What Caliber Rifles Are Legal for Deer Hunting in Indiana

The first change is to clarify acceptable cartridges. Bloom says his agency has been inundated with hunters asking about the new law, with most of the questions related to legal calibers. «We`re not increasing the season and we`re not increasing the number of deer you can take. A rifle is just another tool. MNR will do a good job of monitoring the impact and making changes as needed,» Arnold said. The new law is set to expire after the 2020 deer season, when the DNR will submit an impact report to the governor and the General Assembly. If you need information about deer, use our deer helpline. Call 812-334-3795 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday, or email [email protected] with questions.

For more information, see deer.dnr.IN.gov. Guns are now legal for deer hunting in Indiana. Scratch it. Some rifle cartridges are now legal for deer hunting in Indiana. Hit that too.243- and .30-caliber rifles that have a holster length of at least 1.16 inches and barrels larger than 16 inches are now legal for deer hunting in Indiana. No cartridge with a bullet diameter between .243 and .308 is legal (such as the .270 Winchester); A hunter may not have more than 10 rounds of this type in the field. • Rifles with a barrel less than 18 inches are NOT considered handguns Recent legislation legalizing certain rifles for deer hunting, which begins later this year in Indiana, has raised questions about which calibers and cartridges are allowed under the new law. «It didn`t make sense for us to be limited to one shotgun during deer season, but the day after the season ends, we can take a rifle and hunt coyotes and other game,» says Arnold, an avid deer hunter. «There were no special interest groups calling for it, and no insurance company lobbied me for this bill.

It was just one of those things that had been part of the discussion for a long time. Few people in the state`s deer hunting community seem to know why he introduced this law or who pushed it. One hunter, who asked not to be identified, said the law «just came out of nowhere,» adding: «A lot of people don`t want guns during deer season.» However, Arnold says it was nothing more than the result of conversations with friends and other deer hunters. 1 deer with antler (see «Win a dollar» page 25) AND 9 antlerless deer OR 10 antlerless deer • The rifle cartridge must fire a bullet 0.243 inch (or 6 mm) in diameter; or .308 inches (or 7.62 mm). No cartridge with a bullet diameter between .243 and .308 is legal (such as the .270 Winchester). The bill authorizes five calibers with names that can now be used to hunt legally and outlines cartridge specifications that are acceptable even in rifles, but only on private property. It also makes cartridges approved by «pistols» legal for hunting with rifles on private and public land. 1 antlerless deer per permit so as not to exceed the bonus quota for the antlerless county; Bonus deer can be caught during archery, firearms and magazine season through the muzzle with the appropriate permit INDIANA (WFIE) — The Department of Natural Resources has clarified recent legislation legalizing certain rifles for deer hunting in Indiana during the 2016 season. NOTE: The Bonus antlerless license (and Bonus County Deer as part of the deer license set) may not apply to all DNR properties. Contact the institution you would like to find for more information. The new law limits the number of cartridges for a deer hunter to 10 or less.

Taking into account the condition: What about the coyote hunter carrying a Winchester .270 and a box of 20 mussels hunting on public land during deer season? Everything else, including (but not limited to) .270 Winchester, .35, .257 Roberts and .7mm Mag, remains illegal. Yes, you read that right. Thanks to a new bill signed by Gov. Mike Pence in March, some hunters will have to go to their local armory if they plan to use a rifle during the upcoming deer season. I think I`m officially a «vintage car» – as I remember, when choosing a gun for deer guns was as simple as a shotgun with snails or a magazine through the mouth! 1 antlerless deer AND the number of antlerless deer per district quota; Exceptions apply to certain characteristics of MNR Rifles with pistol cartridges, which were permitted in previous years, can still be used to hunt deer on private and public lands. Unfortunately, it will be the individual hunter who will have to go through the technical details carefully to ensure that he remains on the right side of the law when choosing equipment for deer hunting. Rifles can increase adolescent and adult participation in deer season, which will help increase MNR`s budget. Projectiles: Must fire a single bullet of .40 calibre or more that produces 400 feet of muzzle energy; or an arrow or bolt with a sharpened metal or metal widehead at at least 300 fps upon release Additional cartridges that are legal under HEA 1231 include, but are not limited to: New legal cartridges include the .243 Winchester, .30-30 Winchester, .300 AAC Blackout and .30-06 Springfield, inter alia.

According to a DNR press release, officials received several questions about the legislation, particularly regarding calibers and cartridges. Even with new legal deer hunting calibers that can accommodate grizzly bears and bison, there are still cartridges that can be used to hunt illegally on public and private lands. 3 antlerless deer OR 2 antlerless deer and 1 antlerless deer (reserved hunts; Visit hunting.IN.gov) The Indiana Department of Natural Resources came up with the idea of legalizing firearms for deer hunting in 2014. The agency allowed athletes to comment on it on the agency`s website, and DNR spokesman Phil Bloom said most of the 400 comments about rifles for deer hunting were in favor. However, when MNR held public hearings and hunters had the opportunity to raise the issue with the Commission, there was little consensus. Arnold says he informed the DNR of his intention to introduce legislation and has received no opposition from the agency. HEA 1231 originally included language that would have allowed any caliber greater than .243, but was changed to only five specific cartridges (.243, .30-30, .30-06, .308 and .300) as the bill progressed through committees. Arnold didn`t like the change, but he says the legislative process often involves amendments and other changes, so he didn`t withdraw his bill.

NOTE: A separate permit for deer is required before taking each deer (exceptions: deer licence package, juvenile hunting or trap, lifetime licence, landowner exemption). The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has released a response to some of the questions raised by the House Registration Act 1231, a new law from this year`s General Assembly that legalized some rifles for deer hunting starting late this year. MNR received many questions about the legislation. Most of them concern calibres and cartridges authorized by the new law. 1 deer of both sexes per Military Deer License/Refuge Additional legal cartridges under HEA 1231 include 6mm-06, 6mm BR Remington, 6mm PPC, 6mm Remington, .240 Weatherby, .243 Winchester, .243 Winchester Super Short Magnum, .30 Carbine, .30 Herrett, .30 Remington AR, .30-06 Springfield, .30-30 Winchester, .30-40 Krag, .300 AAC Blackout (.300 Whisper), .300 H&H Magnum, .300 Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum, .300 Savage, .300 Weatherby Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum, .300 Winchester Short Magnum, .300 Remington Ultra Magnum, .308 Marlin, .308 Winchester, 7.62x39mm and 7.62x54mmR. Some hunters fear the addition of rifles will further reduce the state`s deer herd. «We are developing a yes or no list of specific cartridges that will be legal and illegal under the new law,» Bloom said. I have to say that the DNR has done a commendable job of determining what is legal and what is not, but you still have to be very careful when choosing your weapon to hunt state or state-controlled property. The House Registration Act 1231, passed by the Indiana General Assembly and signed into law in March, allows the use of additional rifle cartridges only on private land during gun season.

New legal cartridges include the .243 Winchester, .30-30 Winchester, .300 AAC Blackout and .30-06 Springfield. 2 antlerless deer OR 1 antlerless deer and 1 antlerless deer If you have any questions, my best advice is to call your local conservation officer to make sure your hunting ground, whether public or private, and your choice of rifle and cartridge are legal. • 10mm cartridges also legal (e.g. 10mm Auto and .40 S&W) Whether large or small, many hunters consider adding a rifle an undesirable change.