New deer rifle right after taxes, IF regs dont change AGAIN

350JR

Handloader
Sep 21, 2012
339
1
Well.......maybe a new centerfire for this ol' Hoosier to add venison to the freezer this year...right after paying income taxes, property taxes and annual property/vehicle insurances........sheesh.

That said I will check back with the Indiana DNR to see if ANOTHER change has been made but, allegedly, it's not supposed to do so.

Years back there was some chuckles over Indiana's rifle cartridge regs that had me go off the deep end and create the 350Jr (my own wildcat) that was entertaining, educational and was tons of fun but a FEW centerfire rounds were added to "the list" legal for whitetail here this year.

HOW it came to be was "interesting" , to me at least. After the DNR shot standard rifle cartridges down at the last minute last year, a Senator went and made it a House Bill (HB1231) with a handful of rounds listed and it pushed through the House and Senate and the Governor signed it just recently.

Once passed, there was a bit of confusion because the bill listed a "300" as one of the legal rounds for 2016 (through 2020). 300 WHAT? LOL Weatherby? H&H? Savage? Winchester? RUM?

Turns out all are "legal" because in a nutshell the newly legally allowed rounds are " The rifle cartridge must fire a bullet with a diameter that is
o .243 inches (or 6 mm); or
o .308 inches (or 7.62 mm)
• No cartridges with a bullet diameter between .243 and .308 are legal (such as the .270 Winchester) "

It does not SAY so but obviously none LARGER than .308 are included either....which kinds of fries my brain since the wildcats HAD TO BE .357 or larger. :roll:

OH yes, Virginia, the hue and cry among the Indiana hunting sites is long and loud (from what I saw) with each "wanting an explanation" why their fav (and favs of much of the US) are not included.

But....for me, it's just a step forward for me to enjoy deer hunting "with something different" so after all the evil necessities are paid this year I'll scrimp and save for something new.

I'd not have issues hunting with most the rounds "legalized" with the correct bullets and within range limitations required but I'll probably lean towards the 308 with the 300 Savage or ye ol 30-06 running close second should I happen across a rifle that seduces me into purchasing it and it's one or the other. :)

Of course, other regs are included so the link is below if it's of interest. One notable was that "A hunter may not possess more than 10 such cartridges while in the field". I have to assume that is pointed at the high cap magazines of some rifle types but that is only my opinion.

But........I get to look and drool and decide this summer on "something".
Leaving the door wide open and considering more than one brand and model and looking at "deals" of correct caliber adds hundreds of "fun" to my hunting.

As always, we spend tons more time and effort PLANNING on hunting and preparation than we actually do hunting. That's not a complaint. Without it, I doubt I'd enjoy the sport as much.

As always, the above is only my 2 cents and never, ever intends to offend.

God Bless
Steve

http://www.in.gov/activecalendar_dnr/Ev ... =syndicate
 
I lived in Indiana for a summer during College. Great people- but oh am I glad I don't have to deal with that. I guess at least your not limited to slugs :cry: You've got the right attitude. I wont admit it, but learning to shoot slugs acceptably was a fun challenge. When it didnt hurt. :x Let us know. CL
 
That is hilarious, Steve. All it takes to generate massive confusion is clarification from a group of legislators. :? Let us know what you come up with. (y)
 
Now you definitely need an M1 Garand or M1A, or possibly a .300 JR. Want something really interesting? Look into a K-31. Unusual straight pull action, usually phenomenally accurate and readily adaptable to a no-smith mount that actually works. Ballistics comparable to .308win.

The "or 7.62mm" part is interesting also. So apparently 7.62X54r and 7.62x39 might be legal, depending on what "or" means but a 7.65 Argentine or .303 british is not unless you want to rattle a .308 bullet down the bore, but go ahead and run a .30-378. And what about Sabots?

Kind of like Missouri. From what I understand from a co-worker, anything "under 30 cal" is legal. My .280 rem or 5.56 AR are legal, but a .30-30, or .35 rem is not.

I like MN. We draw a line across the state. Rifle one side, shotgun/handgun on the other.
 
