal straight-wall option, anyone taking shots on very large deer or early-season does at moderate range, and hunters who also use the rifle for hogs or other applications where the extra power of .450 Bushmaster over .350 Legend matters.

Head-to-Head: How the Four Cartridges Compare

The right cartridge depends entirely on what you’re hunting, where you’re shooting from, and how much recoil you’re willing to manage. Here’s the simplified decision matrix:

Choose .350 Legend if: You’re introducing a youth or recoil-sensitive hunter to centerfire rifles, you shoot from positions where recoil management is difficult (tight blinds, awkward angles), or you want cheap practice ammo for frequent range sessions.

Choose .360 Buckhammer if: You want meaningfully better terminal performance than .350 Legend without the sharp recoil of .450 Bushmaster, and you’re hunting northern whitetail that run larger than average.

Choose .400 Legend if: You want a middle ground between .360 Buckhammer and .450 Bushmaster and don’t mind waiting for the cartridge to mature in terms of ammo availability.

Choose .450 Bushmaster if: You want maximum performance, you also hunt hogs or other large game with the same rifle, or your state’s straight-wall law requires .45 caliber minimum (some county-level regulations in Ohio specify this).

Barrel Length and the Straight-Wall Cartridges

All four straight-wall calibers in the CVA Scout are available in 20″ barrel configurations. The .450 Bushmaster is also available in 22″. Here’s what barrel length actually changes:

The straight-wall cartridges in this group are optimized for shorter barrels. They burn powder faster than bottlenecked magnum cartridges, and most of the powder charge is consumed within 18–20 inches. Going from 20″ to 22″ in .450 Bushmaster adds approximately 60–80 fps – real but not transformative for hunting applications.

The 20″ barrel configuration is the right choice for most straight-wall hunters. A 20″ CVA Scout with a compact optic and factory ammo makes a handy, packable hunting rifle that fits in vehicle cabs and tight hunting situations where a 44″+ bolt-action becomes awkward.

State Compliance: Confirming Your Setup is Legal

Before hunting with any straight-wall cartridge, verify these three things:

1. Cartridge legality in your specific zone. Ohio and some other states have county-level or zone-level restrictions that differ from statewide rules. A .350 Legend legal in Mercer County Ohio may or may not be legal in an adjacent county during a specific season. Check the current year’s regulations for your specific hunting unit.

2. Minimum caliber requirements. Ohio requires .357″ minimum diameter. This rules out some straight-wall cartridges but covers everything in the Scout’s lineup. Michigan’s minimum is .35 caliber – same result. Indiana’s minimum is .357″. All four Scout straight-wall calibers meet these requirements in the major restricted states.

3. Case length requirements. Ohio’s rules specify case length 1.16″–1.8″. The .350 Legend (1.71″), .360 Buckhammer (1.72″), and .450 Bushmaster (1.70″) all comply. Verify .400 Legend compliance in your specific state and season before hunting.

Setting Up the CVA Scout for Straight-Wall Deer Hunting

Optics: All four straight-wall cartridges operate inside 200 yards. A fixed 4× scope, 1–4×, or 1–6× LPVO covers the full practical range. The Vortex Crossfire II 2–7×32 ($180) is a practical choice – enough magnification to shoot confidently at 175 yards, low enough to handle a close deer stepping out at 40 yards.

For ground blind hunting where deer can appear at 20 yards in any direction, a red dot sight (Holosun 510C, Vortex Sparc) is genuinely more practical than a scoped setup. You lose nothing at the ranges where straight-wall cartridges are used.

Zero: For all four cartridges, a 100-yard zero with a 50-yard confirmation is the most practical field setup. From a 100-yard zero:

• .350 Legend 170gr: approximately -5″ at 200 yards
• .360 Buckhammer 180gr: approximately -4″ at 200 yards
• .450 Bushmaster 250gr: approximately -7″ at 200 yards

None of these require holdover adjustments inside 150 yards from a 100-yard zero. At 175 yards, simple high-hold adjustments work. Past 200 yards, these cartridges require deliberate range estimation and holdover that most hunters won’t bother with in the field – which is fine, because that’s beyond their practical range anyway.

Ammunition storage and cold weather: Straight-wall cartridges are primarily used during fall and winter seasons in cold Midwest states. Polymer-tip bullets like Hornady FTX and Winchester Power-Max Bonded perform reliably in cold weather. Hard cast or full metal jacket loads may produce less consistent expansion below 32°F on deer-sized game – stick with expanding hunting bullets.

