360 Buckhammer: Remington's New Straight-Walled Deer Slayer?

The name “360 Buckhammer” doesn’t exactly sound like a traditional moniker for a rifle caliber, does it? That’s because rifle cartridges were historically named with the numerical bullet diameter, the manufacturer, and then sometimes a modifier like “magnum.” But that pattern became so overused that newer calibers are branded with “clever” names. Sometimes the names are more straightforward.

For example, there is now 6.8 Western for living life like a John Wayne movie, .300 Blackout for mixing marksmanship with heavy boozing, 6.5 Creedmoor if you just can’t get enough of Scott Stapp’s steamy vocals, 50 Beowulf for yelling your own name while pulling the trigger, and 6.5 Grendel so Beowulf has somebody to fight.

One of the newer products from Remington Ammunition is simply named for what the round is designed to do. The 360 Buckhammer (360 BHMR) is built to absolutely lay the hammer down on big deer with enough power to make Thor proud.

Remington also teamed up with Henry Repeating Arms during the development process to create a line of lever action rifles for the new caliber to accompany its launch.

The new straight-walled round was first introduced back in January during the 2023 SHOT Show. According to Remington’s marketing director, Joel Hodgdon, “[the] 360 Buckhammer’s name draws on Remington’s iconic history. Shotgun deer hunters will remember Big Green’s ‘Buckhammer’ rifled slugs, which were as deadly on deer as the new cartridge.

“360 Buckhammer was also named to honor a long-time Remington ammo engineer named Rick Buckmaster, who developed the cartridge. I’m not joking; Remington actually has an engineer named Buckmaster on staff.”

Remington put the 360 Buckhammer cartridge through a phase of field testing, and it reportedly proved fatally effective on deer, hogs, black bears, and exotic game such as African impala and bushpigs.

The real test will come this fall when hunters will have their first chance to take the caliber afield in pursuit of rut-wild bucks. Let’s hope the hammer lives up to the hype and proves to be as effective as the marketing.

Deer Hunters Have Fallen for Straight-Walled Cartridges

Remington’s decision to phase out Buckhammer shotgun slugs in favor of straight-walled Buckhammer rifle cartridges reflects growing trends amongst deer hunters across the country.

More and more states have loosened restrictions that once limited deer hunters primarily to shotguns loaded with buckshot or slugs. Now, most allow the use of straight-walled rifle cartridges instead. As a result, rifled slug guns and the ammo for them are being used less and less.

On the flip side, lever action rifles, which work really well with straight-walled cartridges, are now seemingly as popular as they were back when they won the West.

Or maybe it’s just the Yellowstone effect? I mean, a good old-fashioned lever gun does look damn good with a tuxedo, huh? Works great for telling people to get off your lawn, too. Just ask John Dutton.

The growing popularity of lever action rifles has sparked an increased focus on improving the performance of traditional rounds like .30-30 Winchester and .45-70 Govt, both longtime favorites of lever-gun-wielding whitetail deer hunters, along with .450 Bushmaster — a popular straight-walled round compatible with semi-auto AR-platform rifles.

At least two other big ammo makers took a shot at optimizing ammunition for lever action rifles in recent years with Hornady’s LEVERevolution and Federal’s HammerDown, which was created from a partnership between Federal and Henry. The increased focus on improving lever action ammunition then eventually led to the creation of all new cartridges, too.

The 350 Legend was introduced by Winchester in 2019, which was followed up by the 400 Legend introduced earlier this year.

Wanting to get in on a piece of that hot action, Remington brought 360 Buckhammer to life in 2023 as well. With this fall being the first deer season since the round’s introduction, it could cement itself as a premium deer cartridge for the modern lever gun hunter.

“Remington knew that deer hunters in so-called straight-walled states like Michigan, Iowa, and around the Midwest needed a straight-walled round that was legal to hunt with and would perform lights out in a lever action rifle,” said Joel Hodgdon. Hodgdon also worked with Remington and Henry on the new round. “360 Buckhammer was created to fill this need.”

Though it’s always best to directly verify rules with respective state fish and game agencies before going afield, Remington reports that deer hunting with straight-walled cartridges is now legal in every state except Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and the southern half of Minnesota.

It’s also important to note that only single-shot straight-walled rifles are permitted for hunting in Illinois.

360 Buckhammer and Remington’s Iconic Core-Lokt Bullet

With solid lead cores molded and locked into copper jackets, the components of Core-Lokt rounds stick together upon impact to form what Remington dubs the “deadliest mushroom in the woods.”

Arguably, the most popular and well-known brand of hunting ammunition ever made, Remington Core-Lokt was introduced in 1939.

As its name suggests, the ammunition’s lead core is molded and locked into copper jackets so the jacket doesn’t separate from the core upon impact. This allows it to form what’s known as the “deadliest mushroom in the woods.”

Core-Lokt were the original controlled expansion bullets, and they revolutionized hunting ammunition. Hunters have filled more deer tags with Core-Lokt bullets since their release than any other bullet out there.

