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Now that necked cartridges are lawful (min .35 - max .5) what will everyone be hunting with this year?

Arec

Member
I am thinking of dusting off an old .375 H&H that has been sitting around in the family safe for several decades!

[DNR confirmed these changes for the upcoming season]
 
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Where u seeing this?

I attended one of the DNR webinars and I thought this is what I heard, but I assumed I missed something. There’s no way they are allowing rimless cartridges? I have been waiting to see something in writing.

What I heard on the DNR webinar, and again, I could be mistaken, was people didn’t understand the difference between rimmed/rimless so they are just allowing everything (rimmed and rimless) .35 caliber plus.
 
I attended one of the DNR webinars and I thought this is what I heard, but I assumed I missed something. There’s no way they are allowing rimless cartridges? I have been waiting to see something in writing.

What I heard on the DNR webinar, and again, I could be mistaken, was people didn’t understand the difference between rimmed/rimless so they are just allowing everything (rimmed and rimless) .35 caliber plus.

Where u seeing this?

They changed the code last year. 481A.48 establishes a rifle season during youth and disabled season, as well as during first and second shotgun season to licensed and qualified hunters. The law dictates that allowed rifle cartridges shall be of the same caliber and use the same straight wall or other ammunition as is allowed for use in a pistol or revolver for hunting deer.

Allowed cartridges are:

1. .35 to .50 cal, expanding ammunition.
2. Minimum 500 ft lbs energy at the muzzle.
3. Straight walled or other centerfire ammunition.
 
Can't wait to take my 460 Weatherby Magnum out this year. Those deer are tough to bring down.

Just plain stupid ..

Dead is dead. I think it’s overkill (but no more than blasting a deer with a shotgun slug). It would have been better had they allowed reasonable deer calibers like .243 - .308, but too many people are resistant.

So instead of hunting with a .243 or .30-30 we will be using .45-70s and 375 H&Hs.
 
They changed the code last year. 481A.48 establishes a rifle season during youth and disabled season, as well as during first and second shotgun season to licensed and qualified hunters. The law dictates that allowed rifle cartridges shall be of the same caliber and use the same straight wall or other ammunition as is allowed for use in a pistol or revolver for hunting deer.

Allowed cartridges are:

1. .35 to .50 cal, expanding ammunition.
2. Minimum 500 ft lbs energy at the muzzle.
3. Straight walled or other centerfire ammunition.
Thanks for posting this
 
This changed in the 2020 legislative session but it gave the NRC the task of defining the calibers. There are some serious long range calibers that fall between .35 and.50. A good choice for a 500-600 yard caliber would be 378 Weatherby. I will probably go with my 375 H/H but will keep my eye open a 358 Winchester. My all time favorite cartridge the 338 Win Mag just misses the cut. The doomsday prediction of the straight wall cartridge laws were 100% correct about the slippery slope.
 
This changed in the 2020 legislative session but it gave the NRC the task of defining the calibers. There are some serious long range calibers that fall between .35 and.50. A good choice for a 500-600 yard caliber would be 378 Weatherby. I will probably go with my 375 H/H but will keep my eye open a 358 Winchester. My all time favorite cartridge the 338 Win Mag just misses the cut. The doomsday prediction of the straight wall cartridge laws were 100% correct about the slippery slope.

Its quite a stretch to read the law with the interpretation that the NRC gets to pick and choose which cartridges are acceptable. They initially floated that interpretation but backed down quickly after the backlash from all the hunters who had gone out and bought 45-70s and such, along with pressure from the NRA-ILA and the IFC.

The legislature specifically wrote into the law that in addition to the pistol / revolver cartridges that shall be allowed for rifle hunting (.35 - .50, straight walled or other center fire ammo), the the commission shall provide, by rule, for the use of straight wall or other ammunition under that meets ballistics specifications similar to the requirements for straight wall or other ammunition allowed for use in a pistol or revolver for hunting deer.

It will end up in the courts if they try to circumvent the legislature’s clear intent. I assume they know that and that’s why they reversed their initial interpretation.
 
"ballistic specifications similar to". That slippery slope just became much steeper and has had oil poured on it. It will be any rifle in a very short time.

Arec - which of those gun organizations do you represent/support? I am an NRA member, but they need to stay out of the hunting regs!
 
"ballistic specifications similar to". That slippery slope just became much steeper and has had oil poured on it. It will be any rifle in a very short time.

Arec - which of those gun organizations do you represent/support? I am an NRA member, but they need to stay out of the hunting regs!

I am an NRA life member from many years ago however I no longer offer them any financial support based on their many missteps and penchant for putting partisan politics before protecting gun owners and gun rights.

I also am a member of the IFC and GOA.

I don’t represent any of them.

I don’t subscribe to the theory that allowing hunters to choose any cartridge within the ethical range is a slippery slope.

If I want to hunt deer with a .243, a 6.5 CM, a 30-30, or a 45-70, why should I not be able to?
 
I've seen what allowing rifles into my zone that was for many years shotguns n slugs only.
Now everyone has an enclosed stand on stilts.
With our VERY limited cover, sooner or later, one of the very few big bucks we have is gonna step out for a shot.
We wernt broke but "they" fixed it
 
I am an NRA life member from many years ago however I no longer offer them any financial support based on their many missteps and penchant for

I don’t subscribe to the theory that allowing hunters to choose any cartridge within the ethical range is a slippery slope.

If I want to hunt deer with a .243, a 6.5 CM, a 30-30, or a 45-70, why should I not be able to?
The slippery slope was the move from shotgun to revolver cartridges to custom straight wall built for rifles to necked and eventually to nearly any center-fire. We are sliding there fast.

My top reasons to not allow center-fire:
Safety
DNR should set method of take to manage the herd, not the legislature
Fair chase
 
I am an NRA life member from many years ago however I no longer offer them any financial support based on their many missteps and penchant for putting partisan politics before protecting gun owners and gun rights.

I also am a member of the IFC and GOA.

I don’t represent any of them.

I don’t subscribe to the theory that allowing hunters to choose any cartridge within the ethical range is a slippery slope.

If I want to hunt deer with a .243, a 6.5 CM, a 30-30, or a 45-70, why should I not be able to?

No one is stopping you from going to go to another state that has those regulations. Iowa is Iowa for a reason and should never have this as an option but I guess here we are. NRA, IFC, GOA,... ect all have specific agendas and they shouldn't be trying to change legislature for hunting.

I have a 2 year old and a 3 month old and it's pretty sad that from the looks of it they'll never have the hunting opportunities that I have had. When you hear tons of people from other states that allow them to hunt deer with rifles saying Iowa needs to keep them out, that speaks volumes to me. No way will I want to take my kids to the woods when there are deer drives with guys shooting at running deer with rifles.
 
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