What are the rifle cartridge size requirements for Firearms Season?
The Department of Natural Resources has received numerous questions regarding recent legislation that legalizes certain rifles for deer hunting beginning in November of 2017. Most questions have to do with calibers and cartridges allowed under the new law.
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, but removed the ability for any rifle to be used on public land for deer hunting.
A summary of the rifle requirements for deer hunting on private land are 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 for each of these rifles while hunting deer
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)
All the cartridges that were legal in recent years are legal now only on private land, even though the DNR has allowed them in years past on public land.
Rifle cartridges that are legal under this new law (HEA 1415) include, but are not limited to, the following:
6mm-06
6mm BR Remington
6mm PPC
6mm Remington
.240 Weatherby
.243 Winchester
.243 Winchester Super Short Magnum
.25 Remington
.25-06 Remington
.270 Winchester
.30 Carbine
.30 Herrett
.30 Remington AR
.30-06 Springfield
.30-30 Winchester
.30-40 Krag
.300 AAC Blackout (.300 Whisper)
.300 H&H Magnum
.300 Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum
.300 Savage
.300 Weatherby Magnum
.300 Winchester Magnum
.300 Winchester Short Magnum
.300 Remington Ultra Magnum
.303 British
.307 Winchester
.308 Marlin
.308 Winchester
.32 Winchester SL
.35 Remington
.38-55 Winchester
.40 S&W
.444 Marlin
.45-70 Government
6.5 Creedmoor
6.8 SPC
7.62x39mm
7.62x54mmR
