Hunting with an AR-Platform Rifle? Photo Courtesy Of

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Photo Courtesy of Hunting With An AR-Platform Rifle? Bill Waugaman Windham By Bill Waugaman, Staff Writer, Ohio Valley Outdoor Times, www.ohiovalleyoutdoors.com Weaponry CDI rifle Originally printed in the Ohio Valley Outdoor Times, reprinted with permission

R-15, Black Gun, M16, Assault Rifle and Modern Sporting Rifle… Semi Semi-Auto A these are all names given to State Rifles Auto Rimfire Centerfire AR-platform Mag Cap describe one of the most popular firearms Alabama Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10 currently on the American landscape. Recent Alaska Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes tragic events have brought this style of rifle Arizona Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes front and center in emotionally-charged Arkansas Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes arguments in the media, in the political California Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes arena, by organizations, and by supporters Colorado Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 5 / 15 on both sides. There are two common Connecticut Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10 outcries from gun control advocates, Delaware No “…using an assault weapon for hunting deer” Florida Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 5 Georgia Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes and “…who needs 30 shots for hunting”. Hawaii Yes Yes No Yes Yes 10 I began to wonder where hunting with an Idaho Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes AR-platform rifle is permitted. My home Illinois Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes state of Pennsylvania does not even permit Indiana Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes any type of rimfire or centerfire semi-auto Iowa Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes rifle for hunting. In neighboring Ohio, Kansas Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes centerfire rifles are not permitted for Kentucky Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10 hunting deer. Thinking back to TV shows Louisiana Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Maine Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 5 I’ve watched about hunting, the rifles used Maryland Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10 were primarily bolt action. Is the ‘modern Massachusetts Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes sporting rifle’ as it is called by organiza- Michigan Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 5 tions like the NRA and NSSF a viable Minnesota Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes hunting rifle, or is its sporting use limited to Mississippi Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes competitive shooting events and plinking at Missouri Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10 the local range? Montana Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes To satisfy my curiosity, a series of five Nebraska Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 5 questions were developed. These questions, Nevada Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes New Hampshire Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 5 framed in the context of hunting, were New Jersey Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 2 posed to every state in the United States. New Mexico Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes The questions were: New York Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 5 1) Are rifles permitted for any type of North Carolina Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes hunting in your state (small, large, North Dakota Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes varmint, predator)? Ohio Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 2) Are semi-auto rifles permitted for Oklahoma Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 7 any type of hunting in your state? Oregon Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 5 Pennsylvania Yes No 3) Are rimfire semi-auto rifles permitted Rhode Island Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes for hunting small game, varmints or South Carolina Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes predators? South Dakota Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 5 4) Are centerfire semi-auto rifles Tennessee Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes permitted for hunting big game, Texas Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes varmints or predators? Utah Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 5) Are AR-platform rifles (rimfire or Vermont Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 5 centerfire) permitted for hunting? Virginia Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Washington Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes One question did ask for comments about West Virginia Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes hunting with semi-auto rifles and another Wisconsin Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes asked for general comments about hunting Wyoming Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes with a rifle. Here are the results from those questions.

28 Hunter & Shooting Sports Education Journal • Winter 2013 Note: The answers shown (see chart system for loading the magazine, A. Massachusetts, Ohio and on facing page) are only general but not to exceed the maximum Rhode Island answers to the questions. Every state total rounds allowed by law in the Q. Which state allows deer hunting has rules and regulations that must be magazine and chamber? with a rifle as long as the caliber is followed. Even though an answer may A. New Jersey (only two rounds in .357 or greater and the cartridge show ‘Yes’, it could very well be a ‘Yes, the magazine even though the has a minimum case length of 1.16” however…’ For the specific and current capacity is more) and maximum case length of 1.8”? guidelines for any given state, contact Q. How many states have magazine A. Indiana their wildlife agencies. The states of capacity restrictions on semi-auto Q. Which state allows hunting with New York, Connecticut and Maryland rifles? a centerfire rifle, but the bullet have proposed legislation that will A. 18 weight must be over 55 gr. and affect firearms in general, and subse- Q. Which 3 states have a minimum the cartridge length must be 1.25” quently the hunters in those states. In muzzle energy requirement for or longer? these unsettled times, firearms laws can hunting with a rifle? A. Oklahoma change very unexpectedly. A. Hawaii, South Dakota, Maryland Q. Which state has two different What I thought were very simple (for deer only in MD) magazine capacity limits for ‘yes/no’ questions turned out to be an Q. Which states have a minimum semi-auto rifles? “oh my…” revelation when it came to energy requirement at 100 yards A. Colorado: 5 for big game and 15 how each state looks at hunting with for hunting big game? for small game rifles and the differences. Depending on A. Nebraska and Nevada Q. Which state has centerfire cartridge the state, guidelines on the use of rifles Q. Which state does not allow the requirements based on: (1) the can vary by obvious factors such as the weight of a big game rifle/magazine/ quarry and the caliber, or (2) the caliber and the species. Other factors sling/scope to be over 16 pounds? cartridge length, or (3) having over taken into consideration by some A. Idaho 500 ft. lb. of energy at 100 yards state(s) include: the muzzle energy, Q. Which 3 states allow hunting with a with a lead or expanding bullet? downrange energy, the size of the centerfire rifle, but not for deer? A. Wyoming■ casing, county by county regulations, local ordnances, public land versus private land, weight of the gun with all attachments, bullet weight, the type of bullet, night- time hunting, whether the quarry is considered a big game animal or trophy game animal, and of course, magazine capacities. So, to answer my own question about the sporting use of AR-platform ‘modern sporting rifles’, they are definitely not just for plinking at the range or used in competitive shooting events. Forty-eight of fifty states allow you to hunt with them (subject to regulations). One of the most befitting comments made from my contacts was, “…our state does not differentiate between semi-auto rifles based on cosmetic features.” I’m satisfied that the term ‘modern sporting rifle’ is a good description for AR-platform rifles.

Fun Facts: Q. How many states do not allow any rifle hunting? A. 1, Delaware Q. Which state has an honor