Bill > SB0280

This bill modifies Indiana's deer hunting regulations, primarily expanding the rules for using rifles to hunt deer starting from the hunting season after June 30, 2025. The legislation allows hunters to use rifles on both private and public land, with several key provisions: hunters may use centerfire rifles chambered for cartridges firing bullets at least 5.56 millimeters in diameter, removes previous restrictions on rifle cartridge case length, limits hunters to carrying no more than 10 cartridges while hunting, and prohibits the department of natural resources from establishing rules about centerfire rifle case length limitations. Compared to previous regulations, this bill significantly broadens the types of rifles that can be used for deer hunting by increasing the minimum bullet diameter and eliminating case length restrictions, while maintaining safety constraints like the cartridge limit. The bill also explicitly allows the department of natural resources to adopt rules authorizing rifle use on public property, representing a notable expansion of hunting options for Indiana hunters.