Currently, 360 Buckhammer comes topped with either 180-grain or 200-grain Core-Lokts. Based purely on ballistic charts, Remington 360 Buckhammer loads simply fly faster, shoot more accurately, and hit harder when compared to other similar hunting rounds.

“Remington didn’t just create a good enough straight-walled round, we pushed the envelope to create a modern straight-walled round that is higher velocity with more energy than similar cartridges, such as .350 Legend or even the classic .30-30 Winchester,” Hodgdon said.

With somewhat similar ballistics to .30-30 Winchester, .350 Legend, and .450 Bushmaster, the numbers don’t lie — other straight-walled cartridges can’t touch the 360 Buckhammer, which has less recoil, a flatter trajectory and performs straight-up better than those calibers when put to the test.

Remington’s new 360 Buckhammer caliber has more muzzle velocity, less drop, and more energy on impact than other comparable rounds.

Deer Season is Hammer Time

Even though the cartridge was only a few months old, Magnum Research wasted no time releasing a 360 Buckhammer Revolver back in April 2023. Because, after all, you can’t have a straight-walled cartridge and not have a wheelgun option for it.

The fun didn’t stop there. Remington has officially partnered with one of the biggest lever-gun makers today, Henry Repeating Arms, to assemble an ensemble of newly developed American-made rifles fit to fire this American-made deer-slaying ammunition.

Judging by how quickly the popularity of .350 Legend guns and ammo exploded onto the market, the industry obviously expects more similar offerings to follow suit — look for more hunting guns chambered for the new 360 Buckhammer coming down the pike.

After all, gun companies don’t start making firearms for a cartridge until it’s been certified by SAAMI, and then it takes time to spin up the manufacturing process, even if designs are ready and waiting.

“American ammo needs an American rifle! Remington partnered with Henry Rifles to bring 360 Buckhammer to hunters, we were proud to work with such a great company,” Hodgdon said.

“360 BHMR is now a SAAMI-accepted cartridge, so I’m sure other lever gun manufacturers and even some new single-shot break-open rifles chambered in Buckhammer will be coming soon,” he added.

As with all Remington Ammunition, 360 Buckhammer is proudly

made in America and manufactured at Remington’s plant in Lonoke, Arkansas. Considering Remington and Federal Ammunition are both under the Vista Outdoor umbrella, we’ll probably see the word “Buckhammer” on a Federal box soon — and won’t that be weird.

Don’t let the name fool you — the 360 Buckhammer works great on does too.

Stay tuned, as Henry is expected to officially introduce both single-shot and shiny brass receiver versions of Buckhammer rifles in the near future. And don’t miss this awesome first look at the Remington and Henry Buckhammer combo below:

The Few Rifles Chambered for 360 Buckhammer

Henry Arms X Model

This Henry lever gun in 360 Buckhammer comes in a sleek all-black look that adds a modern flair to a historic firearm platform. The synthetic furniture is also comparatively lighter than the wood-bodied version. The Picatinny rail provides additional opportunities for tactical modifications, or attaching a lightweight bipod if that’s your thing, and the threaded muzzle allows for a suppressor.

MSRP: $1,091
Action Type: Lever Action
Capacity: 5 Rounds
Barrel Length: 21.375 inches
Barrel Type: Round, Blued Steel
Rate of Twist: 1:12″
Overall Length: 40.375 inches
Weight: 8.07 pounds
Receiver Finish: Blued Steel
Rear Sight: Fully Adjustable Fiber Optic
Front Sight: Fiber Optic
Scopeability: Drilled and Tapped
Scope Mount Type: Weaver 63B
Stock Material: Black Synthetic
Buttplate/Pad: Black Solid Rubber Recoil Pad
Length of Pull: 14 inches
Safety: Transfer Bar

Embellishments/Extras: 5/8×24 Threaded Barrel, Large Loop Lever, M-Lok Accessory Slots, Picatinny Rail Accessory Mount, Side Loading Gate, Sling Swivel Studs

Henry Steel Receiver Model

This version of the gun comes with a traditional-looking walnut stock, such as the historic lever action rifles that hunters have been taking afield for more than a century. Fit for real mountain men, genuine cowboys, and aspiring wannabees, there are fewer options for modding out this version of the gun, but why mess with such a classic look anyways?

MSRP: $1,057
Action Type: Lever Action
Capacity: 5 Rounds
Barrel Length: 20 inches
Barrel Type: Round, blued steel
Rate of Twist: 1:12″
Overall Length: 39 inches
Weight: 7 pounds
Receiver Finish: Blued Steel
Rear Sight: Fully Adjustable Semi-Buckhorn w/ Diamond Insert
Front Sight: Brass Bead
Scopeability: Drilled and Tapped
Scope Mount Type: Weaver 63B
Stock Material: American Walnut
Buttplate/Pad: Black Solid Rubber Recoil Pad
Length of Pull: 14 inches
Safety: Transfer Bar
Embellishments/Extras: Side Loading Gate, Sling Swivel Studs