Bolt guns for Ohio deer season and beyond

The bolt action became an Ohio deer rifle in 2014, when the state first opened gun season to straight-walled cartridges. Today a scoped bolt gun in .350 Legend is the common choice for a stand overlooking picked beans in Putnam or Darke County, where a shot can reach 150 to 200 yards; it kicks lightly enough for a youth hunter on the November youth weekend. The .450 Bushmaster hits harder for those who want it. Bottleneck chamberings such as 6.5 Creedmoor or .308 are not legal for deer here, but they are what you want for coyotes, groundhogs and long-range practice in the tradition of Camp Perry. Ruger, Savage and Winchester all make straight-wall bolt rifles. Yours ships to an Ohio FFL for the NICS check. See Ohio deer rifles & slug guns.