INDIANAPOLIS — A new law in Indiana has allowed more types of rifle cartridges to be used on private land during gun season. 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. Rifles with pistol cartridges, which were allowed in previous years, can still be used to hunt deer on private and public land. • A hunter cannot possess more than 10 of these cartridges when hunting deer Recent legislation legalizing certain rifles for deer hunting, which will go into effect later this year in Indiana, has raised questions about which calibers and cartridges are allowed under the new law. 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. • Rifles with a barrel of less than 18″ are NOT considered handguns New legal cartridges include the .243 Winchester, .30-30 Winchester, .300 AAC Blackout and .30-06 Springfield.
Some hunters fear the addition of rifles will further reduce the state`s deer herd. 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. Some additional rifle cartridges can only be used on private land during gun season, as the House Registration Act 1231 passed the Indiana General Assembly earlier this year. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources came up with the idea of legalizing rifles 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.
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. 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. “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. » 1 deer of both sexes per military deer hunting license/shelters “We are not increasing the season and we are 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. 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. • 10mm cartridges also legal (e.g. 10mm car and .40 S&W) Whether large or small, many hunters consider adding a rifle an undesirable change. Internet hunting forums were busy as news of the gun bill circulated throughout the state. The resistance was fierce. Many hunters fear an increase in deer slaughter and an even smaller deer population. Indiana`s whitetail herd has been in decline for years, which has alarmed hunters in the state.
“We are developing a yes or no list of specific cartridges that will be legal and illegal under the new law,” Bloom said. 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. 3 antlerless deer OR 2 antlerless deer and 1 antlerless deer (reserved hunts; Visit hunting.IN.gov) The rifle must have a barrel length of at least 16 inches; rifle cartridges must have a holster length of at least 1.16 inches; The rifle cartridge must fire a bullet 0.243 inch (or 6 mm) in diameter or 0.308 inch (or 7.62 mm); NOTE: A separate permit for deer is required before taking each deer (exceptions: deer licence package, juvenile hunting or trap, lifetime licence, landowner exemption). 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. There are other cartridges that meet the specifications of the act, and there are others that do not.
A partial list of cartridges that are not allowed includes the .270 Winchester, .38-55 Winchester, .444 Marlin, and .45-70 Government. 1 antlerless deer per permit so as not to exceed the bonus quota for the antlerless county; Bonus deer can be caught during the archery, firearms and muzzle magazines season with the appropriate 1 deer with antler permit AND the number of antlerless bonus deer per district quota; Exceptions apply to certain characteristics of the MNR 1 deer with antlers (see “Win a dollar” page 25) AND 9 antlerless deer OR 10 antlerless deer 2 antlerless deer OR 1 antlerless deer and 1 antlerless deer No cartridge with a bullet diameter between .243 and .308 is not legal (such as the Winchester .270); A hunter may not have more than 10 rounds of this type in the field. Rifles can increase adolescent and adult participation in deer season, which will help increase MNR`s budget. 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. Barrel length: 12″ minimum, measured from the base of the closure cap (excluding kelp and other protrusions at the end of the barrel, including the muzzle crown) “You have to take small steps if you want to make a big enough change,” he says. The new bill was introduced by MP Lloyd Arnold (R-Leavenworth) towards the end of the 2016 legislature and received unanimous support from the House of Representatives (91-0). It passed by a majority of one vote (26-24) in the Senate.
For more information about HEA 1231, read the full law here or contact Phil Bloom of the Indiana Department of National Resources at PBloom@DNR.IN.gov. Discount Zone Season* – September 15, 2022 – January 31, 2023 Deer permits for young non-residents (incl. Deer License Bundle) Projectiles: Must fire a single bullet of .40 caliber or higher that produces 400 feet.