Small Game Regulations

[onefunzr2]

Yesterday was the last day of squirrel season. A bunch of snowmobilers invaded the area so I gave up before normal quitting time. While it was still quiet I gave some thought as to the Commonwealth's reasoning behind their permitted arms & ammunition regulations for small game. Here are the parts that apply:

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. Muzzleloading rifles and handguns 40 caliber or less and shotguns; single projectile ammo or fine shot pellets no larger than #4 lead, bismuth-tin, or tungsten-iron, and #2 steel.

4. Long, recurve and compound bows and arrows.

It wouldn't be very sporting, but perfectly legal for me to use my Browning BPS in 10ga. magnum. Also perfectly legal but not very safe if shooting up into the trees, would be my Browning 1885 in 22-250 Remington. But I am deemed illegal and could lose my hunting privileges if I used my S&W model 16, 6" revolver shooting homecast lead hollowbase wadcutter 32 S&W Long ammo. Of the 3 listed firearms, the latter is certainly the most sporting but is not allowed according to the PA Game Commission.

Would anyone have an idea why? Now that the season is over, I'm going to fire off a letter to the PGC but I thought I'd ask here first to save me certain embarrassment if the answer is as plain as the nose on my face. I can't think of any reason why a 22 rimfire or centerfire revolver is legal but my pipsqueak 32 Long is not. This has got me stumped.

[onefunzr2]

Obviously no opinions or knowledge on this board.

I'm waiting for a reply from the letter I mailed to the PGC. I tried calling, but the gent who answered the phone decided to pass my question on to someone else. The woman's voicemail box didn't identify herself or get back to me. It's been a week.