NEW Equipment for 2012 IN Deer Hunting

[Hillsideshooting]

I was reading through the new adopted laws and am still needing clarification on a few things...statement pulled for the below link:

"The maximum rifle cartridge length that can be used in the firearm season has been extended to 1.8 inches. This means that the .460 Smith & Wesson, .450 Bushmaster, and .50 Beowulf will be legal to use during the deer firearms season."

http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/fw-Deer_Rule_Change_Summary_2012.pdf

Normally in Indiana the rules have been:
Can shoot Pistol round out of a non-semi auto Rifle
Can shoot Rifle round thru a non-semi auto Handgun

Basically same rules as before but you can shoot different Rifle Cartridges from TC Contender & Encore Style Handguns ???



SIDE NOTE:
The .450 Bushmaster was designed for a semi-auto AR platform...
so does this mean that they might be opening the door for a 200+ yard semi-auto AR style deer hunting rifle to be used in Indiana???

 

[singlestacksig]

the rifle rules have always been by case length, action type does not matter..

 

[DEC]

The action of the firearm (single shot, lever, pump, semi auto) has NOTHING to do with what rounds can or cannot be used under the past or the upcoming deer hunting regulations.

For years hand gun hunters have been able to shoot center fire rifle rounds including popular deer rounds like the .270, 30-06, and others. The TC Contender has been the gun of choice, though not the only one available.

The Pistol Cartridge rule that went into effect several years ago allowing rifles into the Indiana deer woods was meant for popular straight wall "cowboy" rounds such as .357 mag, .44 mag, etc. and allowed some wild catting to begin. The .458 SOCOM round actually fell within the original guidelines. This opened the door for the AR-15 platform for deer hunting. The action and AR-15 platform was never a problem in Indiana deer hunting, it was the fact that prior to the PCR rules there were no legal deer hunting rounds that could be shot out of a traditional AR platform.

What you see with the new PCR guidelines is that more rounds are now legal, including the 450 Bushmaster, again opening up for more AR's in the woods. It has also opened the door further to wildcatting. So long as the round meets the cartridge length and bullet diameter regulations, then it is legal, regardless of the action type or rifle platform.

 

[EPD1102]

Normally in Indiana the rules have been:
Can shoot Pistol round out of a non-semi auto Rifle
Can shoot Rifle round thru a non-semi auto Handgun

I've never read or heard anything that limited the type (action) of firearm that could shoot different rounds.
I've read and understood that you could shoot many different rifle rounds in handguns. The handguns that shot rifle rounds were almost always single-shots just because of the design and not because of any law.
You can shoot certain pistol rounds through rifles for deer hunting but, again, I've never heard anything about the type of action being limited. I know many people, including myself, who used AR-type rifles in .458 SOCOM last year for deer hunting. Where id you hear that it had to be a non semi-auto?

 

[EPD1102]

It looks like two other people posted similarly to me while I was typing. I guess I'm too slow on the keyboard.

 

[Hillsideshooting]

i guess i have always been under the assumption that you can not hunt deer with a semi-auto rifle.. unless its a shotgun.. hopefully i am wrong but i am having a hard time find a 100% positive statement from the DNR stating this... anyone help me out...??

I guess thats true the rules just state cartridge sizes and it doesnt specify anything with semi-auto or non semi-auto...

a .450 upper would be nice addition to the old AR.. maybe then i can use it for more than just yotes....



OLD RULES STATEMENT:
Rifles with cartridges that fire a bullet of .357-inch diameter or larger; have a minimum case length of 1.16 inches; and have a maximum case length of 1.625 inches are legal to use only during the deer firearm season. Some cartridges legal for deer hunting include the .357 Magnum, .38-.40 Winchester, .41 Magnum, .41 Special, .44 Magnum, .44 Special, .44-.40 Winchester, .45 Colt, .454 Casull, .458 SOCOM, .475 Linebaugh, .480 Ruger, .50 Action Express, and .500 S&W.

NEW RULES:
The maximum rifle cartridge length that can be used in the firearm season has been extended to 1.8 inches. This means that the .460 Smith & Wesson, .450 Bushmaster, and .50 Beowulf will be legal to
use during the deer firearms season.

 

[singlestacksig]

indiana has not had any rules about action type since at least 1990...

 

[hammer24]

Piling on here, but you need to get a copy of the hunting regulations and READ THEM!!! Never (in my memory) has there been any rule against semi-autos for deer hunting. It absolutely fascinating how many people go hunting every year with absolutely no concept of what the laws are! The hunting regs are online, and there are free copies all over the place. For crying out loud, READ THEM, please! Laws change, and ignorance of the law is no defense.

