Your states minimum caliber for big game?

[aOWENc]

As far as Indiana goes. There is no "draw" per say to hunt public or private lands, other than the few hunts that the DNR and state parks put on for deer reduction hunts. Those are usually only a couple weekends or days during the week which they close the state parks to public use and only allow hunters in.

The true "public land" is a complete disaster. I have about 4-5 chunks of public land within about an hour of me, each of which is 6-10,000 acres. Living here, and hunting them a couple times before I had access to private land, I do understand why they do not want "high powered rifles" out there. Some of the folks out here hunting would scare me half to death even with a slingshot. Take a walk through an Indiana DNR deer property and you'll have a hard time looking more than 100 yards in any direction without seeing 5-6 tree stands.

Very true. I limit my public land hunting to areas where I either kayak or boat into that way nobody else can get there without walking many miles. At the same time though I doubt that a high powered rifle would be much more dangerous than a muzzleloader or slug gun with modern projectiles.

Most of the places I hunt in southern Indiana a rifle would provide little benefit to using a good slug gun or muzzleloader, but that doesn't make the laws any less ignorant. The fact that you can take rifles chambered in things like 358 Hoosier or 458 SOCOM, but not other rifles that would be considered "brush guns" (45-70, 30-30, even 7.62x39 is nuts.

 

[WYO300RUM]

In California the regulations simply state one must use a center fire rifle cartridge, making a 17 hornet legal.

From what I remember no 22 cal. centerfires were allowed. It was .23 or .24 min.

 

[emp1953]

Here is a list compiled in 2008, I know some have changed. I'm in CO BTW.

NJ is updated as follows
Rifles, Modern
A valid Rifle Permit must be in possession while hunting with a modern rifle.Rifles for small game hunting are allowed using limited types of .22 caliber rim fire ammo and are legal only for taking woodchuck (ammo restrictions, page 58), raccoon and opossum with hounds (.22 shorts only) plus coyote and fox during the Special Permit Season (ammo restrictions, page 54). NO rifle woodchuck hunting on wildlife management areas or state parks, forests and recreation areas. Small game hunting with center fire rifles is limited to not larger than .25 caliber for coyote and fox (see page 48) and .25 caliber or larger for woodchuck (see page 52). See also Firearms and Missiles, this page.A modern rifle magazine need not be pinned (plugged), but may be loaded with no more than three cartridges. Rife permit holders of all ages may hunt with all rifle types as allowed by New Jersey laws.See chart on page 52 for details on small caliber rifle ammunition legal for hunting woodchucks and page 48 for the special permit coyote/fox season.

 

[Buckys]

Here is a list compiled in 2008, I know some have changed. I'm in CO BTW.

Here in Texas, I have never understood this rule:

Hunting Means and Methods — Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

tpwd.texas.gov

Muzzleloader: any firearm that is loaded only through the muzzle (as opposed to breech-loading firearms). A cap and ball firearm in which the powder and ball are loaded into a cylinder is not a muzzleloader. Muzzleloader deer seasons are restricted to muzzleloading firearms only.

 

[KR260]

Kansas requirements.

Legal firearms include centerfire rifles and handguns that are not fully automatic, using only hard-cast solid lead, soft point, hollow point, tumble-on-impact, or other expanding bullets; any gauge shotgun using only slugs.

MUZZLELOADERS

Legal muzzleloaders include rifles, pistols or muskets that can be loaded only through the front of the firing chamber with separate components and that fire a bullet of .40 inches in diameter or larger, using hard-cast solid lead, conical lead, saboted, or tumble-on-impact bullets.

It reads that you can use any centerfire rifle or handgun caliber. It used to be 23 caliber and up and 357 and larger on handguns.

 

[waldosec]

32-1 CHAPTER 32 REGULATION GOVERNING FIREARM CARTRIDGES AND ARCHERY EQUIPMENT

Section 1. Authority. This regulation is promulgated by authority of Wyoming Statutes § 23-1-302, § 23-2-104, § 23-3-110 and § 23-3-111.

Section 2. Regulation. The Commission hereby adopts the following regulation governing firearm cartridges and archery equipment for the taking of big or trophy game animals and game birds.

Section 3. Definition. In addition to the definitions set forth in Title 23 of the Wyoming Statutes, the Commission also adopts the following definitions for the purpose of this chapter:

(a) "Archery Equipment" means crossbows, longbows, recurve bows, compound bows, arrows and bolts.

