Sabot Diameter Regulations and Hunting

[Matt304]

Does anyone here live in a state which they know has regulation on the diameter of bullet fired from a shotgun sabot round for deer hunting?

Me and another individual are discussing using a custom sabot, with .338 cal or .30 cal bullet inside, using a fast twist barrel. The idea would be to test them and sell them to the public for all of the reloaders, but I want to be sure other states would allow such a thing for hunting.

Thanks

 

[rxraptor02]

Most states have an online hunting guide that lists what can and can not be used.

I know in Indiana:

shotguns may be of a 10/12/20 or .410 with slugs or sabot bullets.

muzzle loaders must be of a .44cal that shoots a bullet no smaller than .357cal

rifles that are chambered in a pistol cal of no smaller than a .357slug and no FMJ's. Min case lenght of 1.16inch, max case lenght of 1.625 inch.

handgun a .243cal slug or larger. case must be 1.16inch.

Now vermin hunting is a different story. I think anything goes...

 

[Army]

Problem with adding twist rifling to the barrel is...now you have a rifle, which will be illegal to use during any shotgun season.

 

[Matt304]

Problem with adding twist rifling to the barrel is...now you have a rifle, which will be illegal to use during any shotgun season.

Huh? Slug guns already have rifled barrels. Can you explain what you mean?

It was my understanding that a gun which fires shotgun shells is a shotgun, regardless of having rifling or not.

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

Problem with adding twist rifling to the barrel is...now you have a rifle, which will be illegal to use during any shotgun season.

Cite?


I've looked through a number of state's proclamations in the last year or so regarding weapons and I've really only seen reference to limitations on gauge or buckshot size for big game.

 

[22-rimfire]

The only issue that I can think of is that a 30cal slug will be smaller than a 410 ga and state guidelines will only impact if they state a minimum "gauge".

 

[Army]

Many shotguns have straight rifling, not twist, or the screw in choke may have a slight twist...which is not the barrel.

Although many states have rescinded their ban on rifled shotguns, many have not. Massachusetts for instance, has not. Oregon says a shotgun is a smooth bore firearm, but a rifled barrel may be used ONLY when hunting game that may be taken with a regular rifle, an even then only slugs will be used. etc.

Otherwise, most states do not allow smaller than 20g for slugs.

I should not have said "any" shotgun season, but "many".

 

[Matt304]

Here in Illinois, I could not use them for deer hunting. They state that from a 10-20ga shotgun, and muzzleloaders, the minimum projectile diameter used may be .44 caliber. Here's the funny thing... If you are using a muzzleloader, the minimum caliber firearm which can be used is .45 caliber. So a guy shooting a .44 caliber sabot from his .50 caliber muzzleloader is legal. However, the guy shooting a full-diameter .44 caliber bullet from his .44 caliber muzzleloader is illegal!

Anyways, I simply wondered if some states may specify "slugs or sabots", and then possibly have no further regulation covering a minimum projectile diameter.

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

Although many states have rescinded their ban on rifled shotguns, many have not. Massachusetts for instance, has not

The State of Massachusetts disagrees: 12. HUNTING IMPLEMENTS:
...
(b) during the shotgun deer season, a hunter may use a shotgun not larger than 10 gauge (including a shotgun with a rifled barrel); Source