Jason,
you are correct that some states do not allow the use of semiautos, that is how I came across my first semiauto. My oldest brother lived in Pa and had a 742 that he loaned me since he couldn't use it. I have sinced replaced the 742 with the 7400 that I use today. I hesitate to agree to the statement that alot of states do not allow them though. I do not know the actual number so will withhold any additional comments in that regard until actual numbers are made available.
I have alot of respect for our friends here on this board and some of the one shot, bolt wonder hunters have proven theirselves to be legitimate, ethical, knowledgeable hunters from prior posts on previuos threads of varying topics but their comments within this thread does a disservice to our younger friends that are just taking up deer hunting. Their biased comments have no basis in fact or reality and I pose several thoughts to ponder and respond to if they desire.
First thought, one shot, one kill. Okay, that is a preferable result that we all strive for but the reality of it is that if you hunt deer long enough you are on occasion going to have to shoot more than once. One of our one shot posters on this thread ( who I have alot of respect for) has posted on another thread recently that he has killed over 150 deer and yet by his post here on this thread he would have us beleive that they were all killed with one shot each. Sorry but I just don't buy it. A final thought on this matter is that accepting the fact that at times a 2nd shot may become necassary I prefer to have a weapon that will autoload the next round thereby my hands never leave the firing position/points of contacts with the rifle. This fact alone has made the difference from a kill on site verses a long and possibly fruitless tracking job as mentioned in my earlier post.

Another point of contention I have with our bolt hunters that have made negative remarks to the reliabilty of semi autos I respond as follows, the function of reliabilty or lack thereof has nothing to do with the function and design of the gun but with the user's ability to properly clean the firearm. Think about this for a minute, 99% of the firearms used by law enforcement and the military are semiautos. Are my friends here trying to tell me that the people in charge of procurring these firearms sat around discussing the merits of the various weapons under consideration and came to the conclusion that they would prefer a weapon that is prone to jamming, unreliable and inaccurate over the superior weapons such as bolts, single shots and levers. That out of all the choices available they picked the worst of them all as the primary weapon of the vast majority of their personnel to be used in life and death situations. Or would you have me beleive that the manufacturers of these weapons deliver a different type of semi to the military and law enforcement than they do the hunting public. I don't think so.

I see some very clear and distinct advantages to using a semi over other weapons of choice but in the process of stating these advantages I would hesitate to denigrate your weapon of choice and I only ask that the same from our one shot bolt hunters. I glad that you like your gun but don't run mine down with your biased, inaccurate comments.

Have a good day,
Mark in SC