Looks like it'll open up deer cartridges to .243 and up. It's passed both houses but has been amended by the Senate so it's back at the House. I think I said that right. Anyway, looks like it will pass. Same expiration date silliness.

Whatcha gonna use if it passes?

My .270. I'm still bashing my head on the wall over these ridiculous caliber restrictions...

Model 7 in 260 or 444P depending on where I'm hunting that day.

Looks like the House and Senate are disagreeing on amendments.

Link to status

I'm considering a 6.8SPC upper...

Looks like they got together last Friday. Signed by President of the Senate and Speaker of the House. Should be on the Governor's desk for signature.

It's a done deal now. HaZaaaa!

Now I'm gonna have to do a 6.5 Grendel build to celebrate!

So this read as it is now signed by the governor and is the law of the land. I can finally use the 6.8 I built two years ago when they first tried this crap!

I have been told by a CO because of how this was written now rifles of any kind may not be used on public land. He was quite adamant about it. It will be interesting to see what the new hunting guide says - should be out soon. Those of you who hunt public land need to pay attention.

All they did was remove the part where it had to be 6mm or 30 cal, in my opinion. Nothing else seems that it was changed. The part that says the use of rifle may only be used on private land was on there last year but you could still use the old set of rules to use any rifle that fit those rules. So I don't see how they could say you can't use any rifle now.

That's what I thought as well here is his reply:

I assumed he just meant the HPR's but when I asked for clarification:

As you can see I was told that included the old PCR type rifles as well and that now NO rifles of any kind are legal for deer on public land. Plenty of people are going to get caught off guard!

I think he misspoke - "PCR" are still good for public/private land, as stated above in the thread the changes are only to "HPR".
From the IN DNR website (changes still haven't been made yet to "New Legal Rifles" from the passage of 1415):

Centerfire Rifles

Rifles chambered for cartridges that fire a bullet of .357-inch diameter or larger, have a minimum case length of 1.16 inches, and have a maximum case length of 1.8 inches are legal to use only during the deer firearms, youth, reduction zones (in zones where local ordinances allow the use of a firearm), and special antlerless seasons. These rifle cartridges can be used on public and private land.

Some cartridges legal for deer hunting include the .357 Magnum, .38-.40 Winchester, .41 Magnum, .41 Special, .44 Magnum, .44 Special, .44-.40 Winchester, .45 Colt, .454 Casull, .458 SOCOM, .475 Linebaugh, .480 Ruger, .50 Action Express, .500 S&W, .460 Smith & Wesson, .450 Bushmaster, and .50 Beowulf. Full metal jacketed bullets are illegal.

New Legal Rifles

A new state law allows rifle cartridges that meet the following requirements to be used for deer hunting only on private land during the firearms, youth, reduction zone (in zones where local ordinances allow the use of a firearm), seasons:

The rifle must have a barrel length of at least 16 inches
The cartridge must have a case length of at least 1.16 inches.
The cartridge must fire a bullet with a diameter that is .243 inches (same as 6mm) or .308 inches (same as 7.62 mm).
Bullets with a diameter smaller than .243 inches (same as 6mm), larger than .308 inches (same as 7.62 mm) or in between .243 and .308 are not legal.
A hunter may not possess more than 10 cartridges for each of these rifles while hunting deer.
Full metal jacketed bullets are illegal.

Like you said changes haven't been made yet. Those who hunt public land should pay attention to what comes out.

I wouldn't think they would change to allow more calibers on private land and then turn around and take all existing calibers away from public ground that had been in use for years but we are talking about the DNR/Congress so wouldn't put it past them. 

I doubt that was the intention but when you have politicians involved they write things and have no clue or ability to understand the ramifications of what it says.

So, a suppressed rifle in 7.62x39 is now legal?

Yep

Wish they would have done away with that pesky 16" bbl requirement. 

Excellent. Now if I feel like grabbing my Mauser I can.


I have a 30-06, but the stupidity of how that law was written was still irritating.

That was legal last year.

The 8mm Mauser wasn't.

That should of been quoted from the above guy asking about 7.62x39.

Any updates on this?

Click me


House Enrolled Act 1415 that was passed earlier this year by the Indiana General Assembly (state legislators) and signed by the Governor allows some additional rifle cartridges to be used on private land during the deer firearms season.

A summary is as follows:

The rifle must have a barrel length of at least 16 inches
The rifle cartridges must have a cartridge case length of least 1.16 inches and have a maximum case length of 3 inches
The cartridge must fire a bullet with a diameter that is .243 inches (same as 6mm) or larger
A hunter may not possess more than 10 such cartridges while in the field
These new rifle cartridges may only be used on private land
Full metal jacketed bullets are illegal
These new rifle cartridges may be used during the youth deer season, deer firearms season, special antlerless firearm season (where open), and deer reduction season (in deer reduction zones where local ordinances allow the use of a firearm from the start of the regular firearms season through the end of the following January)

I can't find any info on pistol caliber rifles. Is .357 Mag still GTG?

Nothing has changed for PCRs, if it was GTG before it is still GTG. Only changes to legal firearms are that HPRs (for private property only) were ADDED to the existing legal weapons last year, then the acceptable calibers for those HPRs were increased this year.

Thanks. I hoped that was the case but I couldn't find it in writing anywhere.

It is here. Scroll down about halfway. The regs differentiate between "centerfire rifles" (so called PCR's) and "high power rifles".

Deer Hunting Seasons and Regulations--2017

Uh-oh, they changed the regulations. I just got an email today alerting hunters to a change in the hunting regulations regarding center fire rifles. Now no center fire rifles are allowed on any public land. These rifles are only allowed on private land and that includes the so-called "PCR" calibers we've been using on public land for the past few years. The link in my post above is what has been changed and now reads "Rifles that had been legal to use on public land in years past can now only be used on private land." To all those legislators who knew so much better than DNR on how to regulate hunting all that can be asked is "How do you like it now?"

Yep; that's the politicians at their best - no clue what they are passing. You know people are going to get blindsided next month.  I feel for those who hunt public land.

I found this out yesterday as well. Sucks that I just bought a Ruger 77/357 that I had planned to use on Hoosier National.

Guess I'll be stuck on my 40 acres instead of the 2k+ acres I normally roam if I want to use it instead of the old shotgun. Fucking politicians

And now they are back to the original wording, allowing the original centerfire rifle cartridges to be used on public land. Whew!

This is one of the biggest loads of flip flop I've ever followed