Okay, so as part of my preparation to move to Montevideo, MN in 10 days, I'm doing some license/regulations research on hunting, specifically deer hunting. What a convoluted bunch of regulations and licenses!!! And from what I can find, this is the simplified version??? Okay, enough whining, onto questions. I'm in the slug/handgun zone. I'll figure out the licensing thing, but what I really want to know is info on handgun regs, and I can't find that. I've been killing deer in Iowa with my Encore for 8 years now with either a .454 Casull or .357 Maximum. Iowa has a restriction that handgun cartridges MUST be straight-walled (not bottle-necked) cartridges. I can't find anything like this in the Minnesota regulations. All I can find is a minimum caliber requirement (.220") and that it is center-fire ammunition. So, can I use my Encore and get a .260 Rem barrel or .308 barrel for my Encore and go hunting? Please let me know, if so, I'll be ordering a custom 16 1/4" barrel with brake for pistol deer hunting and legal carbine fun where I can use a rifle. Thanks for the help, I hope you can shed some light on this subject!
Selmer

Selmer A legal handgun (22 caliber centerfire or larger) may be used in the shotgun zone as can any M/L rifle (scoped or not) during the shotgun deer season. The same weapons may be used in the rifle zone during the rifle season, or during any special season in the rifle zone. M/L rifles used during the M/L season (late November to mid December) may not be scoped. CF rifles may not be used in the shotgun zone during the shotgun deer season. Handgun cartridges in a long gun must be used in the rifle zone only.

Since you will be living nearly on the boundary of the zone and there is a lot of open public land in Minnesota do not foreclose the option of finding yourself a nice rifle and going hunting in the rifle zone. I went to Cabelas in Rogers today, and they had one pretty decent 760 in '06 for $250 and one 7600 in excellent shape and low use for $319.

selmer, PM sent I grew up and graduated from monte, I can tell you anything you want to know

Miles, I've got the rifle end of things covered - I grew up in SD where they let us hunt deer with rifles EVERYWHERE! I've got a .260 Rem, .308 Win, .243, 6PPC, and .30-06, but thanks for the suggestion on hitting the rifle zone.

selmer, I don't have a clue what you can hunt with up there in the land of ice and snow but you mentioned changing over from pistol to a "legal" carbine. Be very cautious as the batf has a BIG problem with going back and forth. I've been using Contenders for years and I keep the one that was sold as a rifle with rifle barrels and the others with short barrels. Probally never have a problem but I won't risk jail time and confiscation for using both on the same frame..Bg
PS.Down here we could use a .22rf if we want too.

I purchased the Encore as just a frame, they are NOT registered as rifles or pistols at manufacture, and they'll have a heck of a time proving which came first, the chicken or the egg in terms of rifle or pistol. By legal carbine I mean a barrel length of over 16", therefore legal to have a buttstock on. The debate of whether or not it's legal to switch back and forth rages on, but I will continue to do so until someone PROVES to me in legalese that it is illegal. I've heard all kinds of different interpretations and exceptions to the law, but I've never heard or seen a law enforcement officer balk at the concept, and TC would have a hard time marketing it as a switch-barrel system from rifle to pistol to shotgun and back if it were not legal. Not trying to flame you, just telling you my experience with the system. It would NOT be legal to hunt the shotgun zone with a 16.5" barrel set up with a buttstock, but it IS legal if the same barrel has a pistol grip on it.
Selmer

You have things covered. Wherever you decide to start looking for a hunting place on public land make your first stop the county court house and pick up a plat map for about $20 or so. It will tell you if the land is public or private and if private, who owns it. Also, pick up a hunting regs booklet and go through it for the special hunts. There are a number of them, and they will provide yu a place to hunt with a certified overpopulation of deer.

You can hunt with your handgun in the shotgun zones. And scopes are legal on handguns, in the shotgun zones.

Thanks Miles. I was going through the pdf stuff online today - what a mess! For some reason I comprehend better with paper in my hand, I'll pick up a book.

platt maps are available online also,somewhere.I was looking at the ones for the area I hunt last year at my sisters house.We saved the site on their computer,but I dont have it here on mine.Ill see if I can dig it up.

well,I found it...it appears to be a county thing,not state.your county doesnt seem to have the same set up, it is a pay setup,where as cass county is free.

cass county

chippewa county

Congradulations, you've come to the state where you need to be a lawyer to hunt.
I know there was a minimum case length and caliber for handgun hunting. I think the minimum is the 357 magnum. I think all cases have to be at least that long and .357 or larger caliber. I think the only auto caliber legal for big game is the 50 AE and possible the 10mm.

As far as rifle cartidges in a handgun, I think, not for sure, but think it is still considered a hangun because the definition comes from the firearm it's self.

I would email the DNR about it. I know one of my family members was thinking of going with a single shot pistol because he was fed up with the rifle restrictions.

Here's something funny. In MN, you can't hunt deer with a rifle in half the state, but in shotgun only areas, you can hunt varmint with a 50 bmg. Some of this stuff makes no sense.

I've got it figured out, but yes, being a lawyer would help! They recently changed the regulations, as long as it's a centerfire and greater than .220" in bore diameter, it's a legal rifle or handgun. Which means I could use a .221 Fireball or .25 ACP, which is nuts, but it also means that I can use a .260 Remington in a pistol, which is what I will be doing!

Selmer,

I spent 15 years being a Minnesota resident...and use to travel all over the state.. along with the rest of the upper mid west...

had a buddy from Montevideo with our company at the time out of our Fargo office..

but I remember asking him once about how long deer season was out that way.. his response still always makes me smile..

" 15 to 30 minutes..... an hour or two if you aren't a good hunter..."

there was NO shortage of corn fed deer.. I always declined the offer to come out there and hunt tho, as I have this stigma against deer hunting with a shot gun...goes back to childhood..

the old man let me and my brother fight it out over a 30/30 and a 12 gauge... and I always got stuck with the 12 gauge when the old man had pity on the younger brother...and gave him the 30/30..