Rifle now legal for deer hunting in Indiana

[Hookeye]

And...............cool gun factor does make up for a lack of antler size

 

[whiteoak]

I have a #1 in .243 win I was going to rebarrel to .35 rem, might keep as is now.
Have my .35 rem TC Contender Super 16 (man is it a joy to tote).
Pops has a .44 mag Ruger auto (fingergroove). Cool old rifle (I took a deer with it first yr IN allowed PCR).
If I snag a clean Rem pump and a 7 mag for out west (had one, liked it a lot actually)...............I think I'll be OK.
But then if the regs go wide open eventually (.243 and larger, 1.16 min).....I could get silly and run a .256 win for close range doe taggin'.
All sorts of ideas come to mind

The less common the more cool.

I completely agree, I want something that is a piece of art (at least to me) that I can hunt with. I grew up admiring the classic rifles of the woods hunters. Savage 99's, Winchester Lever Guns, Corn Cob Pump Remington's. I Hunted on a Family Friends Farm in Kentucky just to get to use rifles. I hunt now with a Ruger 44 Carbine, and that's cool. But the Pre-64 94 is coming out of the safe, along with a Model 70 30-06 this fall. Not because I need them just to get to use them. Several times in the last 20 odd years I have passed on rifles that I wanted because I could not justify buying a gun that would never get shot at game. I have started searching the web for a 99 300savage and a 141 35rem. just to get to use them once in my lifetime. I'm hoping that all standard calibers are legalized in the next few years. If it does we should start a little club the trades rifles of yesteryear around for the fun of getting to run these old woodland classics.

 

[jwleeper]

I would prefer they make all the old calibers legal. The .30-30, .444 Marlin, .38-55, .45-70, .35 Rem,And etc. It would be fun for people to drag these fine old rifles out, work up loads and carry them in the woods. Just my thoughts. It is obvious the authors of these bills have no knowledge of cartridges and ballistics. This what happens when politicians get involved in our DNR.
Have a great day.
JIM

 

[in625shooter]

I have my calendar set, to see how long before the classifieds and or gin shows are packed with 358 Hoosier rifles. Sure there will be more than a couple. LOL

 

[Hookeye]

There will be some .358 Hoosiers on the block, but I doubt very many.
Big .35 slamming out a ways is a cool thing.
Kinda like a local version of .35 Whelen.............still useful.
If invested with cases and reloading............no reason to ditch it.
Just buy something different to add to the collection

I let an older Savage 99 slip by, not a real oldie but probably one of the first ones in .308win.
That's causing some slight rearward discomfort, flare up of recent too.

Pops has a pre 64 Win 94 with very good wood, plus that minty fingergroove Ruger auto.
Not lever gun fan, will leave his Winchester alone.

Unfortunately my Ruger #1 is no work of art............it has probably the most boring wood I've ever seen on a #1. So I'll be able to hunt it hard without worry (may be some beauty in that).

 

[Hookeye]

If my little TC Contender carbine had an 18.5" bbl instead of 16.25" I'd be less inclined to let it go.
Probably switch it to .22 mag if I become enamored with .243 on deer.
Heck I might even drop my 700 into a nicer stock (Magpul 700 or HS Precision). If I don't get varmint loads to repeatably go into .75" with it this summer (testing).........might just rebarrel it.
.300 savage..............hmmmmmmmmmm
Did Ruger make a 1A in that?
Even if IN doesn't allow it ever, who cares?
Go to another state or just pop yotes with it.

 

[jasonh31]

Opposite ends of the beauty spectrum for me, however I am so glad I can put these rifles to good use now. Mine are a Ruger American in .308 and a pre 64 Winchester 94. My Dad is not happy that is No.1 in .270 is not allowed but he also has a winchester 94.

 

[Hookeye]

The current 5 cartridges to be allowed.............does it make sense?
To many "no".

But look at it this way............

They are allowing the .243 win.............for older folks, small stature, youth.............it's the light one.

.30-30 is for the nostalgics.

.308 and .30-06 are for the avg Joe, long or short action, pumps and autos too.

and then the boomer .300 winmag.

Covers a range of shooter/deer hunter types.

Maybe a questionnaire after season.............what did you use? How far was the shot? How old are you? Was this a new gun purchase?

It aint just about killing deer. May be more about people management and revenue, all within the supposed confines of politics (remember, the people management doesn't just involve hunters- they have to make changes that the non hunting public can swallow).

The Indy Star whipped up a frenzy over the supposed denial of pizza and cake at gay weddings..............total spin job IMHO just to keep Pence off a bigger national ticket.
Too many stupids read that rag and believe the nonsense.

Gotta give some of the people what they want without p*ssing off the idiotic majority.

4 yr study.................deer harvest, round preference, types of hunters (age, sex, # per region etc).

Maybe, just maybe, there was some thought into the 5 rounds chosen.

Then again, maybe not LOL

 

[deviljunkie]

Is this signed yet by the governor yet?

 

[HoughMade]

Is this signed yet by the governor yet?

3/21/16

 

[Hookeye]

Is this signed yet by the governor yet?

D*mn that thread title and 1st post!

BTW, be sure to use your .270 win.

Yeeesh

 

[lizerdking]

Dammit. I just stocked up on 158gr 357's.

4 more boxes of 6mm 100gr interlocks ordered, good thing i stocked up on 4451 last time it was on sale...

