Straight Wall Rifle - States that Allow?

Muddyboots

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As a follow up to MI starting the ball rolling though it took 5 years, I am curious how many states now allow it. I spent a lot of time getting it passed here in MI and I know it has been picked up by quite a few states and some in process. This law was enacted with sole purpose of hunter recruitment and like some things that you do, it takes off better than anyone could have hoped or even projected. OH beat MI to the finish line but theirs was direct copy of MI. Guess less politics there!

So far the following states that I know of at this time:
MI, OH, IA, DE, IN (included within public land 1.8" rule), MD in works?

Lastly, I have quite a bit of background information that I can provide if you live in a state where you are trying to get similar rule and would be happy to share it. I recently sent a package to NH but doesn't look like there is any movement there yet.

Any other states going this direction?
 
Yes, MD is in the works, but I have not seen the official wording as to what will be allowed. Very generic 'Straight Wall Pistol Cartridges' in the proposal. Watching this closely after using a slug-gun for 28-30 years....
 
Jerry M: If you need anything to submit during a comment period let me know and I can send you some really good info that supports the technical side of the rule. For example here is a link to the Ballistics Study PA made that showed shotguns were NOT actually safer than a rifle or muzzleloader so to use that argument against the straight wall was defused by this study. This is really big document so linking it instead of attaching.
Link: PA Ballistics Study
I can provide some of the supporting letters I submitted as well that addresses hunter recruitment, recoil calculations and so on.
Muddy
 
I've been curious about one thing since this movement started. What about cartridges such as the .300 AAC Blackout? Not straight walled, but rather ballistically limited in that it's really a 100yd and in cartridge. In Washington, the islands have a slug gun/muzzleloader requirement for firearm season in addition to a statewide minimum of .24 caliber for deer and up. Would something like the blackout fit into these new provisions?
 
DNADave: Try not to look at this rule with logic! The ONLY way we were able to promulgate this rule was to eliminate "technical" opinion that a straight wall rifle was not "high power rifle" and is ballistically safe as slug, muzzleloader and pistol. The overall politics and complete lack of ballistics at DNR level is common across a lot of states. I would totally agree that 300BO should be considered but so should 30/30, 35Rem, 32Spcl, and the 45/70 is so obvious but none are allowed in MI. The real challenge is to get wildlife managers to understand the group of calibers that are reasonable and similar to what is already allowed. BUT Politics will rise its ugly head and beat it down. I can see the DNR political response now: a "black" rifle 300BO is too DANGEROUS for deer hunting.

If DNR stayed with .35 cal as minimum in lower zone then IMO 45/70 should be allowed as well as some of the other straight walls that are longer than 1.8". Why weren't they? Because we had to take away adding anything new and use the definition of what was already allowed just putting into rifle configuration.

The overall good news is headway is being made even with the current calibers at hand so one step at a time in educating wildlife agencies.
 
Jerry M: If you need anything to submit during a comment period let me know and I can send you some really good info that supports the technical side of the rule. For example here is a link to the Ballistics Study PA made that showed shotguns were NOT actually safer than a rifle or muzzleloader so to use that argument against the straight wall was defused by this study. This is really big document so linking it instead of attaching.
Link: PA Ballistics Study
I can provide some of the supporting letters I submitted as well that addresses hunter recruitment, recoil calculations and so on.
Muddy

Only problem with that study, (I have it too) whoever set it up gave parameters that gave them the outcome they wanted. If you read the study it compares the 30-06 150 grain lead tip to only the new plastic tip sabots in slugs and ML. Not apple to apple lead tip bullets to lead tip ML bullets/slugs. The plastic tips will not deform when hitting ground while the lead tip will and thus richocet more and longer. Now add the plastic tip ELDx in the 30-06 and both do relatively the same if not going longer. Good data showing ricochets, but not apples to apples. If someone understands the difference, it will blow you out of the water.
 
Bountyhunter, actually changing the 30-06 150 to a "ballistic tip" probably enhances the bullet fragmentation and lessens the possibility of ricochet. The study does relate well to reasonable ammunition used in the three different scenarios. We can say should have used different ammunition but by whose standards? Why not full bore slug/sabot hybrid like a Lightfield and not a sabot? Why not a conical versus ML sabot? There had to be a choice and I believe it was a good choice based upon what average weekend hunters would use not necessarily what you or I would use. I would also defer to a ballistic laboratory that has capability like this one does for the military relative to Military firing ranges etc.
 
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