Growler215
Ultimate Member
Maryland DNR regs are what they are , and not necessarily a reflection on what can be effective .
This.
Note that for an air rifle in MD it only has to be .40 cal or bigger and have 400 ft-lbs muzzle energy.
Maryland DNR regs are what they are , and not necessarily a reflection on what can be effective .
This.
Note that for an air rifle in MD it only has to be .40 cal or bigger and have 400 ft-lbs muzzle energy.
Maki, I apologize for assuming your level of proficiency and circumstances in which you will be using the 45LC.
I, and Mr. Hawks, was speaking comparatively to your "average" deer hunting rounds and an assumed "average" deer hunter scenario.
I think the reason calibers are limited in terms of energy/velocity/diameter is to limit the number of dumb@$$es who think that they can kill any deer they can take potshots at with whatever ammo is on the shelf because "its killed deer and people for 150 years." There is *ample* evidence that 150 years ago hunters cared a *bunch* less about ethically killing game or managing the resources. Hence, if the DNR were to allow any caliber by all hunters, they would probably have to lower the tag numbers to account for more deer who limp off and die from marginal hits.
By all means, I encourage you to hunt with whatever weapon you can very reliably shoot at your intended range, with the knowledge that your intended round can do near-instant lethal damage for your shot. (Oh, and legally, tho honestly I care less about legal energy technicalities than I do hunters' abilities)
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That right there tells you MD's rifle ME regulation needs to change. I suggest that someone with better writing skills than me write a letter to the DNR and make the case that, if the science shows that a .40 caliber slug from an air rifle is acceptable at only 400 FPE, then the . 45 Colt with a 250 gn bullet should also be acceptable.
If you compare a .45 Colt rifle to a " Modern Deer Rifle " , it will be severely lacking . If you use your .45 Colt rifle under roughly the same distances and conditions as a .44 Mag Revolver , it will serve very well .
I now christen this idea : * Handgun Hunting with a Rifle *
Sadly, they may be just as likely as not, to say that 1200 foot pounds should be the standard across the board.
The law is indeed arbitrary. The 45 Colt cartridge has long been renowned for penetration. Through and through is typical. There isn't a deer on this planet that a properly placed bullet from a 45 Colt can't kill. But, flaws and all, they set the standard they set.
If they'd meet proper muzzle velocity when shot out of either. I was looking to get a lever action to match for when I go out, I'd carry both, but it's looking like it's a no go for SAA's.
Unfortunately there are far too many hunters in Maryland who neither know where the proper placement is nor have the ability to reliably hit the proper place if they do know.
Well and sometimes hunters screw up too. Deer takes a step, jumps, wind, a branch or leaf you don’t see, fraction of a second of a hang fire, etc. It is on me, but I had a bad hit on a deer at 30yds with a pointy stick opening day this year. Took 4hrs of tracking to finally find her and put her down. Arrow nicked her rumen, hit her liver and just barely kissed a lung. First time I’ve had a bad hit. I’ve got a lot of confidence in what I am using, but stuff happens. I think there are a large number of hunters on this board who have had bad hits. They aren’t bad hunters, but again, occasionally something happens and even a “good shot” doesn’t end up that way. You can minimize the variables, but until everyone is hunting by sneaking up behind the deer and putting the muzzle against the back of their head, eventually something is likely to happen to mess things up.
A 22lr as I mentioned has been used for a long time on deer…but it isn’t remotely what I’d call ethical. An FMJ .223 could get the job done fine with reasonable shot placement, but if the dice get rolled wrong, you end up with a gut shot deer that might die a day or two later a mile away. Yeah, an expanding soft point .308 to the guts might be the same result, but it is a lot more likely on a bad hit to still finish it and have the deer retrievable.
The regs are in part the way they are not just because of bad hunters, but also because even good hunters sometimes screw up or roll bad dice.
That would be illegal. You may only carry one hunting device with you while hunting. There is an exception for those hunting in Zone A while bow hunting deer for bear protection. But the handgun cannot meet Maryland requirements for hunting deer or bear (it has to have a less than 6” barrel). So you cannot carry a .410 and a 22 while squirrel hunting. Or a bow and muzzleloader. Or a 22 for squirrels and a .308 for deer. You could stash them in your vehicle, just not carry them in the field.
Take a handgun or take a rifle. You may not take both. On your property on a tractor, ATV, truck, whatever I don’t think you’d likely ever run in to issues even if an NRP officer decided to surprise you with an inspection. But if you look like you are actively engaged in hunting with a rifle and have a handgun strapped to you, private property or no, you might well get ticketed. “I like to take strolls with a rifle and pistol on MY property” might fly. But sitting up in a tree stand with an orange hat on…would be a much weaker argument.
Maryland requires a handgun to pack at least 700ft-lbs or energy and a rifle 1200ft-lbs. ammunition must also be of “expanding construction”. That could be a discussion on exactly what would meet that definition, but it certainly isn’t a Cowboy action load. And for an ethical shot, it wouldn’t just be shot placement, but also is the bullet designed to do what you are using it for. People have poached deer for more than a century with 22s.
Anyway, you’d need something firing either soft lead that IS supposed to expand at those velocities (a Cowboy load isn’t really going to expand, even using soft lead because the velocity is too low). Or more likely a jacketed hollow point, lead hollow point, or for faster ammunition soft nose jacketed or tipped hunting bullet.
45LC can be fine for hunting deer as it applies for Maryland’s rules. But as several others have said, you’ll need a modern gun designed for the higher pressure 45LC loads. Not one designed around legacy pressures. You’d also need to hand load, or find a commercial load designed around these higher pressures with a bullet designed for hunting (which isn’t generally any harder than finding higher pressure 45LC).
PS for the most part though, I am not arguing MD’s hunting laws are the best. They are designed around the lowest common denominator for sure.
I don’t believe your “single weapon” rule is correct, not to deer firearms season anyway. You can’t carry a 30-30 while squirrel hunting, in the off chance a deer steps out, the bow part you cited correctly as it’s only allowed for self protection. Why couldn’t you carry a regulation compliant handgun while you have a rifle during deer firearms season, so long as it’s a rifle county? I don’t see any regulations in the book prohibiting that. Please state the rule as written in the handbook.
Check this out. So, ... you can hunt with a handgun in Maryland. Only if you use 41 magnum, 44 magnum and some 50 caliber rounds not in this chart. No other round is legal, then why even allow handguns for hunting?
https://www.chuckhawks.com/handgun_power_chart.htm