New Calibers For Iowa Deer Hunters?

[ksfowler166]

Hope everyone's Fourth was safe and fun. I went up to Iowa to see some family over the weekend. Some of my family is liberal with one of my aunts who lives in Iowa being very out spoken in that regard. She mentioned to me that Iowa just allowed AK's for deer hunting. My first thought was that is not how hunting regulations work. I told her something to that effect. She didn't believe me.

So I decided to check that laws myself being curious. According to the 2021-2022 regs "Rifles firing straight wall or other centerfire ammunition propelling an expanding-type bullet with a maximum diameter of no less than .350 of an inch and no larger than .500 of an inch and with a published or calculated muzzle energy of 500 foot pounds...".

Ok so no 7.65x39 or 5.45x39 allowed previously but semiautos with centerfire ammo are allowed. The regs specifically mention 450 Bushmaster as legal so by extension an AR platform rifle chambered in that round would be legal as well.

Looking for more recent info I found sites with captions saying those scary AR-15 and semiautomatic rifles are legal now.
Needless to say I did not click on those sights.

So I thought I might ask actual Iowa hunters what the new laws really say? I am assuming something along the lines of .22 cal centerfire and up with no energy requirement.

[trapper9260]

ok Here is the new law , https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislati...ga=89&ba=SF581

https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022...er-in-january/


This is for January season only . It is too much to paste on here that is why I gave the links .

[funnyjim014]

Seems your liberal aunt is correct. 762x39 is more than adequate at reasonable distance. Problem is "certain " people are uneducated on hunting and firearms in general and don't grasp the fact that almost any rifle can be hunted with

[Winger Ed.]

762x39 is more than adequate at reasonable distance.

It seems some people go all ga-ga over an AK and it's round.
From reading the reloading data it looks to me to basically be a .30-30 with a spire point bullet.
Hardly anything to get upset about.

[MarkP]

Iowa just changed it again to allow bottle neck cartridges 35 cal and larger from Straight wall pistol cartridges 35 cal and larger under a specified length. The former regulations had a few cartridge exceptions that were longer than the specified maximum length (45-70, 375 Win, 444 Marlin) It was not that long ago that they changed the regulations to allow riles with straight walled cartridges, this was the reason I got some 350 Legends. Now I can use my 350 Rem mags in Iowa.

I have heard some negative opinions to the change maybe she heard some mumbles about the recent change and combined it with AK's With the new change there really are not too many common options (35 Rem, 35 Whelan, 350 Rem Mag, 358 Win, 358 Norma, 375 H&H, 9.3 x 62, 416 Rem, 458 Win and a few others) Even these are not real common and if you do not re-load it would be difficult to find ammo not many stores will have these in stock even in good times.

[Frosty Boolit]

It said minimum .35 cal so your .30x39mm isn't going to be legal

[Iowa Fox]

W're just going to have to wait for the printed regs to come out in the state booklet to the hunters. Right now things are to ambiguous to understand.

I can tell you this for certain, our county is so overloaded with them they need to be reduced by at least 50 percent.

[fatnhappy]

laugh all you want but one of my son's favorite rifles to carry when we're doing deer drives out to my buddy's dairy farm is my mini-30. Everything he's ever pointed it at winds up in the back of a pick up.

[jonp]

Min of .223 with max of .50 and min muzzle at 500lbs. I wouldn't hunt with a 223 myself but some will. I think the lather is over that headline screaming the woods are going to be filled with evil assault rifles implying firing as fast as possible at anything that moves with hundreds of rounds or something. I'm surprised I didn't read in the legislation a magazine capacity limit. I'm also surprised that the legislation suggests it's now legal for that season to use a Barrett 50Cal although I'd not want to question the stud wandering the woods toting that thing. Are they thinking someone is going to bust out a 500 Nitro Express Double?

Is the 500 ft lbs for pistols or did I miss that part?

[Texas by God]

laugh all you want but one of my son's favorite rifles to carry when we're doing deer drives out to my buddy's dairy farm is my mini-30. Everything he's ever pointed it at winds up in the back of a pick up.

The Mini (14 or 30) is such a natural pointer that it's perfect for that type of hunting.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[elmacgyver0]

Kind of funny.
Was able to use centerfire bottle neck cartridges for varmints in Iowa for a long time, but not for deer.
I guess somehow the long-range lethality isn't as great when hunting varmints.
Thing are getting saner in Iowa since Kim Reynolds became governor.
She's not hard on the eyes either.

[trapper9260]

Kind of funny.
Was able to use centerfire bottle neck cartridges for varmints in Iowa for a long time, but not for deer.
I guess somehow the long-range lethality isn't as great when hunting varmints.
Thing are getting saner in Iowa since Kim Reynolds became governor.
She's not hard on the eyes either.

You are right on all . I notice that also after I moved in the state for good in 1995 , it been getting better . Better then the state I left for good of MA . that state just got worst and glad I left.

[trapper9260]

Here is Iowa regs for 22 - 23 for hunting and trapping ect. https://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr...untingregs.pdf

[Iowa Fox]

Thanks trapper.

Now its official.