TX hunting laws

[Settostun]

I'm looking into buying an AR model rifle for deer hunting but from what I've been told it's illegal to hunt deer with a .22. My question is, is it legal to hunt with 5.56mm (.223) and if no one knows where would I go to find the answer?

I know that ARs come in higher cal, but I'm just curious.

 

[srkavanagh6621]

if your law says its illegal to hunt with .22 cal that means .223 also! But i would go to your texas state game regulations and it will be in detail there!

 

[Sky]

http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-212657.html

 

[FLAvalanche]

I've already posted it here once for someone that wanted to hunt in Texas with an AR and I can't find it.

You can hunt in Texas with .223 and I pulled that right from the Texas 2010 Hunting Regs.

if your law says its illegal to hunt with .22 cal that means .223 also!

Not necessarily. In many states .22 RIMFIRE is illegal but .22 centerfire is legal. .22 centerfire includes .223 and .22 Hornet. Texas is one of those states. As is Pa. and Fl.

 

[Settostun]

Thanks for the info guys.

 

[HOOfan_1]

Many states have their game regulations online...if not you can request a book from the Game Department. You should always have a copy anyway to make sure you are following the regulations.

 

[Justin Holder]

Yes you can hunt with a .22 caliber centerfire cartridge in Texas.

The regulations read that big game may not be taken with rimfire ammunition of any caliber.

There is a long standing tradition in Texas of using .22 centerfires for deer hunting.

 

[hirundo82]

What Justin said is correct--the restriction is on using rimfire ammunition.

The Texas hunting regulations are online; the restrictions on means and methods are here and state regarding game animals:

Game animals and game birds may be hunted with any legal firearm, EXCEPT:

• white-tailed deer, mule deer, desert bighorn sheep, and pronghorn antelope may NOT be hunted with rimfire ammunition of any caliber.
• shotguns are the only legal firearm that may be used to hunt Eastern turkey during the spring Eastern turkey season (see County Listing). Rifles and handguns may not be used to hunt Eastern turkey.
• pellet guns and other air guns are NOT LEGAL.
• fully automatic firearms are NOT LEGAL.
• firearms equipped with silencers or sound-suppressing devices are NOT LEGAL.
• a shotgun is the only legal firearm for hunting migratory game birds (see Definitions - Legal Shotgun).

 

[nathan]

62 gr SP will rip that whitetail pretty good as long its in the right place.

 

[UpTheIrons]

Don't forget to pick up a (free!) copy of the 2010-2011 Outdoor Annual when you get your hunting license. All the info you need is in there, including the stuff posted above. If you already have a license and no annual, pick one up anyway, wherever hunting licenses are sold.

 

[Settostun]

Once again thanks for all the info guys. Armed with the knowledge y'all have given me I read more up on hunting with .223 and asked some people and I don't know that I trust my eyesight/luck enough to hunt white tail with it. The higher caliber ARs are much more appealing to me now, and I've looked into which ones sound good to me. The Remington R-25 seems to me like a good gun, if not a little on the pricey side. Does anyone have any recommendations for a higher caliber AR (6.8mm .308 etc) with a price tag around 1000 give or take a few hundred?

 

[Art Eatman]

Settosun, start a new thread with that question, okay?