indiana deer hunter

With the new change in firearms for deer season this yr what will you all be packing to the stand ? In your opinions what is the best legal deer rifle in Indiana and y?

Bocajnala

The new law, which passed as HB 1231, allows deer hunting on private land with rifles chambered in .243, .30-30, .300, .30-06 or .308 with a minimum case length of 1.16-inches. Hunters are restricted to carrying a maximum of 10 cartridges in the field and the use of full metal jacket ammo is prohibited.

This is what I found online. Seems silly to allow those but not others.... Can't go wrong with any of those. Whitetail only I suppose I'd go with the .243. They're all good options though.
-Jake

Bocajnala

Oh, and for the why part... I'd pick .243 if it's just a whitetail gun because that would be sufficient, it's cheap and easy to find, and has low recoil... It's hard to beat a .243 for a deer rifle. I've also used .30-30, .30-06 off that list. Any options is good like I said before.
-Jake

Topgun 3006

How they came up with that wording and cartridges is beyond me! What is a .300 and why does it say you can only have 10 cartridges in your possession, rather than the maximum number that can be in the firearm? This is what happens when politics overrides things that the G&F Department should be in charge of!

salukipv1

I'd take a 270win over any of those, but if that's not an option, then probably .30-06 with a 150gr, then maybe the .308, then next up maybe the .243

I can't help but think the more rules/regulations makes things worse, ie you can use a .30-06 but not a .270 etc...

I think WY has a law for bison of a min .27 caliber with 150gr bullet, something like that makes more sense than a bunch of regs.

Topgun 3006

I know of nothing in the Wyoming statutes that has a requirement for Bison, but the other game animals have the following by statute:

Section 4. Firearms, muzzle-loaders and cartridges that are legal for the taking of big or trophy game animals.
(a) For the taking of bighorn sheep, elk, moose, mountain goat, black bear or grizzly bear by the use
of a firearm, a hunter shall use:
(i) Any center-fire firearm of at least .24 caliber and firing a cartridge of at least two (2)
inches in overall length, or any other cartridge of at least .35 caliber and at least one and one-half inches (1.5)
in overall length, and using an expanding point bullet; or,
(ii) Any muzzle-loading rifle or any muzzle-loading handgun of at least .40 caliber and
firing an expanding point bullet using a charge of at least fifty (50) grains of black powder or its equivalent; or,
(iii) Any shotgun firing “00” or larger buckshot, or a slug.
(b) For the taking of antelope, deer, mountain lion, or gray wolf where designated as a trophy game
animal, a hunter shall use:
(i) Any center-fire firearm of at least .22 caliber (excluding .22 Hornet) and having a bullet
weight of at least sixty (60) grains and firing a cartridge of at least two (2) inches in overall length, or any other
cartridge of at least .35 caliber and at least one and one-half (1.5) inches in overall length, and using an
expanding point bullet; or,
(ii) Any muzzle-loading rifle or any muzzle-loading handgun of at least .40 caliber and
firing an expanding point bullet using a charge of at least fifty (50) grains of black powder or its equivalent; or,
(iii) Any shotgun firing “00” or larger buckshot, or a slug.

Murdy

Only those cartridges?? Really odd! If they thought they were limiting this to classic cartridges, the .270's absence is striking. Maybe it's ok if you are buying your first rifle, but what if you own one already. I hunted the first 10 years of my life with an 8mm Mauser my grandfather gave me. He also had a .30 Remington, but none of the rifles on the list. While I now own a 30-06, my preference would be my 7-08 -- why in the world I could use one but not the other (particularly since the 7-08 is a necked down .308, which is on the list) is beyond me.

That said, if I was buying one of the approved ones for Whitetails, I'd probably go with the .308.

flags

Get a T/C Contender or Encore pistol. You can get barrels in nearly every caliber and since it is a handgun it isn't subject to IN's idiotic laws.

Topgun 3006

Here is the Indiana law just to help guys that want to hunt there with a handgun like flags mentioned:

Handguns, other than muzzleloading, must have a barrel at least 4 inches long and must fire a bullet of .243-inch diameter or larger. The handgun cartridge case, without the bullet, must be at least 1.16 inches long. Full metal-jacketed bullets are not permitted. The handgun must not be a rifle that has a barrel less than 18 inches or be designed or redesigned to be fired from the shoulder.

Handguns are not permitted on any military areas.

Some handgun cartridges that are legal for deer hunting include .357 Magnum, .41 Magnum, .44 Magnum, .44 Special, .45 Colt, .45 Long Colt, .45 Winchester Magnum, .35 Remington and .357 Herrett.

Some handgun cartridges that are illegal for deer hunting are .38 Special, .38 Smith and Wesson, .38 Colt New Police, .38/200, .38 Long Colt, .38 Super, .38 ACP, .38 Colt Auto, .45 ACP, .45 Automatic and .45 Auto Rim. All .25/.20, .32/.20 and .30 carbine ammunition is prohibited.

wild bill g

Does anybody know why they created these laws. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense as there is no restriction on range. Some place only allow shotgus for deer as a safety precation. But they are allowing 300 caliber rifles seems very odd.