Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Indiana Boys - What rifle will you use in 2015?

Precisely!!, the youngin's will become better marksmen like my Grandson who put over 200 rounds downrange practicing with an H&R .223 and then switching seamlessly to and H&R 30-30 Topper both had youth stocks and he was able to take a nice doe with his first shot ever at a deer during his first youth mentored hunt. This would never have happened with a shotgun.

The better marksmenship will cut down on another complaint in the shotgun only areas which was "excessive gunfire".

Perzactly! This rationale was a large part of the comments I submitted to the DNR. If you fellow Hoosiers haven't, I highly suggest you take the time to comment on the proposed rule change.

The thought that shotgun slugs and muzzleloaders are "safer" is comeplete and utter ignorance of trajectory and terminal ballistics. People that believe such do so because that is what they have been told and they keep repeating it, failing to use their critical thinking skills.

6.5x55 Swede for one. Someone put a lot of "love" (aka work) into this one. Jeweled bolt, timney safety, stock is to die for with roll-over monte carlo cheek rest, superb skip line checkering. Fits like it was built for me.



Picked up a Douglas SS 23.5" barrel in 7x57 pre-contoured and threaded to a 700 Rem too......for another project when I can.

358 Winchester that's at the 'smith now. All I have to do now is get some vacation days to get back up there to hunt!

Hey guys, Midway has the 35 cal 200 grain Accubond in stock now!!

nice rifle...

The .44 Magnum is well suited to most Indiana deer hunting situations. Allowing more powerful centerfire calibers I feel will lead to hunters attempting shots beyond their marksmanship capabilities. The greater range of high powered cartridges I feel also carries with it potential danger.

My 2 cent on that is

Some ALREADY "attempt shots beyond their marksmanship capabilities"

There ALREADY is a "potential danger" from those who do stupid things.

We can't fix stupid.
The weapon used wont make them more or less so.
and if we were going to penalize ALL of us because of a few......

NO ONE WOULD HUNT..AT ALL.

Some claim "we don't NEED a centerfire to kill deer"

True.

We have never NEEDED:
rifled slug barrels
scopes
3" slug ammo
Sabot slugs
Treestands
Camo
Buck "lure"
Compounds
Crossbows
Carbon arrows
Mechanical broadheads
and on and on

Ive taken a couple dozen without any of the above so know this for a fact.

Take note that a few of the above ALSO increased the range people shot at deer.........by a LOT!!! What's different?

People just don't like change and will search for reasons "we don't need such".

Heck....MANY decades ago fiberglass laminations on the exterior of bow limbs was snubbed by hunters for the exact same reason some point at the rifle proposal.

"We don't need such". Some actually thought it was "cheating" adding non-natural material to bow limbs in those days.

Oh yeah......we don't "NEED" Pope and Young and Boone and Crockett scores either.

Those wanting to use such will find a reason to talk them up and those not wanting them will also find reasons to talk them down.

It's been that way on all changes in the world since before any of us shot out of the hatch kicking and screaming.

God Bless

gunwizard, many now argue that hunting in itself is a potential danger, and that all firearms are way too hazardous and that killing deer and other animals is just for bloodsport. How would you appease these people, when you think that some guns are way too dangerous as well??

Can you see where this could lead to having rights and hunting opportunities being banned? Remember Pogo!

Never said guns were too dangerous, rather what irresponsible people do with them that's the dangerous part. I also do not buy into the reasoning that just because you can't have something will lead to losing firearm and hunting rights. We seem to go through this paranoia every election and every Newtown/Aurora incident. The PETA and Brady followers will never get thier way, certain factors in the firearm community vastly overinflate this issue. It has been going on since the RFK assination and the creation of the 4473. I stand behind my assertion that the legalization of the .44 Magnum for deer hunting in Indiana was a good thing, larger centerfire calibers is NOT.

I think this is a really terrific point. I witnessed some really bad, actually disgusting marksmanship this year. In the end, I think the guy was closing his eyes and squeezing, fearing recoil.

A good thing for this ol' fart is all I can say.
On top of the lower recoil angle I like this for another and much bigger reason....at least to me. Others have their own reasons to like or not. All good. Not one to say anyone has a "wrong" reason. Priorities and all that vary. No offense intended.

Such opens up areas TO ME that most would never dream of hunting.
Most will stick with their "in the thick stuff" stands but I'm switching to lightly hunted areas where I have seen deer traffic over the years.....were there aren't any hunters.

In my area the demand for huntable cover is insane. 6 hunters in a 13 acre woods in my "best" area and I've lived in this county six decades. There is easily another dozen in the same country block.

If you don't lease it or own it....you have company and lots of it. Some will mess with you on purpose just to get you out. Don't think they wont. Sliced tires, wipers ripped off the truck, stands stolen, steps stolen...I gave up on tree stands years ago because of just that.

I've actually taken years where I only hunted a few days due to such. I didn't hunt 2014 at all. First time since my first deer in 76. The hassle just over took what fun I could get out of it.

I'll take seeing less deer if it comes to that as long as I don't have hunters on top of me, walking by my stand, etc etc.

New and improved IMHO....all the way around.

2015, if this passes, will have me sitting in a picked rolling cornfield about 300 yards from anything big enough to sit IN but also an area I've sat and watched numerous bucks run does back and forth, back and forth.

