“deer cartridges”

The 360 Buckhammer is far from just a Midwestern-only straight-wall cartridge. It has the potential to become one of the all-time great deer cartridges.

Both the 350 Legend and 360 Buckhammer adhere to the parameters set by the straight-wall-only states, and both can be highly effective in the deer woods—much more than the vast majority of shotguns with slugs. Here's a look at the pros and cons of each.

The goal was to build a magnum-class cartridge in a small package, and Weatherby has done just that with its 6.5 Weatherby RPM, featuring a rebated rim, large body diameter, low body taper and 35-degree shoulder.

Released in 1980, the 7mm-08 Remington would go on to be considered one of the best deer cartridges ever conceived, and the gamut of 7mm bullets available make it extremely flexible.

The Turkish-made Viper G2 Camo offers great value in a dedicated turkey autoloader. It fits well, carries easy, and is wonderfully effective.

Turkey hunters looking for a reliable red dot for their turkey gun need look no further than the DeltaPoint Pro. It is compact, lightweight and features a wide field of view, motion sensor technology to conserve battery and multiple brightness settings.

Younger hunters seem to be more apt to embrace the ‘dial’ method, while those with a bit more snow on the roof are skeptical of the moving parts. Here’s a closer look at compensating for trajectory in the modern era.

While there are many great predator cartridges to choose from, these practical choices rise to the top.

Each shooter’s recoil tolerance level is different, and some people appreciate flexibility over specific application, but these five cartridges will cleanly take any dangerous-game animal on earth.