I believe HB 1415 will pass the full Senate. However, the bill includes an amendment that adds a maximum acceptable case length of 3 inches for cartridges fired in rifles used for Indiana deer hunting. The minimum case length of 1.16 inches remains unchanged, as does the minimum bullet diameter of 0.243 inches. There is no maximum bullet diameter specified.

Thus, with the amendment it appears that the bill will need to go to a conference committee of House and Senate members to reconcile differences between the bills passed by the respective legislative houses.

My guess is that the final product will include the maximum case length of 3 inches. This amendment would effectively eliminate rifles chambered for such cartridges as 50 BMG (Browning Machine Gun). Also, a few relatively new and old sporting cartridges originally designed for really big game (such as elephant, rhino, and buffalo) would be eliminated for hunting Indiana deer. However, the number of Indiana hunters “inconvenienced” by such a rule is extremely small.


See link: http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2017/bills/house/1415#document-8d87bb5b

Check language in bottom few lines on page 4 and top few lines of page 5.