The "junk" on the other side of the ditch running along the South border of the field gets hit and hit hard but 90 percent is "bedroom" stuff. 8-9 feet tall and when the hunters there pop one and go in after it? It looks like a covey of quail coming out......some with antlers. HA

A buddy hunts the property on the EAST end and popped a nice 10 point around 180lbs 35 minutes after the opening whistle...right after there were 5 shots (happens there a lot it seems??) in the junk area we can't hunt. There is 4 hunters in that small patch where he is.

It was one of 5 bucks he saw that opener by 10am, all under 125 yards and he shot two does too. He said he couldn't see the actual number or how many were bucks but "a bunch" ran across the field where I plan to sit a couple of times that morning.

With the 2015 regs (assuming this passes) I've got 3 spots pegged on a gps out in this field AND got the field tied up for "only me" with the farmer kind enough to allow such. Working on two other similar situations too.

The field is a sleeper. From either road on the two sides it has roads you can't see diddly half way across the field due to the rolling hills in it on the back half. I could park my truck out there within 300 yards of the road and no one would be able to see it, let alone just me.

As you can tell I'm a bit excited over this "new way" to hunt. I'm all over a method I can go hunt and relax. Having a good set of binocs will be fun just glassing what is on the other side and hoping they pop across the ditch. The field is mostly 20-25 feet higher in elevation from the junk too so shots will be safer downward angled shots where I can see what is behind the deer for a long, long ways. Big plus to me.

It's going to take a few seasons before some realize that using centerfires and with practice and knowing your distances and trajectory there is some awesome areas out there mostly only hunted on the fringes that will be reasonable to hunt and pretty much are not now.

Since I'm planning a ground stand I'm seriously thinking of taking TWO rifles. The one above on a bipod facing the junk down the hill and the 7x57 project now in beginning stages on a bipod sitting pointed parallel to the ditch for anything that comes across to the East. This field is big enough that some of those crossing to the East will still be out of sensible shot range, IMO but Ill have roughly 200 yards in one direction and 325 or so in another covered. West and North has the two roads so no shot options considered.

Sorry to ramble. As said, I'm all about this being added to yet another way for me to take deer. My next will be my 100th whitetail. Doing it "a different way" is as important to me as what it is I drop the hammer on.

God Bless
Steve

Gunswizard, I think you are arguing that you don�t even like the current regulations with the exception of the 44 Mag and believe the proposed regulation changes will make deer hunting less safe. A point you maybe missing is that "larger centerfire calibers" are already legal for deer hunting in Indiana. The new rule won�t be allowing centerfire rifles for the first time. The new rule will actually be applying them uniformly to rifles and handguns (see above from IN DNR). While IN DNR mentions some rounds that are and are not legal, the actual regulations are written very, very loosely. It is not hard to work around them and use what you are calling "larger centerfire calibers".

I hunt with a bolt action rifle that is chambered for 35 Remington trimmed to 1.8 inches and is capable of shooting 200 gr bullet at 2300 to 2400 fps. There are also a fair number of 45-70, WSSM, WSM and 35 Winchester wildcats in use. The 450 Bushmaster, 458 Socom, 460 S&W aren�t small, low powered cartridges either. Also, If any of us wanted to, it is perfectly legal to hunt with a handgun in 243, 7mm-08m, 30-06 or 338 Win Mag if that floats your boat. The tools to shoot 200-300 yards are already there. The current rule will allow equal application between handguns and rifles.

As many have already asserted, people do stupid things at times. Well intentioned and cautious people make mistakes. Even if all we could hunt with were atlatls, then hunters would still be tempted to make shots beyond their ability. That is the nature of hunting and people. I don�t believe the proposed rule will change any of that.

In my opinion the rule changes for the past decade have reflected IN DNR�s desire to have more options to manage the deer herd. The rule changes have always made it �easier� to hunt deer in Indiana. Allowing 410 shot gun, new doe seasons, increased quotas for does, the rifle rules all make it easier for someone to hunt successfully in IN and allows the DNR to achieve their deer population goal. These are likely the goals IN DNR has in mind.

And, in my opinion it just sounds FUN!

Sincerely,

Scott

Great, succinct way of putting it! This also applies to muzzleloaders since the smokeless versions are also legal in Indiana.

FWIW, a gunsmith I had some work done showed me a short video of him taking a doe 2 years ago with a 358 Hoosier at just over 500yds. Pretty slick little rifle he built on the Remington 798 (whatever number they used for the Zatstava's they imported for a while).

gunwizard wrote< I stand behind my assertion that the legalization of the .44 Magnum for deer hunting in Indiana was a good thing, larger centerfire calibers is NOT.> end of quoted text.

What would you say to those that think that the .44 magnum is way too powerful and dangerous to hunt with. After all, most only would have to quote "Dirty Harry" to prove their point!

They're probably the girlymen who insist on hunting deer with varmint rifles, .223,.243 etc..

gunwizard, Why is someones choice of caliber so disagreeable to you? So what if someone chooses a .223 or .243? Can't you see what you are suggesting on a forum about hunting and guns is detrimental to the cause of hunting and guns?

I disagree, I just don't think either of those cartridges are adequate for the task. I don't care how much success shooters of those cartridges have had harvesting deer. You wouldn't select either of them for hunting grizzly bears or cape buffalo would you? Nor would you choose a deer cartridge like .270 or .30-06, you'd select something adequate for the task, .375 Magnum or similar. Why then the insistance on using a varmint rifle on deer? In the case of youth, ladies and the recoil sensitive there are reduced recoil loads available for .30-30,.270, .30-06 and other deer cartridges, also reduced power handloads. Nothing about that is detrimental to guns and hunting, your statement is simply not valid in my opinion.