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. 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. 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. No cartridge with a bullet diameter between .243 and .308 is legal (such as the .270 Winchester); A hunter may not have more than 10 rounds of this type in the field. If you have any questions, my best advice is to call your local conservation officer to make sure your hunting ground, whether public or private, and your choice of rifle and cartridge are legal. Additional cartridges that are legal under HEA 1231 include, but are not limited to: The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has released a response to some of the questions raised by House Registered Act 1231, a new law that emerged from this year`s General Assembly that legalized some rifles for deer hunting that begin later this year. MNR received many questions about the legislation. Most of them concern calibres and cartridges authorized by the new law. The bill authorizes five calibers with names that can now be used to hunt legally and outlines cartridge specifications that are acceptable even in rifles, but only on private property.
It also makes cartridges approved by “pistols” legal for hunting with rifles on private and public land. The House Registration Act 1231, passed by the Indiana General Assembly and signed into law in March, allows the use of additional rifle cartridges only on private land during gun season. New legal cartridges include the .243 Winchester, .30-30 Winchester, .300 AAC Blackout and .30-06 Springfield. I have to say that the DNR has done a commendable job of determining what is legal and what is not, but you still have to be very careful when choosing your weapon to hunt state or state-controlled property. Recent legislation legalizing certain rifles for deer hunting, which begins later this year in Indiana, has raised questions about which calibers and cartridges are allowed under the new law. The new law limits the number of cartridges for a deer hunter to 10 or less. Taking into account the condition: What about the coyote hunter carrying a Winchester .270 and a box of 20 mussels hunting on public land during deer season? Rifles can increase adolescent and adult participation in deer season, which will help increase MNR`s budget. I think I`m officially a “vintage car” – as I remember, when choosing a gun for deer guns was as simple as a shotgun with snails or a magazine through the mouth! Some hunters fear the addition of rifles will further reduce the state`s deer herd. Whether large or small, many hunters see adding a rifle as 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. 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. “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. Unfortunately, it will be the individual hunter who will have to go through the technical details carefully to ensure that he remains on the right side of the law when choosing equipment for deer hunting.