Should Indiana deer hunters be allowed to use high-powered rifles.

[bwframe]

...I don't believe it will change anything from a safety or herd population aspect. It doesn't matter what firearm a hunter is using, if he/she is unsafe, that is the problem, not the firearm that is in the hunters hands at the time...

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/general-firearms-discussion/5682-firearms-safety-rules-late-col-jeff-cooper-shooter-trainer-hero-2.html#post5466713

A fellow INGO member was killed because someone didn't follow the 4 basic rules.

Just found out that CIGAR BOB died last week in hunting accident. Some of you in Northwest Indiana may remember him from the early Meet & Shoot days. He used to show up with an igloo cooler full of cigars. Tall thin guy with dark hair, glasses, a Glock and often smoking a Peterson Pipe.

Has not been to a Meet & Shoot for a couple years. I've known him for about 20 years. He helped us start up the "Open Carry Cigar Nights" at the Pine Island Pit Stop Smoke Shop, then the first several events at the current Pit Stop's 1101 Cigar Lounge, also referred to as the NWI INGO CLUBHOUSE.

Turned 53 years old last week. Went deer hunting with some of his buddies. One of the guys was cleaning/clearly his gun, had the barrel pointed toward Bob, shot a slug though his neck and killed him.

Wake is today in South Bend, funeral tomorrow.

RIP Bob Anderson, aka CIGAR BOB

 

[craigkim]

I say A big NO! I will be going from a shotgun or pistol with a range of 150yds to A 243 with A range of 400yds. To shoot 400yds you need to know your rifle and lots of practice.That will not happen with most results wounded deer left to die.Which are you more likely to miss or wound A deer at 100yds+-or deer at 300yds+-

There are plenty of guys picking up their smooth bore shotgun, a handful of randomn slugs, and hitting the woods. I use a rifled setup with a scope, but because I am someone who confirms my gun EVERY year, I know that different slugs can move your POI quite a damn bit even at 50 yards... let alone 100. What's my point? There is already plenty of opportunity to miss/wound deer with the old shotgun too. I've hunted with/around this sort of hunter for many years and they still get deer, but they miss and wound plenty too. It just makes you say, "ugh."

I won't take LOOOONG range shots BUT I'd love to have more confident 100-200 yard shots too. I just can't see how that is a bad thing? I'd use a 30-06 cause I already have one!

 

[irishhunter]

I honestly dont care if they say yes or no but I can tell you this. I hunt Kentucky where its legal and dont seem to see any issues with it

 

[PKendall317]

I don't hunt (yet) but I'm going to try and get into it next year regardless of if this passes or not. Honestly I don't see a problem with the proposal. People are already doing this in other States, why not Indiana?

 

[avboiler11]

I honestly dont care if they say yes or no but I can tell you this. I hunt Kentucky where its legal and dont seem to see any issues with it

This, this, a million times this!

None of the hypothetical "what-ifs" dreamed up by people that oppose this change currently occur in other states that allow high-power rifles.

NONE.

So as I've said before, Hoosier deer hunters are either far stupider than those in states that currently allow "regular" centerfire rifles for deer...or people simply don't like change.

Grown-ass men need to stop clutching pearls and acting like anti-gunners with their Every Hunter for Fewer People in the Woods After My Deer-esque fearmongering.

 

[UncleNorby]

So, it's clear that the writer does not understand the word "caliber". Caliber is bore diameter expressed in 100ths of an inch. That is all caliber means, it has nothing to do with the relative power or effective range of a gun. The guy starts out OK discussing legal cartridges, but quickly gets his terms mixed when he discusses calibers. He staes the new law will allow larger calibers to be used, when the opposite is true. Problem is, he has no idea he has made an error, and that's because he has no understanding of what he's writing about. So in such cases, I simply discount everything else the guy says or writes because he is simply regurgitating/cobbling together what he hears from others and lacks the ability or desire to do his job correctly. The new law will allow use of calibers as small as 24. Currently the minimum allowed caliber is 35, and there is no upper limit.

Whatever. I hunt with a legal wildcat, like a fair number of others. My gun is on par with a 358 Winchester, and a little better than a 35 Remington. The sky hasn't fallen.

 

[avboiler11]

HOOVES UP, DON'T SHOOT!

 

[SSGSAD]

Yes please. How many people have a 30/30 or a 7.62x39 etc that they have always wanted to hunt with but cant because of a law that doesn't make sense? Why can you hunt with a 7mm mag out of a 14" pistol but cant use a rifle even in a smaller caliber than the pistol. I dont see anyone complaining about modern shotgun sabots or smokes powder muzzleloaders being dangerous. The recure hunters didnt like compound bows at in the beginning. It wasnt fare with there extended range. Now the compound guys dont like crossbows because they are like using a gun and now the shotgun guys dont want rifles because they can shoot farther. Nobody is dying from hunting with rifles anywhere else in the corn belt but if indiana goes to rifles children, minorities and women will be the victims. This is coming from a guy who is a bow hunting nut. Remember we have to save the children.