 

[Hillsideshooting]

Thanks... was just asking a question...... SORRY for reading the rules and just wanting to make sure i was understanding them correctly....

from my first statment - "I was reading through the new adopted laws and am still needing clarification on a few things.."

Piling on here, but you need to get a copy of the hunting regulations and READ THEM!!! Never has there been any rule against semi-autos for deer hunting. It absolutely fascinating how many people go hunting every year with absolutely no concept of what the laws are! The hunting regs are online, and there are free copies all over the place. For crying out loud, READ THEM, please!

 

[indyjoe]

Hmmm. My .357 Maximum with 1.6" case length (0.3" longer than .357 Mag.) is getting my 180 grain 35 Remington style rifle bullets up to around 2250 fps. +/- around 3" over 200 yards.

Wonder if an extra 0.2" gives me anything... Probably not.

 

[Hillsideshooting]

you would be surprised on how may hunters i have posed this same question to (semi or no semi) and they dont know .... i guess since alot of hunters dont use semi auto firearms including myself so i guess i have never worried about it..... i understand the rules as stated are only for limiting the casings adn bullet size... so basically if the round is legal you can fire it through any firearm of your liking..??

oh well what do i know...... i must be too primitive I hunt using a bow, a muzzloader and carry a 357 single action revolver...+

 

[hammer24]

Thanks... was just asking a question...... SORRY for reading the rules and just wanting to make sure i was understanding them correctly....

from my first statment - "I was reading through the new adopted laws and am still needing clarification on a few things.."

I'm glad you're educating yourself! But, it is obvious you are not new to hunting, thus you have been going into the woods in the fall without really knowing what the laws for legal equip. are. It is shocking and endlessly frustrating how many people go hunting with little understanding of what the laws are. Not picking on you specifically, but I've heard all kinds of non-sensical ASSUMPTIONS (you know what they say) that have absolutely zero basis on the actual laws. You also know darn well that many of those people wander out to the woods each year operating on those incorrect assumptions and hunt illegally merely out of ignorance.

The legal equip. laws are pretty straight forward really. There are two different criteria, one for rifles and one for pistols. Rifles (ARs, single shots, lever guns, bolt guns, etc) must be .357 or larger and need to have a case length of 1.16" to 1.8". Pistols are much more liberal. Case must be 1.16" and caliber of .243 and up, barrel must be 4". So, if you had a 300 Win Mag semi-auto pistol with a 4" barrel you could use it! But, 300 Win Mag is not a legal rifle caliber.
Sorry if I came across as harsh, keep educating yourself (the laws change) and good hunting!

 

[indyjoe]

So, if you had a 300 Win Mag semi-auto pistol with a 4" barrel you could use it!

Is that to be used as a pistol or as a flame thrower?

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

so basically if the round is legal you can fire it through any firearm of your liking..??

Yep.

Keeping in mind that which is legal through a handgun isn't always legal through a long gun. (The min diameter on projectile is larger on rifle rounds vs. handgun rounds)

-J-

 

[hammer24]

Is that to be used as a pistol or as a flame thrower?

I wouldn't want to shoot it, but I'd watch somebody do it!

 

[Hillsideshooting]

id watch that...

I wouldn't want to shoot it, but I'd watch somebody do it!

 

[Hookeye]

To add, while the intent may have been for straight walled cases, and the before PCR type season petitions may have had such language (can't remember).............never do I recall the rules after passing to state "straight wall" anywhere.

IIRC it was case length and bullet diameter.

I took a doe with a 1966 Ruger semi auto .44 mag when they opened it to rifles. Told a bud in a gunshop about it afterward. Some do good know nothing overheard and went apesheite, called me a poacher in front of others, said he'd call the CO and have me arrested (because I used a semi auto).

And he wouldn't shut up about it, after a simple explanation.

I'd have nailed him with Hunter Harassment if the CO had showed.

He shut up and left, when he figured any more BS was going to max out his dental plan.

 

[Willie]

I've been deer hunting with my Ruger 44 Mag carbine and it is semi..

Nowhere in the rules does it mention action.

 

[Willie]

To add, while the intent may have been for straight walled cases, and the before PCR type season petitions may have had such language (can't remember).............never do I recall the rules after passing to state "straight wall" anywhere.

IIRC it was case length and bullet diameter.

You remember correctly. Not sure who in the DNR asked to have the "straight wall" wording removed from the PCR proposal but it was probably a "wildcatter".

The last go around there is probably someone in the DNR that has and wants to hunt with a .460. Another

 

[Hookeye]

Does "straight wall" mean "no taper"?

If inclusive of that, then no doubt folks would see bottle-necked cartridges being of "taper"

They made the rules rather simple and still people don't get it.