Novel thought here - how about letting the hunter decide which cartridge he wants to use?
 
Guy Miner":2g7og4s6 said:
Novel thought here - how about letting the hunter decide which cartridge he wants to use?

That would just make too much sense.

JD338
 
It's probably a GOOD thing they didn't try to offer some kind of explanation, IMO.

With the list allowing rounds from old time , "slow" projectiles (that work just fine) to some of the whiz bang super screamers........what could it be?

IMO it was just a "grab in the hat" for those sponsoring the Bill itself that was passed stating " The rifle must be chambered for one (1) of the following
cartridges:
(A) .243.
(B) .30-30.
(C) .300.
(D) .30-06.
(E) .308."

at least it seems to me.
You can imagine the head scratching the DNR was subject to getting that submitted to them. The list included in my original post is what they ended up with FROM that........so, I'll take it.

I do have to chuckle about it all. I guess that makes me look bad since I live here and the law applies to me. With so many other rounds in the same case family as the 30-06 and 308....yet are not included, there simply could NOT have been any research put into it, or so it would seem?

When asked at the local haberdashery by a local if I was going to use a rifle and if so, which one......my reply of "yes, probably a 308 or similar" was met with MY GOD>>>>>>WHY SO BIG????!!!!" , while he sat shaking his head.

I'd have LIKED to see the 35 bore calibers included but it's not that big a deal. For 99 percent of the deer shot here a 30-30 would suffice handily (with a capable shooter) and having never hunted with a lever gun, that does pop into my mind a little. I just like the 35 cal from my small amount of experience with it in past years. That's not to say I might like the 30 equally however.

I could hit the woods with an old Remington Model 8 semi-auto in 30 Remington and not feel "under gunned" so I'm just giving thanks for more options to enjoy the sport I've loved for so long. Long distance hunting has it's followers but up close and personal is what puts my pulse into overdrive.

Slug guns work fine. Have for decades, but FUN to shoot.....they are not, not for me plus they lack the option of "rolling your own" ammo which adds to our sport in a big way regardless if the round is new or old, IMHO.

Hard telling what I'll end up with.....maybe even 2 or 3. :p

I shared this info simply because others, beside myself, find some humor in such goings on. I jumped ship on the IN forums due to the overload of rants and ravings. Eh, not interested in ruining the fun of it all attempting to be involved in such postings.

HOW the regulations came to be was as much a subject of conjecture as the list of legal rounds. I have to wonder if there is not more to that story with the 91-0 passing vote in the House (where it was introduced) to barely squeaking by by 2 votes in the Senate. (From what I could find out.) Hmmmm.

To tell the truth I was ignorant of the fact that the state Congress COULD impose regulations on the DNR like this about any hunting/fishing season...........or that they would WANT to so, live and learn.

I'll get some mileage out of researching rounds and rifles and even more from using new to me versions of some of them.

A win, in my book.
God Bless
 
350JR - here in Washington a POPULAR VOTE 20+ years ago changed the way we hunt... For the worse.

No baiting or hounds for bear. We had, and have a huge bear population...

No hounds for mountain lion. We have a large and growing population of mountain lion.

And a lot of restrictions on trappers as well. By popular vote - and the promoters of that really worked at firing up the liberal, non-hunting population in the major cities... Our Fish & Wildlife people really struggled with the new regs. So have hunters.

Guy
 
There are some pretty nice 30-40krag sporter floating around at reasonable prices. Ruger 1, win 95 and Rem.rolling block have also been chambered in this. That would be an interesting one. I like the model 8 idea too. Then there is also the 6mm Lee Navy if you want to see a CO scratch his head over your 220 swift stamped brass.
 
That's a strange one , they quite easily could have made it from .243 to .308, then it may have made a little sense. We have some provinces that have .223 and up as legal calibers. In Alberta we are .23 Cal and up ( making the .243 cal the minimum allowed for biggame).
Good luck on picking out a new rifle , a .308 win is a pretty safe bet .
 
That's what I was thinking. The .308 Win is pretty much a "Steady Eddie" for performance. It's going to work just fine.

Guy
 
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