I have a 7.62 x 51, that I would LOVE to take a deer with.... I can shoot 4" groups, at 200 yards .....

 

[PKendall317]

HOOVES UP, DON'T SHOOT!

 

[Yeah]

So, it's clear that the writer does not understand the word "caliber".

This is a gun specific site and anyone posting here likely has as much or more interest in and knowledge of guns than the writer. Yet you can count one hand the number of people here who actively distinguish between 'caliber' and 'chambering', and fewer still who speak fluent external ballistics and the factors affecting same. Threads attesting to those claims litter the site.

When most 'enthusiasts' happily remain ignorant you can't expect lay people to get it.

 

[KLB]

 

[fullauto 45]

I also hunt in Kentucky with my RRA 308 AR. It is nothing for a 300 yard head shot. I hope they do allow larger rifle calibers.

 

[trailrider]

It won't change the way I hunt if they do, I hunt the edge of thickets with a shotgun and field edges with a muzzleloader... There is nowhere I hunt that I will be shooting 300 or 400yds anyway, so I won't change a thing..... The only thing I worry about is the road hunters it will sure help them out !!!!

Sums it up for me... I would prefer it not pass.

 

[buckstopshere]

It won't change the way I hunt if they do, I hunt the edge of thickets with a shotgun and field edges with a muzzleloader... There is nowhere I hunt that I will be shooting 300 or 400yds anyway, so I won't change a thing..... The only thing I worry about is the road hunters it will sure help them out !!!!

I would imagine there are plenty of road hunters using their 30-06 or 308 now. I don't think those guys are gonna care either way.

As for me, I vote yes. I don't have a problem with it. I'm a bow hunter primarily but will resort to the gun if needed but I'll be sticking with my 300blk pistol. Next year for me, I'm looking forward to getting a chance to kill a deer with a longbow and dump the training wheels. I have no excitement over the new caliber options.

 

[yote hunter]

I would imagine there are plenty of road hunters using their 30-06 or 308 now. I don't think those guys are gonna care either way.

This could be true but if they are I DON'T believe they are taking them to the local locker plant for possessing and if the law passes it will make it much easier for them to road hunt and do such a thing without getting caught ???? That's all Im saying....

 

[Hookeye]

I say A big NO! I will be going from a shotgun or pistol with a range of 150yds to A 243 with A range of 400yds. To shoot 400yds you need to know your rifle and lots of practice.That will not happen with most results wounded deer left to die.Which are you more likely to miss or wound A deer at 100yds+-or deer at 300yds+-

Used to be a time when groundhogs were plentiful and some kids grew up shooting chucks/reloading, blasting them out past 300 yards.
It aint that hard, just take a rest (Harris bipod, IIRC 1976...........pops got me one for my BD, paid $20 new).

Friggin' deer will look like a rail freight car!

 

[JimH]

Used to be a time when groundhogs were plentiful and some kids grew up shooting chucks/reloading, blasting them out past 300 yards.
It aint that hard, just take a rest (Harris bipod, IIRC 1976...........pops got me one for my BD, paid $20 new).

Friggin' deer will look like a rail freight car!

I sure long for those good old days! I'm afraid in a few years our deer will be as scarce as groundhogs are now.

 

[MRP2003]

I voted yes and hope it passes. There is always going to be fear of something when there is change and there is always an argument made for both sides of each reason why it should or should not pass.

There will likely be more deer taken the first couple of years as I am sure more hunters will come out during gun season because they can use a high powered rifle. The gun stores will boom in Indiana ,if it passes, from the day it is announced until the opening day of gun season. So will the ranges and there will be a talk about how we need new gun ranges that go out to 200+ yards as there are too few.

I have mentioned in other threads that I hunt public game lands in PA and there are 3-4 times the number of hunters out. Yes there are more hills but when there are multiple hunters set up along each hill, the potential danger is no worse than in Indiana. Yes, PA has many open fields, not as many as IN.

I have no problem with there being restrictions of where you can use high powered rifles such as limiting the use in certain counties as PA does the same but their reason is due to population, the two counties in which Philly and Pitt are located in, you cannot use HPR. Or limit it like Michigan and use I-70 or multiple roads to section off certain parts of IN from the use of HPR.

Whatever happens, there will be people angry about the results but as hunters we need to band together better as there are too many anti-hunting groups and individuals that hate what we do. I would hate to lose what we have today or even limit what we have.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I don't deer hunt anymore so I'm wondering...what percentage of deer hunters hunt from deer stands? Seems like most all of the people I know do. I'm sure even those that do will take a deer on foot if it presents itself but it seems like most do a majority of their hunting from a stand of some sort. If my impression is correct, wouldn't that mean most shots taken will have a downward trajectory, no matter what type of weapon/caliber/chamebering is used?

Regardless, when I was living in Tennessee we could hunt with anything larger than a 243 (I believe) and there was no blood in the streets, no carnage, no mowing down of the deer population. Now, they can use any center-fired weapon to take deer--still no meyhem. And yes, in western Tennessee, there are some very flat, open, expansive fields.

 

[LeeStreet]

No.