Hunting & Fishing Iowa Gun Hunt - Whitetail
- Thread starter TipToeTango
- Start date
What part of the state and what kind of hunting? Ive hunted deer here for 25 years. Some places/styles limit you to 75 yards or less, in which case something like a 450 bushmaster is ideal (not easily deflected bullets, more kinetic energy, etc.). Other places where a 300-400+ yard shot can happen, a smokeless 45 cal muzzleloader is ideal.
Dont overlook a 444 marlin if you can find one (my brother uses one), but I still run a savage 220. Good to ~200 (maybe a smidge further if you practice it).
Dont overlook a 444 marlin if you can find one (my brother uses one), but I still run a savage 220. Good to ~200 (maybe a smidge further if you practice it).
I’ve shotgun and muzzleloader hunted in Iowa for the better part of a decade and can say I’ve shot 0 deer over 100 yards, not because I’m a poor shot, but because a good opportunity has never presented itself (mostly hunted with groups, walking sections). If you’ll be gun hunting with a group it’s nice to have a repeater of any sort. 450 bushmasters, either AR or the Ruger American models have become extremely popular. Lever action 45/70s are also very popular. If you’re still-hunting alone a muzzleloader or the savage 212 or 220 are excellent choices. Best of luck this December!
I would run a muzzleloader for a couple of reasons. Not knowing your hunting style, area, other states, current firearm selection...this will just be a general answer.
You can get a very accurate muzzleloader setup and then use it in other states during their muzzleloader seasons.
I’ve got a Thompson setup with crosshairs in the front hood and Lyman peep rear that shoots 4” at 200yds and 10” at 300. Use blackhorn powder and Thor bullets that are lathed to your guns specific bore diameter. With a scope you could really dial in with drops etc. I’m just not familiar with Iowa laws about optics on muzzleloaders.
You can get a very accurate muzzleloader setup and then use it in other states during their muzzleloader seasons.
I’ve got a Thompson setup with crosshairs in the front hood and Lyman peep rear that shoots 4” at 200yds and 10” at 300. Use blackhorn powder and Thor bullets that are lathed to your guns specific bore diameter. With a scope you could really dial in with drops etc. I’m just not familiar with Iowa laws about optics on muzzleloaders.
Will you be still hunting? Or party hunting?
Still hunting a custom muzzleloader would be the best bet IMO. If still hunting somewhere with no opportunity of a long shot a slug gun/straight walled cartridge would be fine.
Party hunting I use 2 different shotguns, both with slug barrels. A Beretta pintail semi auto with 3-9x scope, which I can shoot to 200yds or so. I use this gun while sitting on drives that overlook fields with the possibility of a longer shot(80-200yds). 2nd is a Benelli Nova with only iron sights I use for driving deer. While pushing/driving your shots will typically be within 50yds.
Still hunting a custom muzzleloader would be the best bet IMO. If still hunting somewhere with no opportunity of a long shot a slug gun/straight walled cartridge would be fine.
Party hunting I use 2 different shotguns, both with slug barrels. A Beretta pintail semi auto with 3-9x scope, which I can shoot to 200yds or so. I use this gun while sitting on drives that overlook fields with the possibility of a longer shot(80-200yds). 2nd is a Benelli Nova with only iron sights I use for driving deer. While pushing/driving your shots will typically be within 50yds.
i recently purchased a ruger am. in 450 bushmaster for ohio, good price and good shooting gun. my first one was a 6.5 creed for a truck gun for dogs and such the scope was more than the gun and it shoots little holes. you might also look into the new winchester offering the 350. i have read some about it and it sounds good.
Always use every opportunity to buy a new gun. Marlin 1895 in 45/70, or AR 450 Bushmaster. The 450 uppers seem to run on any standard lower but cowboy guns are way cooler. And for bragging rights - Marlin's web site shows their 1895 SSBL rated to handle all North American Big Game, including the T. Rex from Jurassic World
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Great feedback so far guys. I still haven’t pulled trigger just yet. Tags are in and I’ve just been buying up a few cold weather clothes..boy it gets a lot colder than N.C. in December!!
I punched the tag, but fell short of min score. I never saw 140” and didn’t want to eat tag. 80% of group were successful. Ready to go back!
Smokeless .45 can shoot across a bean field if need be.
A converted black powder inline is the way I went. New barrel and smokeless rated breach plug and it is a solid 300 yard gun. I have taken deer with it past 200 yards before the conversion. Wish I had done it many years ago. The rifle can be left fouled and loaded, minus the primer, thru all the deer seasons and not worry about corrosion. Watch the deer get hit with no smoke cloud to block the vision.
I size bullets to the bore and send a 275 grain custom bullet at 2473 feet per second. For my scope put the top of the bottom post on the backbone and squeeze for an 18 inch drop at 300 yards with a 150 yard zero and it was still going 1629 f.p.s.. Point and shoot zero to 170 yards. I can take it up to 2600 if I ever need to do some mid distance shooting.
One build on an M700 action is expensive and top notch.
Smokeless rated barrel can still use black powder and much safer.
Wish there is more public deer hunting land down here in southern Iowa, farmers give the okay for pheasant but always make sure I know deer is off limits.
A converted black powder inline is the way I went. New barrel and smokeless rated breach plug and it is a solid 300 yard gun. I have taken deer with it past 200 yards before the conversion. Wish I had done it many years ago. The rifle can be left fouled and loaded, minus the primer, thru all the deer seasons and not worry about corrosion. Watch the deer get hit with no smoke cloud to block the vision.
I size bullets to the bore and send a 275 grain custom bullet at 2473 feet per second. For my scope put the top of the bottom post on the backbone and squeeze for an 18 inch drop at 300 yards with a 150 yard zero and it was still going 1629 f.p.s.. Point and shoot zero to 170 yards. I can take it up to 2600 if I ever need to do some mid distance shooting.
One build on an M700 action is expensive and top notch.
Smokeless rated barrel can still use black powder and much safer.
Wish there is more public deer hunting land down here in southern Iowa, farmers give the okay for pheasant but always make sure I know deer is off limits.
I live in ohio and the first 6 years of deer hunting for me, we where only allowed a shotgun or a muzzle loader. Then we went to straight walled cartridge. I have shot well over 40 deer in the last 15 years. I used an encore in a muzzleloader and then when we went to a straight walled cartridge, I went with a 45-70. I bought an EABC 26 in stainless fluted barrel. I shoot it out to 600y with 325 ftx bullets regularly and shot my closest deer 12 feet and the furthest at 280y. I would have zero issues shooting one at 600y with that rifle. For that reason I say buy your self an encore. Super accurate and super versatile. You can kill deer much further than a shotgun, and you can kill them just as close.
Our group has drawn every year since 2004 in Zone 8 for the first gun season with the exception of one year that I can recall. There were a couple of years I didn't put in due to other obligations, but it's pretty much always been a sure bet for our group year after year. Looking at the draw stats for some of the other zones, I'm not sure we would be so lucky if we were hunting somewhere else/another zone. Unfortunately, the quality of hunting has slowly declined over the years and we don't have 100 deer days like we did back in the beginning. Still a great hunt shared with a great group of guys, but also the most expensive out of state whitetail tag in the country.
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