I got into a discussion about this with a fellow Iowan who is a die-hard bowhunter and occasional late muzzleloader hunter. He firmly believes that the limitations of the shotgun are the primary reason that Iowa has such a high trophy rate. I think that the primary reason for the trophy status is deer management and having the shotgun seasons NOT during the height of the rut. I've used a .357 Maximum with either 16" or 18" barrel on my TC Encore as a legal pistol round for years. hh4whiskey is exactly right. It's a beautiful balance of manageable power in a handgun with precision accuracy and energy to be an honest 200 yard whitetail gun. When I pull the trigger, I don't wonder if the bullet will go where I tell it to go like I do with a shotgun slug - even sabots. I know that with my cast bullets, a full case of AA1680, and a good rest that putting 10 shots into a pop can at 200 yards isn't all that hard. I think this is a good move for Iowa, though I would prefer simply allowing centerfire rifles like South Dakota, where I grew up. My .357 Max is sweet, but it sure isn't my .260 Remington when it comes to long range precision! Fortunately my current .357 Max barrel is 18", so it's a perfectly legal carbine if this law passes and is signed by the governor.
