HB1231 passes in house- (Centerfire rifles for deer hunting)

[AmericanBob]

Nonsense.

Take the average slug gun made today, heck let's even make it a dedicated one like a Savage 220. Grab three different types/brands of slugs available on a WallyMart shelf.

Now let us compare it to a Savage 11 Trophy Hunter XP in 308, again using three different types/brands of ammo available at WallyMart.

I'd be willing to bet a C-Note that the average 3 or 5-shot group size of the 308 is appreciably smaller than that from the slug gun, when shot by the same marksman on the same day.

I'm sure it would be, mainly because a slug punches a larger hole than a 30 cal bullet. My 220 is as accurate as I can be. Love that thing.

 

[avboiler11]

I'm sure it would be, mainly because a slug punches a larger hole than a 30 cal bullet.

That's not how groups are measured...

 

[AtTheMurph]

My cousin hunted rifle zone in Wisconsin for years.
Gave it up, said shotgun hunting Indiana was better (better deer pop, better weather, better racks).
He did go back with the old tuned 870 I sold him, his rifle hunting relatives thought it something comparable to a M37 deerslayer (old version).
At the range he plopped down at the 100 yd bench and put 3 under 2". They were amazed.
He now runs a .35 Rem trimmed, but when an equip malfunction happened he was headed back for the 870.
It has an exceptional track record of slamming deer to the dirt.

For the 100 yard an in shooting...........rifle or shotgun shouldn't matter. Might even say that to 150.
200+ things give a nod to the rifle (depending on cartridge).

Most folks probably don't shoot well enough to take a 200 yarder from field positions.
Let alone off hand.

FWIW I kill about half my deer from ground hunting. Farthest so far is only 178 yards.
I'd be content to nuke them all at 50.

He must have been hunting the worst places in WI. I've seen some unreal deer numbers in Indiana, notably in western Putnam and Parke counties but never the types we have seen in WI. I used to have a video (when there were such things) of a herd of deer walking through the yard of the farm I usually hunt.

There was always arguments about exactly how many there were but the mostly agreed upon number exceed 450. The video ran for close to 20 minutes and started after the first deer had already left the yard. They just kept walking by! It was incredible.

I've seen herds of what had to be 500 in Eau Claire Co, Waupaca county Fond Du Lac counties in the winter. I typically see 20+ deer opening day and as many as 85 one year.

Rack size? Hard to say. I know WI produces more big racks than about any state. However the biggest two racks I have ever seen were in White and Benton Co. Indiana while out pheasant hunting. Problem would be how the heck does one actually hunt wide open areas like that? The bucks like to hide down in the ditches up there and other than that there is little cover other than grass here and there.

Might be a great place for a high powered, long range rifle but the shots would be 1/2 to 1 mile in many circumstances. But hey, shells are cheap.

 

[d80hunter]

Hear is what I observed last weekend in Wisconsin. I seen 5 deer running down a residential street in West Bend after dark. I seen 8 deer in broad daylight at the bluff over Port Washington. They crossed the park and were headed toward the town. It looked like they going to bed down in the thicket behind the church. I seen 30 deer in a field near the Illinois border.

Sure I see a lot of deer in Indiana but for the short time I spent in Wisconsin I seen more deer than I would have seen in the same amount of time in Indiana.

 

[mistersmith]

I have my eye on a sweet Savage Model 10 left hand in 7mm-08 that has my name all over it. I would love to shoot one deer in my life with a rifle in Indiana. I just want to use a rifle round in my choosing in a gun I pick. Please pass this into law soon.

 

[d80hunter]

He now runs a .35 Rem trimmed, but when an equip malfunction happened he was headed back for the 870.

I reload but I would never be interested in trimming cases to make an otherwise illegal cartridge legal to hunt with. To me a cartridge should be made to spec, to each his own but that is my stance. Maybe malfunctions would occur less often. Also If enough people are doing that anyway I don't see why they have the current restrictions.

I bet there will still be slug hunters if this gets passed. I will still use a .450 bushmaster for most of my Indiana deer hunting regardless of the regs. We will also have guys who can't get a deer no matter what. Just as I do not want to pass the HPR law to make it easier for them I do not want to turn it down because some are going to be just as incompetent marksmen. In fact it doesn't really matter what any of us think. The facts in other states show less accidents occur after HPR are allowed for deer hunting. That is more important than everyone's opinion, however fun it is to converse over this, it is the plain and simple truth.

 

[d80hunter]

I have my eye on a sweet Savage Model 10 left hand in 7mm-08 that has my name all over it. I would love to shoot one deer in my life with a rifle in Indiana. I just want to use a rifle round in my choosing in a gun I pick. Please pass this into law soon.

