Semi-autos for hunting predators / varmints?

[uncle buck]

I wonder how many states that border Pa allow the use of semiautomatic rifles and hand guns for hunting?
Would be nice to see of all 50 states which ones allow the use of semiautomatic rifles and hand guns for hunt and which ones don't allow it..

The safety hunting statistics for all the states would be nice to compare too:  Semiautomatic states VS Non-semiautomatic states hunting fatality figures for rifle hunting.   

You would think the gun companies that make the semiautomatic guns would lobby in Pa for the use of semiautomatics for hunting  like the crossbow companies did.. ?

[uncle buck]

There are a lot of pro and con about using semiautomatic to hunt predators... Surely people that hunt with semiautomatic shotguns for legal game have experienced malfunctions of their semiautomatic shotguns. This would happen at night with rifles and hand guns too... Could be the end of your hunt for the night.. Ah nothing like the use of a single shot for night time hunting.. drop one bullet in the chamber close it up and your ready... Bolt actions could and are a pain at night too to be honest with you...Semi could be worse.. At least bolt action you can use as a single shot if the magazine is not working for you (sometimes) unless you bolt won't close on you at all..   


I recently hunted with two Texans in Texas...They had semiautomatic rifle and shotgun... They were so good of a shot they only fired once...They didn't need a 2nd shot.  Me I was using a Savage 24 V shotgun rifle combo..That killed a coyote too...Kind of like a single shot gun.. One rifle shot or one shotgun shot..


In Pa you would have to know you territory before you used the semiautomatic..  If you have wide open land to shoot on you could use it safely and twilight conditions... If it was pitched dark then the semiautomatic  would not even be feasible..

Laws many times they are not logical or realistic...New York State... You can use semiautomatics but I don't think you can hunt at night with lights..??See law makers that have to approve this just don't really know.. It's their gut feeling on things not what is right nor what is wrong..

Here in Pa hunters feelings on use or not the use of semiautomatic rifles and  hand guns are gut feelings most times too..Maybe if someone came from another state and moved here that hunter would know for sure if it was safe or not.. Many of us don't know because we never even hunted with a semiautomatic.. Again also same applies for the law makers.. They are saying NO but they don't know if it's safe or not either...

[Lifes2fun]

The PGC considers hunting a priveledge not a right

This is one area where I disagree with the PGC. The animals are God's animals. Not the states or the governments. They were created for man to use for food and clothing. Hunting, trapping, or fishing are simply ways to use what God has created for our own good. Wasteful killing whether its of deer for antlers or any other animals for whatever reason is a violation of man's responsability to 'have dominion' over the animals.   Since predators are man's competition in the food chain, should we not control them the best method possible? Using an AR would increase the chances to get that second coyote or fox.

The PGC isn't the one that decided that hunting is a priviledge. The elected officials of the legislature have made that determination.

There are many opinions on why semi auto rifles are not legal, some say fair chase, some say safety.
As much as I love my AR, I dont think it projects a very sporting image to the 90% of the non-hunting community in PA.
Lets take a look back at punt guns

As a side note, semi auto shotguns are not legal for deer or bear

[bdawg]

anybody watch predator nation last nite?? i only caught part of it there were 36 teams hunting, fred eichler and his team were  using ars with night vision scopes, im sure others were also, didnt seem any more dangerous to me, didnt see anybody unloadin 30 rounders rapid fire, nobody got shot and it was on public tv.

[Deerhtr]

I watched it this morning (DVR) thought it was good. COOL hat.
No, I didn't see any of that happening.

[jeremybrua]

if it came up to vote, i would vote NO for semi autos for big game!  there are enough idiots out there hunting deer.  if it would pass i would not hunt during rifle season.  i would try not to even leave the house.

now for predators and small game i would vote yes, with a 5 shot limit.  the reason is there are a 1/50 of the people out there hunting yotes and fox.  even with small game you are not likely to get off more than 2 or 3 shots.  that's all we need is some jack off fireing off 30 rounds at a deer running across a field.  i would expect the PGC to hand out a shovel and sand bags with your license if it passed.

[bigben]

I vote no for any semi auto rifle for any game.  two many people have the spray and prey mentality.  some people can work a pump or a lever pretty fast.  sounds like some might already be using semis for deer.  give someone a ar-15 platform with 4 quick follow up shots your gonna see alot more wounded game in general. 

[dreamcatcher]

I used to hunt deer in NJ. Semi auto shotguns were legal. I heard guys empty their guns in mere seconds and I don't see how, after the first shot, the next ones could have been aimed, what with the recoil. I would also vote no.

[screamn in the nite]

I have no problem with the idea of legalizing semi auto rifles for predator and varmint hunting. Unfortunatly I think there is a group that hunts coyotes with dogs already using them in my area    I know they were running them last week, and it sounded like a war zone. Nobody can cycle a gun's action as fast as those shots were going off!!! I would report it but I live in the country (only 3 houses on my road) and they would be long gone before anyone could get here. As long as we have "bad apples" like that around I don't see much hope in a law getting passed.

[mountainmen80]

I can understand maybe not letting the use of semi auto rifles on public land just because of some of the idiots out there, but i dont see why we could'nt use a semi auto rifle on private land

[Pa Goosehntr]

L2F..."Lets take a look at punt guns"......now you are comparing a floating cannon to a semi...lets get back on track.. Punt Guns were used by the market duck hunters of the late 1800s, early 1900s to float up on a raft of ducks or geese resting on the water primarialy at nite.  Yes it had devastating results killing hunderds with one discharge.

[Lifes2fun]

Goose I am not comparing them efficiency wise, I am comparing them to an image they project.

It projects a para military image rather than a sporting image...just bad PR IMO

I'm not saying that semi's are the work of the devil, I own quite a few. Love to shoot them. I wouldn't say they are more accurate or less accurate than a manually operated rifle, that depends on the shooter and gun setup. I wouldn't say they are unsafe (any gun is unsafe in the wrong hands)

They have their pros, and cons, but the last thing I want is to project hunting as an individual out with his 30-40 round mag loaded in his urban assault rifle decked out in his BDU's

Again....this is JMHO on the subject

[Pa Goosehntr]

What I would like to inject into this is  "Semi-Autos"  Please, for those who surf our sight when we are on one of these topics...refine it a little....The discussion as I see it is targeting semi-auto rifles and hand guns......not semi-auto shotguns...   Just my 2¢

[Cooper13]

i think they should be legal for all game with a 3 round limit...if you need more than 3 then IMO u shouldnt be out shooting at animals in the first place...Most Public ranges only allow 3 rounds in a magazine at a time (rifle) and i believe that should be the cap with Semi-Auto Rifles while hunting.
MY VOTE"

YES with limitations

[takemrarely]

I would not want to see this happen in PA.

I believe that most of the ground swell to change this comes from those who already own a semi-auto rifle of some sort.

My thought is....you knew when you bought the gun that it was not legal for predators...why should that change since you bought one?

As someone already stated....people have killed 4 lb fox and 40 lb coyotes just fine w/o them....there is no NEED to change.....