Reference · checked Aug 20, 2026

Straight-wall cartridge states

A handful of former shotgun-only states let deer hunters carry rifles — but only chambered in straight-walled cartridges like the .350 Legend, .360 Buckhammer, or .450 Bushmaster. That list is shrinking fast: two of the classic straight-wall states dropped their restrictions in the last two seasons. Here’s where the rule still stands for 2026-27, in each regs book’s own words.

Where straight-wall rules still apply

Ohio — Deer gun seasons: rifles must be straight-walled, .357 to .50 caliber.

“Straight-walled cartridge rifles: All straight-walled cartridge calibers from a minimum of .357 to a maximum of .50 (includes .350 Legend).”
— 2026–27 Ohio Hunting & Trapping Regulations, checked Aug 20, 2026

The same booklet caps shotguns and straight-walled cartridge rifles at three shells in the chamber and magazine combined, and limits handguns to a 5-inch minimum barrel using straight-walled cartridges .357 caliber or larger.

Ohio season dates · Ohio shooting hours

Iowa — Youth/disabled and both shotgun seasons: rifles limited by caliber and energy, not action.

“Rifles firing straight wall or other centerfire ammunition propelling an expanding-type bullet with a maximum diameter of no less than .350 of an inch and no larger than .500 of an inch and with a published or calculated muzzle energy of 500 foot pounds or higher is legal for hunting deer during the youth and disabled hunting season and first and second shotgun seasons.”
— 2026–27 Iowa Hunting, Trapping & Migratory Game Bird Regulations, checked Aug 20, 2026

Note the wording: “straight wall or other centerfire.” Iowa’s test is the .350–.500 bullet and the 500 foot-pounds — a short necked cartridge that meets both is legal too, which is broader than a pure straight-wall rule.

Illinois — Firearm deer seasons: rifles allowed only as single-shots, straight-wall or short bottleneck.

“A straight-walled centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or larger, or a bottleneck centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or larger with a case length not exceeding one and two-fifths inches. Both must be available as a factory load with the published ballistic tables of the manufacturer showing a capability of at least 500-foot pounds of energy at the muzzle.”
— Illinois DNR — single-shot rifle law FAQ, checked Aug 20, 2026

Single-shot rifles only — Illinois legalized them for deer effective January 1, 2023. Full-metal-jacket bullets may not be used to harvest deer.

Where the restriction just ended

If your last straight-wall list was more than a season old, these are the states that moved.

Michigan — The Limited Firearms Deer Zone — southern Michigan’s straight-wall-only zone — is gone as of the 2026 season.

“The limited firearms deer zone has been eliminated. Beginning Sept. 12, 2026, hunters can use all legal firearms across the Lower Peninsula.”
— 2026 Michigan Deer Hunting Regulations Summary, checked Aug 20, 2026

Straight-wall rifles like the .350 Legend stay legal — what ended is the rule that made them the only legal rifles south of the old zone line.

Michigan season dates · Michigan shooting hours

Indiana — The case-length window that once defined legal rifle cartridges is out of the current guide.

“Bullet diameter: .219 inch minimum. Full metal jacketed bullets are illegal. A hunter can carry no more than 10 cartridges for deer hunting on public and private land.”
— 2026–2027 Indiana Hunting & Trapping Guide — Deer Equipment, checked Aug 20, 2026

Indiana’s 2026-27 guide lists centerfire rifles for the youth, firearms, and deer reduction zone seasons by bullet diameter — the old 1.16-to-1.8-inch case-length rule that steered hunters toward straight-wall rounds no longer appears.

Minnesota — The old shotgun zone — the reason many Minnesotans shopped straight-wall — was repealed in 2025.

“The rifle/shotgun boundary was repealed by the MN Legislature in 2025. Counties in the former shotgun zone have the option to pass an ordinance to remain shotgun-only.”
— 2026 Minnesota Hunting & Trapping Regulations, checked Aug 20, 2026

Minnesota limited southern and western counties to shotguns, not straight-wall rifles specifically — but it sat on every straight-wall shopping list, and now the boundary is gone. Check whether your county passed a shotgun-only ordinance before you carry a rifle.

Minnesota season dates · Minnesota shooting hours

Not listed here?

Then the state’s deer-rifle rules aren’t written around straight-walled cartridges — most rifle states allow bottleneck cartridges outright, and a straight-wall round that meets the state’s caliber floor is simply another legal rifle. Season, zone, and public-land exceptions still apply everywhere.