Bill could allow pistol cartridge rifles for deer.
Iowa hunters may have some new options for deer season next year as a new deer hunting bill advanced to the next level.
House File 475 would legalize straight wall cartridge rifles for deer hunting in the Hawkeye State. That would mean pistol cartridge rifles of .357 or larger. Senators said they are hoping the proposed bill could be a retail boost that would attract more and younger hunters out into the field.
"If the DNR is fine with it and there are no objections, I don't have any problems with it," Republican Senator Thomas Greene said while the bill was in the subcommittee.
Under the new bill, the new rifles would be legal for use during the first and second shotgun seasons. They would also be legal during disabled and youth seasons.
The youth season in particular might be an area where the rifles become more popular. Straight wall cartridge rifles have less recoil than a shotgun. They are also more accurate than the handguns the rounds are typically used in.
The bill will now go before the Iowa Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee.
The proposed law makes Iowa the latest in a trend of states legalizing straight wall cartridges for deer. Ohio and Michigan have also legalized the rounds for use in recent years.
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