It's Friday night in Iowa, tomorrow morning deer gun season opens. A friend
of mine's son who has been hunting since he was 12 in the youth season, was telling
me that he was thinking about not going this year, he doesn't like the new law that
an AR15 in 350 legend or 450 bushmaster being legal. I mentioned to him that maybe
he should try one of my old trapdoors, since I'm having vision issues and can't see
very well through open sights. We went out this afternoon and he liked my second Allen
conversion in 50/70. So he will be out with it at first light with a 161 year old gun
that was in the civil war and then converted in 1866 to centerfire. So I'm proud and
wishing 22 year old Gavin Shulz NCOWS# 4114  the best of luck!!!!

                      BTB

Very Cool John, and Good Luck to Gavin! (Although, I did enjoy deer hunting with a 450 Bushmaster AR, which has since gone down the road) You do realize that the same law that made the BM and Legend legal in Iowa made the 50/70 legal?

B.N. Scotty

Yes B.N. I realize that. I checked with our game warden to make sure 50/70
and 56/50 are legal. Not everyone asks about those calibers, and he had to
check but they are legal. 45 colt is 44/40 isn't.



                            BTB

Quote from: bear tooth billy on December 07, 2024, 06:24:27 PMYes B.N. I realize that. I checked with our game warden to make sure 50/70
and 56/50 are legal. Not everyone asks about those calibers, and he had to
check but they are legal. 45 colt is 44/40 isn't.



                            BTB

The stupidity of our State Legislators ie .45 Colt is 44 WCF isn't. 

Most of the States allowing these cartridges are specifying straight wall cartridges, that's why the 44WCF isn't allowed.

The funny thing is in the law it reads, straight wall 1.75" max. The next
paragraph allows 45/70 which is 2.1".  When questioned about that they said
 the 45/70 was grandfathered in as a pistol caliber??? I wonder how many
of whoever came with that idea has shot a 45/70 pistol "once". I said I could
come up with documentation of over 200,000 44/40 pistols, didn't matter it's
still a bottleneck.   

                        BTB

I find it unfortunate that a DNR officer doesn't know or understand the wording in the current law.

The wording of the regulation has changed several times since initially allowing rifles chambered for the then current legal handgun season cartridges, adding that rifles in said "handgun" or other "allowed" cartridges were legal. And later, cartridge length & "straight wall" became additional limiting requirements.

After all the talk & iterations over several years (I provided input several times), here's the current verbiage pasted from the regulations guide:

"Rifles firing straight wall or other centerfire ammunition propelling an expanding-type 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 deer"

"Or other" is pretty clear to me that necked cartridges are allowed. The real requirement is for bullet diameter, type (expanding), and muzzle energy. BTW, Lead is an expanding type of bullet material.

The same requirements also apply to the cartridges handguns use.

Meeting the energy requirement is generally the limiting factor. Well, at least if black powder is your thing. Using a duplex powder charge, substitutes like 777 or (gasp) even smokeless can put some borderline cartridges into the legal limit. I frequently carry a revolver on my PC hunts, but it's primarily for novelty or to dispatch under limited circumstances.

Regards, Slim

PS, filled my first season tag with a Uberti 1876 in 45-60 & BP.

Quote from: bear tooth billy on December 09, 2024, 09:02:34 AMThe funny thing is in the law it reads, straight wall 1.75" max. The next
paragraph allows 45/70 which is 2.1".  When questioned about that they said
 the 45/70 was grandfathered in as a pistol caliber??? I wonder how many
of whoever came with that idea has shot a 45/70 pistol "once". I said I could
come up with documentation of over 200,000 44/40 pistols, didn't matter it's
still a bottleneck. 

                        BTB

Interestingly, but probably not surprising, I have a 45-70 revolver. It's a BFR from Magnum Research. It is basically a Super Blackhawk with a stretched frame and 5 shot cylinder. I have shot it with full black powder loads. With oversized grips, it was not bad at all. I'd rather shoot it than a 44 magnum revolver. It has a lot of mass.

In the interest of some Levity and lighter mood..
I paraphrase a rather famous movie quote...

"Imagine you're a deer. You're prancing along, you get thirsty, you spot a little brook, you put your little deer lips down to the cool clear water... BAM! A "F'ing bullet rips off part of your head! Your brains are laying on the ground in little bloody pieces! Now I ask ya. Would you give a "F"  what kind of pants bullet the son of a bitch who shot you was wearing using?

I hunt in Missouri and started over 50 years ago with a 45/70 trapdoor and shot deer with it. I now use a 94 Winchester in 45 colt,  The alternative season is coming up at end of the month and I will take my hawken in 54 and my 1872 pistol in 45 colt.  Don't worry deer are pretty safe just like being in the woods. The trophy buck is still there I see him on occasion but not during season. Good hunting.