Ohio hunting laws allow deer hunting with a shotgun only and limit the gauge to 10 gauge or smaller. Does anyone know the reason for this? Are there a lot of frustrated bore gun shooters in Ohio yearning for an opportunity to put their 8 and 4 bore weapons to the test?

Incidentally, I wonder what effect the shortage of deer rifles had on the effort to dispose of the recently escaped dangerous game in Zaneville.

Same as any other place that does it- population. Rifles carry quite a bit further. Some states, counties, specify that a rifle can only be used from a stand of a minimal heighth. In NC, a centerfire rifle can be used on your own property, or by written permission of the landowner.

The 10 gauge or smaller restriction is probably a carry-over from an earlier law that was made with shotguns for birds/small game in mind. As far as I know, most states don't allow shotguns (with shot) any bigger than 10 ga.

I think its because the 8 ga and bigger shotguns were mostly used by market hunters to kill several birds at once, while sportsmen and subsistence hunters mostly hunted with 10 or 12 gauge guns. When game laws were first drafted, their purpose was mostly to end market hunting practices and make the transition to sustainable sport hunting.

Yep, we hunters would prefer to use rifles but the politicians will not have it. I got 'into it" with a game warden. He says--- yea you guys will want to use 270's that shoot way too flat-- dangerous for everyone.

My response-- Let's see if I got this right. I;m in an elevated tree stand of 12 feet shooting through a deer at 25 yards into the dirt. A .270 shoots way to flat for that?

I wish I had a camera to photo his red face. Even though I live in Ohio-- I deer hunt in ky where I can use a rifle. All Ohio has accomplished is to have me hunt out of state and thus lose my license money and any donations i now give to ky fish anf game.

By the way-- a 10ga slug will knock the stuffing out of a deer. I have a sp-10 slug gun for deer here. 1 3/4 oz slugs in a 10.

by the way-- I set out my .458wm with hopes of getting a tiger rug when they tried to feed on my livestock. The incident was about 40 miles away frim me.

In actuality the sabot shotgun slugs traveling at 1800 to 1900 fps will travel at about the same distance as a 270 win at the right elevation.

Rad

quote:

Originally posted by HerrMesser:
In actuality the sabot shotgun slugs traveling at 1800 to 1900 fps will travel at about the same distance as a 270 win at the right elevation.

Rad

Yep they will. Billy Dixon's famous 1000+ yard shot left the muzzle at similar velocity and still arrived with plenty of energy to kill a human being.

I use an in-line muzzleloader in shotgun only areas that I deer hunt. I don't know Ohio rules but you might find that's an option.

You are correct about muzzleloaders Aspen Hill.
They can be used during shotgun season. In a lot of the areas in Ohio the terrain is very flat and is not only densely populated but is dominated by agriculture. You may be hunting
100 yards away from a barn. this is in NW and West ohio. most people don't use tree stands during shot gun season as they do in bow season.

There are several shotguns and muzzleloaders that will shoot accurately to 250 yards....just saying..

I have a remington 700 muzzleloader in .54 caliber. It shoots fine and kills well--- I shot 2 deer last year with it in Ky.
Last weekend was 'early muzzleloader' there. temp of 54 but windy. The Ohio gun season generally 1st week of december and muzzleloader season around the new year. Ky gun season november 12 to 28.

Point is-- I'd rather hunt all day at 45 to 60 than at -20 to 40. They set the deer season up for bowhunters in ohio--- they get the rut and warm weather. If you want to use a gun, it has the possibility of being really cold and wet.
I'd rather hunt where the govt. caters to my taste a bit better.

I have been taking deer in Ohio for forty years.
A 7/8 ounce sabot slug out of a rifled barrel
will drop a deer as well as any I have killed with a .270 win. That slug does a hell of a lot better in heavy brush than 130 grain bullet!

No question on if it works well--- they shot tigers with them last week here However, I think the southeast part of the state at least is hilly enough and low populated enough that it is plenty safe for rifle hunters. Pa and MI are 2 states that come to mind that split they state for shotgun/rifle use.