(b) "Expanding Point Bullet" means any bullet designed by its manufacturer to create a wound channel larger than the bullet's diameter.

(c) "Smart Firearm" means any firearm equipped with a computerized targeting system that marks a target, calculates a firing solution and automatically discharges the firearm at a point calculated to most likely hit the marked target.


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 or black 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 and using an expanding point bullet, 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 or lead ball and using a charge of at least fifty (50) grains of black powder or its equivalent; or,32-2

(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 and using an expanding point bullet, 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 or lead ball and 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.

(c) For the taking of a grizzly bear by the use of a firearm, a hunter shall use:

(i) Any center-fire firearm of at least .27 caliber and having a bullet weight of at least one hundred fifty (150) grains and firing a cartridge of at least two (2) inches in overall length and using an expanding point bullet; or,

(ii) Any muzzle-loading rifle or any muzzle-loading handgun of at least .50 caliber and firing an expanding point bullet or lead ball and using a charge of at least one hundred (100) grains of black powder or its equivalent; or,

(iii) Any shotgun firing "00" or larger buckshot, or a slug.

Section 5. Firearms, cartridges and archery equipment that are legal for the taking of game birds and small game.

(a) For the taking of game birds, excluding wild turkey, blue grouse and ruffed grouse, a hunter shall use:

(i) Any center-fire or muzzle-loading shotgun not larger than a ten (10) gauge plugged to admit no more than one (1) shell in the chamber and two (2) shells in the magazine; or,

(ii) Any archery equipment. (b) For the taking of wild turkey, a hunter shall use any shotgun, center-fire firearm, .17 HMR or larger rimfire firearm with an overall cartridge length greater than one (1) inch, any muzzle-loading firearm, or any archery equipment. (c) Blue grouse, ruffed grouse and small game may be taken in any manner except as prohibited by Wyoming

BUT, at present NO Grizzly Bear Hunting.. Maybe someday soon. Only legal to kill in self defense.

 

[Thunder17]

I'm curious what the differences are between the states for the minimum caliber for rifle hunting big game and what would be the smallest caliber you could use to hunt big game in all states that allow centerfire rifle hunting. Could you gents tell me the ones you know for sure that are currently legal minimums?

The ones I know are:
WV: 22 Cal centerfire
VA: 6mm/24 Cal centerfire

WV is no longer 22 caliber. Any centerfire cartridge is legal here now.

 

[charliewhisky]

I'm curious what the differences are between the states for the minimum caliber for rifle hunting big game and what would be the smallest caliber you could use to hunt big game in all states that allow centerfire rifle hunting. Could you gents tell me the ones you know for sure that are currently legal minimums?

The ones I know are:
WV: 22 Cal centerfire
VA: 6mm/24 Cal centerfire

Georgia-
PRIMITIVE WEAPONS
Archery equipment, air bows, air rifles and any muzzleloading firearm
are legal during primitive weapons season. Scopes are legal.
Air Guns: Any air rifle of at least .30 caliber
or air bow utilizing unignited compressed
gas or air is legal during primitive weapons
and firearms seasons.

Modern Rifles and Handguns: Centerfire only, .22-cal. or larger with
expanding bullets. There is no restriction on magazine capacity for rifles.
Shotguns: 20-gauge or larger loaded with slugs or buckshot.

The lack of restrictions on muzzleloaders leaves a lot to the imagination. I'm thinking anything from a blunderbuss loaded with rocks to a miniature cannon on a game trail trip wire.

 

[johngibbs222]

UK, just for info

SPECIES	MIN BULLET WEIGHT	CALIBRE	MIN MUZZLE ENERGY
Red
Eng & Wales	–	Not less than .240 inches	1,700 foot pounds
Scotland	100 grains	–	1,750 foot pounds (min muzzle velocity 2,450 feet per second)
N Ireland	100 grains	Not less than .236 inches	1,700 foot pounds
Fallow
Eng & Wales	–	Not less than .240 inches	1,700 foot pounds
Scotland	100 grains	–	1,750 foot pounds (min muzzle velocity 2,450 feet per second)
N Ireland	100 grains	Not less than .236 inches	1,700 foot pounds
Sika
Eng & Wales	–	Not less than .240 inches	1,700 foot pounds
Scotland	100 grains	–	1,750 foot pounds (min muzzle velocity 2,450 feet per second)
N Ireland	100 grains	Not less than .236 inches	1,700 foot pounds
Roe
Eng & Wales	–	Not less than .240 inches	1,700 foot pounds
Scotland	50 grains	–	1,000 foot pounds (min muzzle velocity 2,450 feet per second)
Chinese water deer
Eng & Wales	50 grains	Not less than .220 inches	1,000 foot pounds
Muntjac
Eng & Wales	50 grains	Not less than .220 inches	1,000 foot pounds

It must be stressed that all these figures are the minimum legal requirement. For all deer stalking the bullet must be of a type designed to expand/deform on impact. This info is from the official code of practice.