I picked up a Savage FCC 16 in 7mm-08 in 2014 in preparation for this. I am not disappointed with the performance of the 7mm-08. Been shooting coyotes with it in the meantime.

 

[Expatriated]

I picked up a Savage FCC 16 in 7mm-08 in 2014 in preparation for this. I am not disappointed with the performance of the 7mm-08. Been shooting coyotes with it in the meantime.

Br careful. Some believe that rifle gets infinitely more dangerous when you stop shooting coyotes and turn it on a deer!

 

[Paul30]

I have seen so many Ef'd up rifles, due to crap scopes, mounts, mixed ammo etc...............there's no dayam way one can honestly say rifles are more accurate than shotguns.

If shotguns are so great at long range, we should inform the Military units world wide and they can issue one to all the snipers who are getting kills at a mile away with rifles. Apples to apples, you can't even compare a shotgun to a rifle for accuracy. As far as people using bad optics and mounts, a shotgun would be less accurate with the same poor set up. I don't hunt, but my family does. I know the differences in the firearms and the ammunition. A shotgun may shoot a larger heavier slug, but it isn't moving near as fast and has less chance of an accurate shot so we are back to the self defense policy that it's better to hit a target with a smaller round than missing it with a larger one. My basic rifle shoots a single hole group at a hundred yards repeatedly. I am a good shooter, I own a shotgun, and there is no way I would expect that type accuracy from my shotgun. I also don't relish the idea of pounding my shoulder when it's not necessary. I own common hunting rifles, I should not be forced to buy some odd caliber rifle just to hunt in Indiana. When the law does chance, we will see blood in the streets just like we did when concealed carry passed, hunting with silencers, and legalizing switchblades. In other words, we will see little change other than several hunters with smiles and more meat in the freezer and less rotting in the woods due to a bad shot. My brother is against it for all the same misinformed reasons others are against it. He also is looking forward to using HIS standard caliber hunting rifle when it does pass. In 10 years, we will tell our children about the crazy times when hunting rifles were illegal, and they will laugh about how stupid it was to make something like that illegal.

One thing is for certain, there will be a lot of rifles sold after the law passes, and a lot of used shotguns for sale unless they hunt small game with it.

http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/the-gun-nuts/shotguns-for-deer-will-the-sabot-slug-go-extinct

 

[d80hunter]

Br careful. Some believe that rifle gets infinitely more dangerous when you stop shooting coyotes and turn it on a deer!

I don't see any difference. The load I have been working on is a 139 grain Interlock BTSP. My scope is sighted in for that round and I have been shooting coyotes with it to get some real time pratice since I plan on antelope hunting in South Dakota and whitetail deer in Indiana with this setup. The Interlock is not a varmint bullet and leaves little holes in coyotes keeping their pelts in good condition. Since I am using a medium sized game setup on coyotes I see no difference if I use it on deer. Not a difference at all.

 

[Expatriated]

I was using sarcasm. Apparently what dnr (and some here)believe is safe for small game and coyotes is somehow not safe for deer.

As you, i see absolutely no difference either.

 

[Spyco]

I was using sarcasm. Apparently what dnr (and some here)believe is safe for small game and coyotes is somehow not safe for deer.

Try using more purple next time.

 

[MRP2003]

waiting for Hookeye to tell us about hunter density and how many Fudds hunt deer and not coyotes

 

[d80hunter]

I was using sarcasm. Apparently what dnr (and some here)believe is safe for small game and coyotes is somehow not safe for deer.

As you, i see absolutely no difference either.

I know you where joking but some do believe rifles turn dangerous when used to hunt deer so I made that post for those people.

 

[cedarthicket]

Senate Committee on Natural Resources - Indiana General Assembly, 2016 Session

HB 1231 will be heard by the Senate Natural Resources Committee on Monday, February 22, at 9:00 AM in Room 130.

According to the online Senate calendar, in a few weeks we will know whether or not the bill goes to the Governor:

Deadline for Senate committee reports on HBs in Senate is February 25.
Deadline for 3rd reading of HBs in Senate is March 2.
Conference committees begin March 3.
Deadline to adjourn 2016 General Assembly Session is March 14.

 

[MRP2003]

Call your Senators tomorrow to ask them to vote to pass the bill. I called mine and they took my name and address. You bet I will follow up on how they voted

 

[M4Madness]

We need some people at that Senate meeting Monday in favor of this. If my work schedule would have allowed it, you can bet that I'd be there.

 

[d80hunter]

I call my senator to support the bill. I have asked my friends and family to do the same. I stayed out of it last year and regret not being involved. I encourage all you to do the same and call your senator.

 

[phatgemi]

I emailed mine a few days ago. haven't heard a peep.

 

[Fishersjohn48]

Hearing rumbling that this passed today for Southern Indiana. Anyone else hear anything? Supposedly came from "a reliable source" that was at the meeting.