I had a friend hunt with a .308 cal pistol. I believe it was a Lone Eagle single shot. He used a rest in his tree stand, and was able to keep an inch group at 100 yards easily. I don't recall the type of rest he put together, but he really liked only packing a pistol to his deer stand. The range and confidence in the accuracy was a bonus.I have an encore with a .308 barrel and I was so bad with that rig that I won't hunt with it. I think allowing a handgun like that and not a rifle in the same caliber is a bit silly.
For what it is worth, as of Sept 2013, the state of Wisconsin does not restrict the use of rifles statewide. They leave it up to local jurisdictions to restrict hunting to only shotguns.
Wisconsin Rifles
legalizing 300 blk in rifles would solve a lot of problems.
legalizing 300 blk in rifles would solve a lot of problems.
The purpose of the law is to build fences or seek economic rents.
Indiana Hunting Regulations can be frustrating at times when you want to go hunting with a more common rifle caliber. I want to have the law updated so we can use a broader range of calibers.
Hunting white tail deer all 30 caliber rifles should be legalized in Indiana. These modern 30 caliber cartridges are used nationwide year round for hunting, target practice and other activities. People are limited on how they are able to hunt with the way the law is now; we are not able to used our Grandpa’s old 3030 rifle or any other modern rifle because of the current law. 30 caliber riffles are used in a lot of states for hunting deer and I believe Indiana should allow us to have the same option. I feel it’s a shame that many people who move to Indiana and have more common caliber rifles are forbidden to use them for hunting and can only find themselves with the choice of shots guns or the limited selection listed in the DNR book.
It can cost more than most people have to build a gun around the offered legal calibers. One gentleman said, “My dad has hunted with a shotgun his whole life, and the recoil is getting painful in his older age. I would love to let him borrow my rifle that has much less recoil, because I am not able to afford to buy him a new one that happens to fit inside Indiana’s narrow caliber rules”. Indiana ground isn’t flat like a lot of people say, we have hills which would be backstops for the bullets and people in tree stands don’t fire up in the air and their backstop is the ground. Hunters on the ground position themselves near a deer trail so that they can find a deer in a controlled space so when they shoot they have a backstop so the bullet will be limited on travel and won’t hit anyone. As far as the arguments against using modern cartridges, any bullet is lethal. If a hunter is shooting without being certain they have an effective backstop then they are willing to risk of someone's life for a deer. Hunter education should cover these safety issues.
My argument for legalizing modern rifle calibers would be:
*Greater accuracy so you will have a cleaner kill. The animal will suffer less, and you will have less wounded deers running away only to have the hunter not retrieve the injured deer and shoot another. The hunter would have more control of his shot placement limiting damage to the deer’s vital organs.
*More people own the more common calibers, so you may have more people take up an interest in hunting, selling more licenses and rifles in Indiana increasing Indiana's revenue.
*Hunters from out of state can hunt here since the rifle's they already own can be used also increasing Indiana's revenue by selling the higher priced out of state licenses.
*Most modern rifle calibers have lower recoil than a shotgun, allowing older hunters to hunt longer. It may also reduce injuries of people falling out of stands due to the heavier recoil knocking them off balance in a tree stand.
Please sign my petition. If you have any suggestions please feel free to comment in the forum’s thread. Thank you.
Petition Indiana Hunting Rifle Cartridge Change
I call BS on your "hills as a backstop" theory.
Also, I don't want out of state hunters coming here. We have more than enough "hunters" in the woods already. You can barely turn around without tripping on someone else's blind or stand these days.
I also call BS on 30 cals increasing accuracy. There are plenty of accurate legal calibers already. People just can't shoot and they blame the gun.
Every person in recent memory that has fallen out of a tree stand has been either drunk or failed to use a harness. Usually both. I call BS on your "a shotgun knocks you out of your tree stand" too, unless you can provide accurate data combined with proof of sobriety.
I always try try to be done hunting in bow season as there is a large contingency of yahoos with guns they can't safely and ethically use. Allowing more "common" calibers would increase the amount of stupid in the woods, IMO.
IMHO the "Fudd" aspect is in the lack of current regulation understanding and wanting changes for supposed compliance.
My concern with "other rifle" use is with shot selection.
If allowed, I full expect slobs and idiots to peel shots at distant deer (a bunch of them will be cheap arsed rednecks toting mil surp and FMJ).
Not knowing what is beyond their target could be problematic.
I've had enough close calls with shotgun slugs flying my direction.....private ground hunting.
Poachers and idiots, I've ran into more than a few in my 3 decades of deer hunting. I'll stand by my assessment that HP rifle usage will extend the effects of their stupidity, and maybe even increase their ranks.
Having worked gun retail for a couple of years, it's downright scary how damn stupid and dangerous the average gun owner is.
By all means, lets equip them with whatever the hell they want, and let their idiot kids (because dumb guy A meets stupid woman B and has exponentially F'd up child C) crank off the Mosin at the deer in the field by the house (they don't own). They can see it, it's a HP rifle, they read on a forum it's 600 yard capable..............time to find out!
I get the social gist of folks, affective vs logical, and while it isn't a definitive science, have kept my eye (the good one) on just how folks supposedly think...........done it for years, in and around the shooting sports too...................
Bottom line: Leave the regs as is. there's room for those who want to play the game. "Any rifle" is an invitation to "any moron".
Geez, where I used to hunt (damn good area) the local jerks/poachers use Hp rifles and have for years. Too bad the law can't catch them all. With an opening up of regs I bet their getting away with the BS they do will be even easier.