"High Powered Rifles", can't find the rule?

[Joe Smith]

I was under the impression for a long time that you could not use a High Powered Rifle in Allegheny county. I was wondering if anyone had a link to the exact regulations regarding this or had any idea about what a "high powered rifle" would be considered.


Around the farm I usually use the shotgun, but lately have switched to a .22 so my ears didn't ring every time I shot a groundhog. Where do you draw the line at "high powered"? .22, .17, .223? Center-fire vs. rim-fire, or is everything illegal.

I know the point is to limit bad shots and over-penetration from hurting someone, and I am all for not killing people accidentally but also want the ability to use other rifles on my property if need be.



Thanks in advance for the info, I might not be around to reply until late monday night but I will be reading the responses.



Brian

[27hand]

Joe,

The game laws magazine that comes with your license does not state the use of "high powered rifles " is illegal. It states that Arms and Ammunition in the "special regulations area " as follows:

(All of Allegheny County in western Pennsylvania and all of Bucks,Chester,Delaware,Montgomery and Philadelphia counties in the southeast): Muzzle loading longguns 44-caliber or larger,bows and arrows,manual or autoloading shotguns .410 or larger using slugs and 20-gauge or larger using buckshot. buckshot may not be used in Allegheny county. Only bows and arrows are permitted in Philadelphia County. Crossbows with a draw weight of at least 125 pounds, but not more than 200 pounds may be used during the regular firearms deer seasons, including the antlerless deer season Dec 26-Jan14, in WMU 2B & and Dec 12-23 & Dec 26-Jan 28 in WMUs 5C & 5D.


This is out of the 2005/2006 handbook but I think it is the same this past season.

You should be able to link the PGC site for the newest regs on this.
I could not find a link relevent to Firearms and ammo on their site but high powered rifles not being listed seems to indicate it is not legal for use.


27hand

Edit-- brian, I evidently didn't read the whole thread

small game regs:

1) manually operated and autoloading shotguns with a capacity of no more than 3 shells in the chamber and magazine combined: 2) Manually operated rifles and handguns less than 23 caliber. 3) Muzzle loading rifles and handguns .40 cal or less and shotguns: and 4) long,recurve and compound bows and arrows. Single projectile ammunition or shotshell pellets no larger than #4 lead,bismuth-tin or tungsten iron, or No. 2 steel. NOTE. Rifle and handgun caliber restrictions do not apply when hunting woodchucks.. while hunting small game during the bear or muzzleloader deer season, the only rifle or handgun that can be used is .22 caliber or less rimfire.