Shotgun Zone.........DNR make no sense.

[luvitlo94]

Why is it that you can use a shotgun/muzzleloader/or handgun in this zone.....but can't use a rifle that shoots a handgun cartridge. Do they really think that a 44. mag. carbine is gonna travel THAT much farther than a 44. mag. pistol???? This really bugs me, and was wondering what the rest of you think about this?

[Swamp Monster]

Indiana recently passed a law to let rifles chambered in revolver/pistol calibers to be used during their shotgun season. I don't see this happening here. If you do a search you'll find a long thread about this very topic...it was sometime ago though. I wouldn't have a problem with it one bit. Ballisticly, todays slug guns and muzzleloaders are 200 yard guns. Most, handgun caliber rifles are not effective at that range, nor will the bullet travel any further than todays legal weapons. It won't happen though so don't hold your breath. You can however use a T/C contender with straight walled cartridges though.

[wildcoy73]

I would like to see the shotgun zone gone.
I can use my rifle to hunt varmits in the shotgun zone.
I can shot targets with my rifle .
But I can not hunt deer.
I am more afraid of shotguns and buck shot than I am of a rifle during deer season.

[wally-eye]

Be lucky it is what it is. The winds of change are blowing on that issue and only have been sidetracked by the CWD issue.

I made a bet with a friend a few years ago that the entire lower will be shotgun only within 10 years................and I believe that within that time it will happen. I'm not saying that is a good thing or not just thats what is more than likely going to happen.....

[Swamp Monster]

Be lucky it is what it is. The winds of change are blowing on that issue and only have been sidetracked by the CWD issue.

.....

They been blowing on that issue for about a decade now. Every year about this time there are rumors circulating about them moving the line north. I'm not holding my breath. Not to say it won't at some point...good likelyhood it will.

Just think, ban baiting and rifles in the same year....can you imagine the complaining then? Wow!

[wildcoy73]

Be lucky it is what it is. The winds of change are blowing on that issue and only have been sidetracked by the CWD issue.

I made a bet with a friend a few years ago that the entire lower will be shotgun only within 10 years................and I believe that within that time it will happen. I'm not saying that is a good thing or not just thats what is more than likely going to happen.....

Yes I see that being true, and I do not favor it.
Will be a sad day when I must hand the rifle up.

[luvitlo94]

I can use my rifle to hunt varmits in the shotgun zone.
I can shot targets with my rifle .
But I can not hunt deer.
That's what gets me. We can shoot a .22 and .17, which will probably go much farther than a .308, 30-O6, etc......, but I can't shoot a .44 mag. out of a "long" barrel. :rolleyes:

[Wishn I was fishn]

That's what gets me. We can shoot a .22 and .17, which will probably go much farther than a .308, 30-O6, etc......, but I can't shoot a .44 mag. out of a "long" barrel. :rolleyes:

You can't shoot a 22 during firearms season. You could hunt squirrel with a 30 06 in southern michigan outside of the firearms season. Its not a population issue its do to the concentration of hunters in the woods at one time. As to why they dont allow round also chambered small in handgun calibers I dont know. Probably just a blanket type law.

[405winchester]

I am glad the pistol in my avatar is a straight walled rifle round. It can kill rhino's in Africa with Teddy Roosevelt. Kills on one end, mames(sp) on the other!
405Winchester

[ThumbBum]

I have to say that I think that technology got ahead of them on this issue.

Back in the mid-80s you were lucky if a slug could go 60yards and no-one had heard of an in-line muzzelloader. If I remember correclty thats around the time when they passed the law that allowd pistols with straight-walled cartridges to be used to hunt deer.

I can remeber checking into the law myself because at the time a .44mag carbine would have been a huge improvement over any firearm then availalbe and legal for Zone 3

These days I dont see any advantage to using a rifle that shoots a straight walled pistol cartridge over a modern shotgun or a muzzelloader so I cant imagine that anyone is going to push the legislation to allow them. The law will probably remain that way forever since technology has made it irrelavent

The only reason I would choose this type of rifle over a rifled barrel shotgun would be the reduced weight and recoil for a younger or smaller-framed shooter. Otherwise they have about the same range and accuracy.

I dont really see the logic in having a geographical boundry determine where its safe to use a rifle over a shotgun. I have hunted both Zone 2 and Zone 3 and seen places in Zone 2 where hunting with a rifle seemed insane and places in Zone 3 where you could hunt with a .50cal rifle and not endanger anyone. I guess its just a matter of the overall hunter density and topagraphy (Zone 3 tends to be pretty flat compared to Zone 2.)

My big fear over the years was that they would make a move to outlaw sabot rounds, rifled shotgun barrels, and inline muzzelloaders in Zone 3 in an attempt to get hunters back down closer to the ranges originally considered safe. Given the suburban sprawl in the SLP and the increasing numbers of hunters forsaking tha areas north of the Zilwakee this would seem to make a lot more sense then taking the rifles away from the guys in Zone 2 that have been using them forever.

[skipper34]

Let's count what blessings we have. There are states which do not allow any centerfire rifles, period. Illinois and Iowa come to mind. I think as urban sprawl becomes more prevalent in zone 2, there will be restrictions as to centerfire rifle use. I hope I never see it in my lifetime but my children probably will.

[Ken]

I say exempt the shotgun law on private land over a certain acerage. It is rediculous that it is more dangerous to use a rifle downstate on 500 acres, than it is to use it up north on a 5 acre parcel.

Laws are not going to protect anyone from carelessness or idiots

[Chipmunk Terminator #1]

I don't see why you shouldn't be able to use a rifle with a handgun cartridge. I know a lot of people use riffled shotgun barrels and sabot slugs, which is basically a rifle. I don't plan to use a rifle, but I do know hunters are trying to get a law passed that you can use a handgun cartridge in a rifle.