Deer rifles for Missouri's November firearms portion

Missouri's November firearms portion is the busiest week of the hunting year, with hundreds of thousands of hunters in the woods. For 2026-27 the Missouri Department of Conservation set it for November 14 to 24. This guide covers what firearms are legal and how to choose a rifle for the country you hunt. Always confirm details in the current MDC Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations booklet.

2026-27 firearms portions

Early antlerless: Oct. 9-11 (open counties only)
Early youth: Oct. 24-25
November portion: Nov. 14-24
Late youth: Nov. 27-29
Late antlerless: Dec. 5-13 (open counties only)
Alternative methods: Dec. 26, 2026 to Jan. 5, 2027

Archery season runs Sept. 15 to Nov. 13 and Nov. 25 to Jan. 15, 2027. Check the booklet for antlerless permit rules in your county and for any chronic wasting disease requirements.

What is legal

During the firearms portions you may use centerfire rifles and handguns, shotguns with slugs, and muzzleloaders. Rimfire cartridges such as the .22 LR and .17 HMR are not legal for deer. MDC also has rules on magazine capacity for semi-automatic centerfire firearms and on what is allowed during the alternative methods portion, so read those sections before you pick an AR-platform rifle.

Calibers that work in Missouri

Missouri deer are big-bodied farm-country whitetails, and most shots are under 200 yards in the Ozark timber and up to 300 yards across a crop field or pasture. Any of these calibers is more than enough with a good bullet:

.243 Winchester: light recoil, a good choice for youth and smaller-framed hunters with a 95-100 grain bullet.
6.5 Creedmoor: accurate, mild recoil, easy to find in factory rifles and ammunition.
.270 Winchester: flat-shooting and a classic across farm country.
.308 Winchester: short action, wide ammunition choice, works in bolt and lever rifles.
.30-06 Springfield: the traditional all-rounder, at home in any Missouri deer stand.
.350 Legend and .450 Bushmaster: straight-wall cartridges with heavy bullets for short-range timber hunting.
.30-30 Winchester: the lever gun for thick Ozark hollows.

Bolt, lever or semi-auto

A bolt-action rifle is the most popular choice: accurate, simple, and available at every price. Look at the Ruger American, Savage Axis and 110, Tikka T3x, Browning X-Bolt and Winchester XPR. Lever actions from Henry and Marlin handle quickly in the timber. Semi-automatic rifles are legal within MDC rules, and an AR-10 in .308 or 6.5 Creedmoor gives fast follow-up shots.

Browse bolt-action rifles, lever-action rifles or all rifles.

Optics

A 3-9x40 or 3-9x50 scope covers most Missouri hunting, from dawn in the timber to a long field edge. Buy good rings and mount the scope with the right eye relief, then sight in at 100 yards. Many hunters like a 2-7x or 1-6x for timber and a 4-16x for bean fields.

Ammunition

Use a controlled-expansion hunting bullet made for deer, not target or full metal jacket loads. Buy enough of the same load to sight in and practice; changing loads changes your point of impact. Ammunition ships to your door in Missouri, so order early before the November rush empties shelves.

Blaze orange and safety

During the firearms portions, all deer and turkey hunters must wear a hat and a shirt, vest or coat of hunter orange, with limited exceptions listed in the booklet. Hunters born on or after January 1, 1967 need hunter education certification or an apprentice authorization. Practice at an MDC range such as Busch, Lake City or Andy Dalton before the opener.

Getting your rifle in time

Order at least two weeks before the opener. Every rifle ships to a licensed Missouri dealer you choose; you complete the paperwork and NICS check at pickup. See our Missouri gun law guide for how the transfer works.

General information, not legal advice. Current as of September 2026. Laws change; check the official source before you act.