Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Finally: Iowa Begins to Exit Stone Age: Sort Of

Can now hunt in Shotgun 1 and 2 seasons with a 35 Whelen, 375 HH, 416 Rigby....

Rifles above .350 diameter exceeding 500 ft. lbs. of energy.

The DNR wasn't a big supporter, but laws are laws and regs are regs; I'm happy they saw the light.

I just hope everyone is safe and enjoys some of the fruits of having more firearm options this deer season.

I sense a sales increase on 35 Whelens. I always thought it would be a bummer to live somewhere with great deer hunting but be forced to suffer a shotgun to do so.

Been doing the 45/70 and 44 Mag levers the last few years and handguns for a bit longer. Shotguns have gotten better, but still nauseating to be forced to use.

I started with a beaded bird barrel and Brennekes; talk about a half assed, piss poor way to hit an animal decently with any confidence. Kentucky windage with Grand Canyon elevation...

On the other hand with the advent of super muzzleloaders using shotgun primers, smokeless powder, scopes, and high BC bullets. I wish my state would either go back to primitive style muzzleloaders, allow us to use a handgun even and preferably straight wall only, or do away with the whole “primitive” season and just let us shoot our two bucks with a rifle. I’m the only guy I know who still hunts with a sidelock using loose powder and lead bullets.

Sounds like a great opportunity for a 35 Remington

I toyed with the idea of offing my .358 and 35 Whelen earlier this year due to lack of use/need.
But now they have newfound purpose!

My gripe with shotguns is having to use factory ammo (yeah, I know you CAN load your own). Even back in the 60s and 70s, slugs were often hard to find sometimes. A good smoothbore combo is fine at up to 100 yards, plenty for my use. I’ve noticed that there are a good many searching for the high-tech slugs lately.

Fortunately, I live where you can use almost anything you want to kill your deer. You can choose to hobble yourself if that winds your clock, or go full Hathcock. There is a four-day primitive season in January, sidelock MLs and stickbows only. Deer, bear, and now turkey are legal then. Tough hunting though, with bad weather and game that’s been under steady attack for three months.

I toyed with the idea of offing my .358 and 35 Whelen earlier this year due to lack of use/need.
But now they have newfound purpose! laugh
Yep

I wish more states would put their "primitive" seasons first or at least in an earlier part of archery before general firearms season gets the game on edge.

The problem I had when dabbling in modern shotgun slugs and an Encore was I didn't have any mediocre loads, I had 1 load that shot under 1 1/2" and the rest were bigger than a dinner plate.

Makes for some awful expensive testing if you don't hit the nail on the head right away plus you are left with a heap of inaccurate ammo when you do find that magical load.

It seems with the old Foster type slugs they weren't as finicky. Granted a bead and 50 yards is hardly a test of accuracy but for what they were it didn't get as expensive.

I never understood the reason for shotgun slugs only years ago. Chunking a huge piece of lead at low velocity vs something at 2600+ fps doesn't add up to me. It seems that you would have more ricochet with a 400-500 grain chunk of lead at low velocity. JMHO.

Rather than "above" wouldn't it be correct to say .350 minimum diameter?

So .35 cal with 500 ft p-lbs is the minimum n Iowa for deer. Your government agencies at work, exhibiting research, knowledge, and clear decisions without confusing the issue.

Bobby Joe is fired up because he’s going to press his 358 Shooting Times Alaskan into serve in that 20 acres of timber that narrows down into a thin tree lime along the river. His buddy will use his 416 REM he built for Africa.

Meanwhile John who has a 32 Special, a 30-30, a 308, a 7-08, and a 7x57 doesn’t have a legal firearm for deer in Iowa.

As Hannity is want to say, “you can’t make this stuff up.”

Snoothbore M500s w 4x scopes on drilled and tapped receivers, back in the 80s.

Buy WW 2 3/4" fosters, all from same lot #.

Was good to 150 yards accuracy wise.
Killed one w pass through double lung at that, shot another and grooved top of heart.....slug didnt penetrate offisde chest wall.

Too iffy.

Decided fosters was 100 yards no matter what.

Then came rifled bbls and sabots. Solid 150 or longer performance. Picky as to cleaning interval, foulers required....and expensive.

Plus the shoulder took a beating.

When PCR became legal in IN made the switch.
Better triggers and cooler guns, plus less recoil.
35 rem trimmed to PCR spec was wonderful, now w HP allowance on private ground just run em factory.

Funny. Killed deer w shotguns to 165 ( rifled ), handguns to 150 and MZ to 150.....yet my farthest rifle kill ( PCR or reg ) has been 75 yards.

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[/quote] Rather than "above" wouldn't it be correct to say .350 minimum diameter?
[/quote]
Yes- here is what it says in DNR regs:
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 or higher is legal for hunting

So any of the 50 cal Buffalo cartridges or 1885/1886 Winchester 50 cals must be too powerful with their illegal .510 bullets.

I made the transition. Still shot deer ar 50 yards or less. All with a 44 rem mag. Got a 444 and 7600 in 35 whelen. Its gonna be fun carrying a serious center fire. I doubt I'll shoot it past a 100 yards. Now if I go up to nw iowa another story

.375 250gn TTSX has a BC of .4-ish and you can get ~2800fps from an H&H. Granted there’s significantly more recoil, but, you can approximate a 30-06 shooting 165-180gn projectiles.

I wish there weren't any "special seasons" depending on what one chooses to hunt with, period. Its reminds me of vaccine cards, masks and who's businesses are or aren't important.

The Iowa slug only season was rooted in the government nanny system.

If you want to see stupid personified check Massachusetts. During bear season a rifle must be used, public, private no difference. Deer season shotgun or muzzleloader. Same areas doesn’t change anything but the animals. The seasons don’t overlap.

408 CheyTac, 416 Barret, and other 2+ mile cartridges are also legal by the definition of their regs. I’m barreling 3 358’s and 2 35 WSM’s (Sambar) for this fall. Talked to the gentleman that penned the new regulations and verified these meet the requirements (or limits, depending how you look at it).