 

[jblomenberg16]

I had mentioned this in some of the other threads. Independently of these changes, I have seen an increase in the last couple of years in trespassing and poaching in and around our property, including me having to run the same guy off multiple times. It will be interesting to see what effect this law has on that. On the one hand maybe it will decrease in that some folks that felt the need to trespass to get to that real good patch of woods so they can get close enough for a shot-gun shot can now hunt on their own property and take a bit longer range shot.

On the other hand, if they were already willing to break the law by trespassing and / or poaching, they probably weren't all that concerned about using a legal caliber to take the deer with anyway. And they might feel even more temptation to take a longer range shot onto someone else's property. So it might not have any effect at all since people that are going to break the law anyway probably won't take the time to read this one either.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I would prefer they make all the old calibers legal. The .30-30, .444 Marlin, .38-55, .45-70, .35 Rem,And etc. It would be fun for people to drag these fine old rifles out, work up loads and carry them in the woods. Just my thoughts. It is obvious the authors of these bills have no knowledge of cartridges and ballistics. This what happens when politicians get involved in our DNR.
Have a great day.
JIM

I have a sporterized 30-40 Krag 1898 that I think would make an excellent deer rifle. Not as popular around here but apparently it has quite a fan base for elk out west.

 

[jasonh31]

10mm handgun is also in this bill. Should go get a delta elite for a sidearm.

 

[Hookeye]

A long slide 1911 would be even more cool

 

[jonny4523]

So, 300aac is now good to go, BUT it has to be out of a >16" barrel or a pistol? Baby steps.

(b) Notwithstanding any rule prescribing the minimum length of a handgun cartridge case, a hunter may use a handgun that fires a commercially available bullet of ten (10) millimeters in diameter to hunt deer

.300" = 7.62mm. So rifle has to be min 16" barrel and 300BLK no longer valid for pistol? So my 8" suppressed 300BLK is out all together?

 

[Disposable Heart]

I had mentioned this in some of the other threads. Independently of these changes, I have seen an increase in the last couple of years in trespassing and poaching in and around our property, including me having to run the same guy off multiple times. It will be interesting to see what effect this law has on that. On the one hand maybe it will decrease in that some folks that felt the need to trespass to get to that real good patch of woods so they can get close enough for a shot-gun shot can now hunt on their own property and take a bit longer range shot.

On the other hand, if they were already willing to break the law by trespassing and / or poaching, they probably weren't all that concerned about using a legal caliber to take the deer with anyway. And they might feel even more temptation to take a longer range shot onto someone else's property. So it might not have any effect at all since people that are going to break the law anyway probably won't take the time to read this one either.

A couple of friends of mine have farm land in the south and west Indiana and have had the same problem. I jokingly asked them to note what kind of weapon the poacher/trespasser was carrying when they encountered Jim and Rick. Surprisingly enough, alot of the trespassers carried shotguns or bows. He did note, the shotgun or few rifle users stayed close to their vehicle, where the bow folks were encountered kinda deep in the woods. Guess the sound issue comes into play. Makes a big boom = gonna want to be close to the truck to make a getaway after loading the deer.

So, cursory glance, it doesn't matter too much. Trespassers gonna trespass.

On a funny note: When I worked in a gun store and the rumor was circulating about loosening the rifle laws, a fella came in, gibbering about how some nitwit was going to .300 WinMag their neighbor or the round would blow through the deer and kill someone. Kept going and going. He then asked to see a Savage we had on the shelf in .338 WinMag, claiming "these were perfect for deer out west..." Some folks...

 

[Tynimiller]

Plenty of clueless folks running single shots.

The avg deer hunter isnt really a gun nut. You see that the week before the opener.
An orange vest turns joe d*ckweed at work into a freakin' French Canadian trapper and elk slayer.

I don't see trimming a .35 rem to fit the PCR stuff to be skirting the law.
Nothing changes ballistically, the round is 200 yds and in.

Now making a wildcat that's almost 400 yard capable, that might be seen as skirting LOL

But since the law is cartridge based, I say go for it. Got no problem with any of it.
The guys spending the time and money, are like hot rodders...............not your normal car guys.

Those who invest more usually are a bit more ..............let's just say "refined". Sure some idiot with a decently thick wallet can play the game, but within the "skirters" I'd guess their % to be less.

I don't see a .300 Blackout with sig brace to be skirting the rules either. Handgun hunting is different.
Those that put the sigbrace to their shoulder ARE breaking the rules, not skirting it.

Silly maybe, but a handgun is a handgun, and going against the BATF on using that brace.............well, screw the SOB's that cheat.
Run it as handgun or get the flip out of the field IMHO.

Geeesh, one should try to maintain some nobility in this sport. Lying about what and how one uses their gear...........is just boolsheite.

Yeah, we know folks will cheat, use sigbrace as buttstock.
None of my friends are of that type

Loved this, great post!


As for the recent topic of trespassing being brought up, I think it will only flare up "worse" now than before in small pockets. For the most part scum are scum are scum no matter what the regulations are...the dead in their tracks capabilities of an HPR to the shoulder/killzone of a deer will make poaching recovery quicker and easier for some, like always keep a keen eye and ALWAYS turn in ANY illegal activity int he woods or fields fellas!

 

[Hookeye]

.300" = 7.62mm. So rifle has to be min 16" barrel and 300BLK no longer valid for pistol? So my 8" suppressed 300BLK is out all together?

The gov signed a bill to allow 5 new HP rifle cartridges.

He did not sign a bill that limits deer hunting now to those 5 cartridges.

Why is this so hard to understand?

New law is an addition, not a replacement.