Hunting with rifles

[BDBHoover]

Okay so I was under the assumption that it was perfectly legal to hunt with rifles..... My brother said to me that a new law had passed about only being able to hunt with rifles that were pistol calibers..... Can someone please explain

 

[raggedoutcummins77]

Well my uncle just built me a Indiana deer rifle to use this year and its a 358 and he has been shooting it at 300 yrds and it holds a group of a inch with five shoots

 

[M4Madness]

Yes, to be legal this season, the empty brass must have a length between 1.16" and 1.625" and have a minimum bullet diameter of .357".

Next year, the maximum case length increases to 1.8", while the other parameters stay the same.

 

[hooky]

Deer hunting with a rifle is limited to pistol calibers. Anything else with 4 legs has no such limitation.

 

[BDBHoover]

Hmmm....... So if I wanted to go deer hunting with a rifle it has to be a pistol caliber but if I wanted to go squirrel hunting with a .308 I could??? Makes sense

 

[M4Madness]

Hmmm....... So if I wanted to go deer hunting with a rifle it has to be a pistol caliber but if I wanted to go squirrel hunting with a .308 I could???

Yep.

 

[Lammchop93]

Sadly, pistol calibers are only allowed. The law makes absolutely no sense, but it's the law. Usually, when hunting deer the shooter is aiming down out of a tree stand and the bullet won't travel anywhere, but when hunting squirrel, they may be shooting upwards if the squirrel on a branch therefore the bullet could travel far. This proves even more that the law is totally pointless.

 

[GREEN607]

Hmmm....... So if I wanted to go deer hunting with a rifle it has to be a pistol caliber but if I wanted to go squirrel hunting with a .308 I could??? Makes sense

Yeah, that's what happens when you elect a bunch of people to legislate.....that don't have a clue.

Unfortunately, that's what we have done, in Indiana.

 

[Taylorz71]

Looks like next year we can use the .450 bushy, but the one exception to the pistol cartridge is the .458 socom or special handbuilt rounds that fit the specs as stated above. I thought about a 458 upper but rounds are very expensive and rare. My 12 guage is effective out to 200 yards with hornady slugs and 150 yrds is about as far as I could get a clean shot where I hunt anyway. Hard to beat my paid for 20 year old 500 for deer. Love the idea of carying an AR into the woods though :-)

 

[Kirk Freeman]

This proves even more that the law is totally pointless.

I'll have you know IDNR Magic Bullet Theory is completely pointy.

1. Shoot .270 at squirrel up in tree at 45 degree angle.
2. ???
3. Profit.

Now let's work out the theory of using centerfire on deer

1. Shooting down at deer with .270.
2. Earth shattering Kaboom.
3. Women, minorities and children hardest hit.

QED

So, as you can see from my mathematical proof shooting centerfire rifles at squirrels in trees is completely safe and shooting centerfire rifle at deer (unless predation) will cause the world to end.

Any other problems you guys need explained?

 

[BDBHoover]

You forgot your purple Kirk

 

[x10]

I've been hunting with the ruger 77/44 for 3 years and love it, 44 mag with the leverevolution 225gr ammo is a deer killing machine, I use a little Burris fastfire 2 and its a fast light accurate tool. To each his own but I really can't think of something I would like to hunt with more

 

[paperboy]

I've been hunting with the ruger 77/44 for 3 years and love it, 44 mag with the leverevolution 225gr ammo is a deer killing machine, I use a little Burris fastfire 2 and its a fast light accurate tool. To each his own but I really can't think of something I would like to hunt with more

I agree on the 44....I use 240 Gr. JSP and it lays the smack down!

 

[captpaul]

The argument comparing squirrel hunting to deer hunting has no merit. The compressed two week deer season places significantly more hunters in close proximity, increasing the risk for accidents. Also, while it is true you can hunt squirrels with 50 BMG, you would be hard pressed to find anyone actually doing this.
There were over 240,000 licenses sold last year with which hunters could use firearms. Over 43,000 deer were killed during the first three days of the firearms season. Allowing PCR's is a niche market in the general deer hunting population, with only 7% of the total harvest in 2010.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

The argument comparing squirrel hunting to deer hunting has no merit. The compressed two week deer season places significantly more hunters in close proximity, increasing the risk for accidents. Also, while it is true you can hunt squirrels with 50 BMG, you would be hard pressed to find anyone actually doing this.
There were over 240,000 licenses sold last year with which hunters could use firearms. Over 43,000 deer were killed during the first three days of the firearms season. Allowing PCR's is a niche market in the general deer hunting population, with only 7% of the total harvest in 2010.

hunter population has about 0.5% to do with the laws being the way we are.

The old shotgun slug-only rules/regulations were a hold-over from the 30's and 40's when they reintroduced white-tailed deer into Indiana from there near complete termination due to over-hunting (due to lack of regulation). Period.

-J-

 

[GREEN607]

The argument comparing squirrel hunting to deer hunting has no merit. The compressed two week deer season places significantly more hunters in close proximity, increasing the risk for accidents. Also, while it is true you can hunt squirrels with 50 BMG, you would be hard pressed to find anyone actually doing this.
There were over 240,000 licenses sold last year with which hunters could use firearms. Over 43,000 deer were killed during the first three days of the firearms season. Allowing PCR's is a niche market in the general deer hunting population, with only 7% of the total harvest in 2010.

I disagree. PCR's are relatively new (as far as deer hunting-legal) in Indiana. So many peeps are still using a shotgun. That hardly equates to a "niche market".....

But if you look at a "rational law" state, like Wisconsin or Missouri.......75% or higher of the deer harvest, is via rifle.

 

[x10]

Where did the stat on the amount of rifle kills come from the right guys I hunt with has six converted from shotgun you rifle

I thought the number would have been much higher or I womder how the data was taken

 

[shibumiseeker]

Also, while it is true you can hunt squirrels with 50 BMG, you would be hard pressed to find anyone actually doing this. .

I came very, very close last week when I was shooting on my 400 yard range and there was a squirrel scampering around the target holder while I was getting settled. I didn't have a round in or I would have shot him. By the time I had a round in the chamber he'd gone.

 

[Willie]

I look for that "niche" % to move up more and more.

When the PCRS were first legal the check stations did not have ANY check books with the rifle designation on them. That stayed that way until last year when 20% of the check stations were still using the old check books and the rest were using new books. The check station guy had to pencil that in the old books. How many do you think actuallay got penciled in?

BTW - Love my Ruger .44 Mag Carbine....

 

[Willie]

Where did the stat on the amount of rifle kills come from the right guys I hunt with has six converted from shotgun you rifle

I thought the number would have been much higher or I womder how the data was taken

http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/fw-2010_Deer_Season_Summary.pdf