.270 Winchester Illegal?

[Hank2211]

According to Safari Times, Indiana has just passed a new law legalizing certain rifles for deer hunting (I had no idea any rifles were illegal!).

This law has legalized only the 243 Winchester and the .308. All other calibers are illegal.

I can sort of get why you want a lower limit - you need enough power to ensure a humane kill. That doesn't answer, though, why you need an upper limit.

Still less do I understand why anything in between is illegal. What is special about the .270 Winchester, for example, that makes it illegal for deer hunting, while calibers on either side of it are perfectly fine?

Can anyone from Indiana (or anywhere?) help with this?

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Some info from Indiana Department of Natural Resources: http://www.in.gov/activecalendar_dn...nformation_id=18905&type=&syndicate=syndicate

 

[sierraone]

Setting the .243 as a minimum could be to keep the 5.56 (.223) people out of the deer woods. Alabama did this sometime back.

 

[Hank2211]

Thanks Jerome. so it's not just the .308, but all the .300 cartridges.

But I'm still left with the question of why? Why a .243, a .300, but not a .270? Adding all of the .300's just makes it seem even more bizarre.

And why the focus on case length?

Do some legislators just have too much time on their hands?

 

[Hank2211]

Setting the .243 as a minimum could be to keep the 5.56 (.223) people out of the deer woods. Alabama did this sometime back.

But if they think that keeping the .223 people out will stop the use of "assault" rifles, they've done nothing about the other common caliber - the 7.62 (or .308 as we know it). And frankly, a decent bullet on a .223 will still kill a deer.

All something of a mystery.

 

[cpr0312]

Thanks Jerome. so it's not just the .308, but all the .300 cartridges.

But I'm still left with the question of why? Why a .243, a .300, but not a .270? Adding all of the .300's just makes it seem even more bizarre.

And why the focus on case length?

Do some legislators just have too much time on their hands?

Quite strange. Seeing that in states that have rifle hunting ( and thinking about deer hunting) I would say the 2 most common and widely used calibers are a .270 and 30-06. Certainly here is the south most people grew up with the calibers after graduating from a .243

 

[sierraone]

But if they think that keeping the .223 people out will stop the use of "assault" rifles, they've done nothing about the other common caliber - the 7.62 (or .308 as we know it). And frankly, a decent bullet on a .223 will still kill a deer.

All something of a mystery.

I correct myself Hank. Alabama still allows .223 for deer hunting. You are correct also in that many ARs are chambered for .308 (7.62) although I believe the vast majority are still .223.

 

[sierraone]

Quite strange. Seeing that in states that have rifle hunting ( and thinking about deer hunting) I would say the 2 most common and widely used calibers are a .270 and 30-06. Certainly here is the south most people grew up with the calibers after graduating from a .243

Agree Reedy, I went from a shotgun straight to a 30-06. Nothing else was even considered at that time!

 

[CAustin]

Interesting. Can't imagine why the 270 would be considered not enough rifle for deer.

 

[sheephunterab]

Could be the dumbest law I've ever read.....only 6mm and 30 cal for deer.....what the hell. Who comes up with this stuff? Why exclude all the calibres in between?

 

[Red Leg]

Lol - a .270 isn't enough gun but a .30 carbine is?!?

 

[sheephunterab]

This has obviously got nothing to do with establishing what it and what isn't enough gun. All the 6.5s, .277, 7mm are excluded as well.

 

[Royal27]

Y'all are assuming that the law was designed by intelligent people who understand the capabilities of different firearms, as opposed to politicians who want to make some kind of statement or point.

Quite obvious that there is nothing rational or logical or scientific here.

 

[Hank2211]

Surely someone in or about Indiana has an idea? Even an irrational one? What could the "statement or point" @Royal27 refers to be?

I thought at first it was to keep the farther" shooting calibers out of the equation - often see that in populated areas (sometimes rifles are banned altogether for that reason). But the .300 Win Mag shoots pretty far. On the other hand, the .30-30 is about as far from that as it's possible to be.

So it's not a question of distance.

It's not a question of power.

It's not a question of type of rifle - bolt vs. lever action or AR-style.

What on earth could it be?

 

[Royal27]

Surely someone in or about Indiana has an idea? Even an irrational one? What could the "statement or point" @Royal27 refers to be?

I thought at first it was to keep the farther" shooting calibers out of the equation - often see that in populated areas (sometimes rifles are banned altogether for that reason). But the .300 Win Mag shoots pretty far. On the other hand, the .30-30 is about as far from that as it's possible to be.

So it's not a question of distance.

It's not a question of power.

It's not a question of type of rifle - bolt vs. lever action or AR-style.

What on earth could it be?

 

[Hank2211]

I actually like the Vice-President's advice. I'm not sure this advice would score him many points with his boss!

A good 12 gauge will do a lot more damage at close quarters then any rifle. Having said that, I would like to have the shotgun and the rifle, and I'm not sure why someone else feels they should be the judge of which or how many or what caliber.

 

[Steve Steyr]

That's a really weird law! Only 6mm/.243" diameter and .308" diameter bullets are legal? I thought Indiana was pretty much a pro-gun state? It seems like none of your state legislators have ever been hunting or have ever read anything about hunting in their collective lives. The .30 carbine is excluded since its case is shorter then 1.16".
So, if you load your 7.62x54r with .308 bullets, it's legal. If you load it with .311 bullets, you are illegal.
Could one of you who live in the Hoosier State call his or her congressman and get some clarification?

 

[Royal27]

My point was more around the idiocy of how to use the shotgun than the validity of the weapon. A politician suggesting that the best way to defend your home is to go outside and illegally discharge your weapon into the air, using your only 2 shots?

Probably exactly how the Indiana law was made. Idiocy.

And I have a 12 gauge shotgun for home defense. It doesn't have 2 barrels though and holds way more than. 2 shells.

 

[Hogpatrol]

.300 RUM???? Good god. Are deer considered DG in Indiana? Oh well, I guess a 185 grain bullet with 107 grs. of 869 should bring those monsters to heel.

I'm thinking they made up a list, cut out the calibers with a pair of scissors, agreed to set a numerical limit, put them in a hat and drew out the winners.

 

[Royal27]

I'm thinking they made up a list, cut out the calibers with a pair of scissors, agreed to set a numerical limit, put them in a hat and drew out the winners

Isn't that what I said?????