CVA Scout vs AR-15 for Straight-Wall Hunting

Many Midwest hunters use AR-15 pattern rifles in .350 Legend or .450 Bushmaster for straight-wall deer seasons. The AR-15 platform in .350 Legend is now well-supported by Ruger, Smith & Wesson, and others at $700–$900.

The CVA Scout’s advantages over an AR-15 in this application:

Price: A Scout .350 Legend runs $395–$450. A comparable AR-15 in .350 Legend starts at $700 and goes up quickly.

Simplicity: The Scout requires zero maintenance familiarity with gas systems, bolt carriers, or buffer weights. You load one round, shoot, reload. For hunters who primarily use rifles seasonally and don’t maintain a regular cleaning and function-check schedule, this simplicity has real value.

Legal in more zones: Some states and counties that permit straight-wall cartridges specify “single-shot rifles only” for certain seasons. The CVA Scout is universally legal in these applications; an AR-15 is not.

Legal for youth hunting: Some states have minimum age requirements for semi-automatic rifles but no such restriction on single-shots. Verify your state’s rules.

The AR-15’s advantages: follow-up shots, higher magazine capacity, and the ability to use the same platform for other applications. If you already own an AR-15, adding a .350 Legend upper is a practical choice. If you’re buying specifically for straight-wall deer hunting, the Scout is the more economical and legally flexible option.

For more on AR platforms in hunting applications, see our AR-15 Platform Guide and Deer Hunting AR-15 Calibers.

Best Ammo Recommendations by Cartridge

For .350 Legend:

• Hornady 170gr InterLock: ~$24/box – best all-around hunting load, widely available
• Winchester 150gr Deer Season XP: ~$22/box – economical, good for regular practice
• Federal 180gr Trophy Bonded: ~$32/box – premium controlled-expansion for larger deer

For .360 Buckhammer:

• Remington Core-Lokt 180gr: ~$36/box – the original factory load, good terminal performance
• Hornady 200gr FTX: ~$40/box – best choice for shots approaching 200 yards

For .400 Legend:

• Winchester 215gr Power-Point: ~$38/box – currently the primary factory option
• Hornady 250gr FTX: expected late 2025 – watch for this one

For .450 Bushmaster:

• Hornady 250gr FTX: ~$42/box – best overall choice for terminal performance and accuracy
• Federal 300gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw: ~$55/box – for large deer or secondary hog use
• Remington 260gr Core-Lokt: ~$38/box – affordable, performs well on deer inside 150 yards

FAQ

Q: Is .350 Legend enough for large northern whitetail?

A: Yes, with proper shot placement inside 150 yards. Large northern whitetail bucks can reach 200+ lbs, and the .350 Legend at 1,587 ft-lbs muzzle energy is on the lighter end for animals of that size. The Hornady 170gr InterLock or Federal 180gr Trophy Bonded with controlled expansion gives better penetration than the lighter Winchester FMJ loads. Stay inside 150 yards, hit the lungs or heart, and recovery will be clean.

Q: Which states allow .450 Bushmaster for deer?

A: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, and most other straight-wall states allow .450 Bushmaster. The .452″ bullet diameter and straight-wall case design make it universally compliant with the major state restrictions. Always verify the current season’s regulations – some states add or modify the approved list annually.

Q: Can I use the same CVA Scout for both .350 Legend and .450 Bushmaster?

A: No – the Scout is a fixed-barrel single-shot. You’d need two rifles (or two barrels, which CVA does not officially support as a user-swappable feature). If you want multiple straight-wall calibers in one action, the Thompson/Center Encore is designed for that with its barrel-swapping system.

Q: Is .360 Buckhammer better than .350 Legend for straight-wall deer hunting?

A: For pure deer hunting performance, yes – the Buckhammer delivers approximately 700 ft-lbs more muzzle energy and a larger diameter bullet. The trade-off is higher recoil (~14 ft-lbs vs ~8 ft-lbs) and fewer ammo options at higher prices. For average deer at average distances, both work. For large deer at the farther end of practical range, the Buckhammer is the better tool.

Q: Does the CVA Scout .450 Bushmaster come with a muzzle brake?

A: Most configurations include a muzzle brake or ported barrel to manage .450 Bushmaster’s significant recoil. Verify the specific configuration you’re buying – brake-equipped vs. threaded muzzle vs. ported barrel varies between V2 and 2025 Scout configurations and between retailers.

Q: What is the maximum legal range for a .350 Legend under state straight-wall rules?

A: The straight-wall laws don’t specify a maximum range – that’s a ballistic concept, not a legal one. The laws specify cartridge specifications (case geometry, diameter, length). The .350 Legend is legal for use at any range where deer hunting is legal. The practical effective range on deer is a separate question from the legal one – approximately 175 yards for clean kills with proper bullet selection.