Further personal info, bowhunting any animal is illegal and hunting with a silencer is becoming the norm, as is the use of monolithic bullets to prevent lead pollution.
You can see that in Scotland most 45/70 and also pistol calibers would struggle to be legal and the 30.30 just about sneaks in. In the rest of the UK many pistol caliber rifles especially 357 would also struggle for legality against even the small deer.
For hogs there is a bit of a gray area but they seem to be settling on 30 cal eg 308, 300 win mag etc. though I have heard of 270 win being allowed.
Rifles for these purposes (deer and boar) are normally identified on the users firearms certificate.
Shotguns with buckshot are permitted and some areas allow them with slugs for both deer and boar, but a firearms certificate is needed for slugs. TBH any tom, dick or harry can use buckshot and I convinced my Firearms officer to give me permission to use my rifles based on my throw away line that I'd use buckshot if not.
I've not heard of any certificates being issued allowing muzzle loaders to be used, but I've never researched it.

 

[Bret GRAVELINE Graveline]

From what I remember no 22 cal. centerfires were allowed. It was .23 or .24 min.

I just checked the regs to see if it changed, It states big game may only be harvested with rifles using center fire cartridges using soft nosed or expanding projectiles, so if one is not using a lead core bullet its legal, doesn't make much sense to me, but the people making the rules here for the most part are not outdoorsman let alone hunters,

 

[Bigdad]

In Texas

Firearms

Game animals and non-migratory game birds may be hunted with any legal firearm, except:

• Rimfire Ammunition (of any caliber) may NOT be used to hunt white-tailed deer, mule deer, desert bighorn sheep, or pronghorn.
• Fully Automatic Firearms
• Shotguns are the only legal firearm that may be used during spring Eastern turkey season.
• Magazine Capacity (number of shells/cartridges allowed): there are no restrictions on the number of shells or cartridges a legal firearm may hold when hunting game animals or game birds (except migratory game birds, see Legal Shotgun).
• Muzzleloader: any firearm that is loaded only through the muzzle (as opposed to breech-loading firearms). A cap and ball firearm in which the powder and ball are loaded into a cylinder is not a muzzleloader. Muzzleloader deer seasons are restricted to muzzleloading firearms only.
• Suppressors (aka "silencers"): may be used to take any wildlife resource; however, all federal, state and local laws continue to apply.

 

[WYO300RUM]

I just checked the regs to see if it changed, It states big game may only be harvested with rifles using center fire cartridges using soft nosed or expanding projectiles, so if one is not using a lead core bullet its legal, doesn't make much sense to me, but the people making the rules here for the most part are not outdoorsman let alone hunters,

They must of changed at some point. I can always remember it was 24 cal. Wy. used to be 23 or larger ( what's a 23 cal.) But it also says center-fire rifle now?

 

[WYO300RUM]

I found Wy. Reg. 24 and 22 center-fire laws:

 

[taptap]

In the Netherlands only long guns are allowed for hunting, no handguns.
Roedeer, our smallest big game animal: rifled barrel with a V100 of at least 980Joule (a .222 would make the cut)
Fallow deer, red deer and wild pigs make up the rest the big game animals in the Netherlands, they require a rifled barrel, a caliber of at least 6,5mm and a v100 of 2200Joule
Mouflons (Ovis Orientalis) were introduced in the 18th century. They are now practically extinct in the wild as wolves recently migrated to the Netherlands. As far as I know they are not hunted anymore, some still live in a fenced off national park (hogeveluwe.nl)

Rifles can be bolt-action or semi-auto but semi-auto has a two round magazine capacity limit.

Lead-free ammo is your choice, encouraged or mandatory depending on where you hunt.

Silencers are only allowed for professional gamewardens, non-professional hunters don't get silencer permits (This might change in the future but discussion is going on for more than ten years now)