again, I would love to be able to use my rifles for southern tier hunting, I have a .44 mag winchester that isn't really much more "long range" than a shot gun, but there is a huge difference between a shotgun (say 20 ga) and a rifle (say 30.06). We are really talking about a difference between 100s of yards and miles (potentially). I don't know the exact numbers but I do know that a rifle bullet unimpeeded will travel a great didtance more than a slug. That is why no rifles in the "relatively mountainless" southern tier.

Knowing what is boyond your target is critical, but at those ranges no one can bee exactly sure (unlewss there is a big mountain in front of you).

I also have property in shotgun area and would love to see it go to rifle. My area (Van Etten) Is alot more rural than where I live (poconos pa )and we use rifle here with no more accidents than the shotgun area ..

why would you like it to go rifle???

Why are you guys against rifles? Many states allow rifles, and there are not problems. I would think there would be more of a problem with trigger-happy shotgunners that with rifle hunters.

I live in PA, where rifles are allowed, and I have no problems with them. I am in 1B, I think, and they are talking about making it shotgun only because of Erie. Personnally, I am ticked. I understand in city limits, but my closest neighbor is 1/2 mile away.

I guess I really can't understand where you guys are comming from because I am not put into the situation that you are in. Allowing rifles may be a bad idea, but with my experiece, I don't see that it is.

I have never been a big fan of shotgun accuracy. They have come along way with rifle barrels and sabots but I just feel more comfortable with a rifle. Ever since I was young I could never see why our area was shotgun only.
I have taken my share of deer with the shotgun both in ny and nj .. but have had a good share of deer I could have taken with the rifle due to distance or confidence.
I vote rifle in most areas but I do see that in more developed areas shotgun could be kept because people would be nervous with the change.. Bill

tabby & 338 - see my comments above, do they make a little bit of sense?

1/2 mile = 2640 ft. = 880 yards

rifles can easily take game at 300-400-500 yards+ and can go much further
i could aim at a slight upward angle and have the bullet land miles away

the topography in PA is quite a bit more "rugged" and mountainous than a good porttion of NY. that terrain and those mountatins make excellet bullet catchers

i still stick with my opinion that shotguns are "safer" (however I understand the points about shotgun volleys, but you can volley with a rifle just as easily)

I under stand that a bullet can travel great distances. But under normal circumstances, it wont travel any further than a slug. They will both hit a tree before reaching any great distance. True, if you aim high, and miss, the bullet can travel very far. so can a slug. They both only land in one spot. And the chances of hitting something is very slim. Not so much in urban areas though. I hunt 2 miles from the NY border, just southwest of Jamestown. The topography at my house is very similar to much of NY, a bit more hilly, but not enough to catch a bullet. True. One can volley with a rifle. Either way, it is wrong, and shouldn't be done. IMO. I agree, shotguns are "safer", but by how much?

doughboysigep .. I see your points .. As for the topography between my place in NY and my place in PA is not much different. We do have a occasional accident in both of my areas but I think it is going to happen with either shotgun or rifle, Like tabby said a bullet is far more likely to hit a tree or the ground than anything else if it misses it's target ..
As for the "volley" My way of thinking is that if they make it rifle and not auto rifle the guys will take more time to make the first shot count than cranking out five shots like I hear so often by my place. I do not hear the volley of shots in my area of PA like I hear in NY ..
This is only my opinon and it will not make a difference in what the "big wigs" do but I don't see much of a down side to letting it go rifle .. Delaware county wich is rifle is much more populated and they don't seem to have any more problems than anywhere else. ... Be sure of your target and beyond is the key .. Bill

Delaware Co. is more poulated than where?? It is a very, very rural county and extremely mountainous. Mountains (not hills) - that's why they allow rifle in Adirondacks & Catskills. Anyway, don't want to get too arguementative in this debate. It's interesting to compare different views.

I agree with doughboy about the agruementative debate. I believe i know where you guys are comming from. It is the principle. I would hate to see PA go to inline muzzle loaders. A muzzle loader that can shoot 2 inch groups at 200 yards? Its the principle. I'm out...