Its Time For PA To Get With The 21st Century...

[jcabin]

Well mode of carry is a completely different arguement than semi-auto hunting.


Regardless, my issue isnt even so much with the AR or AK for hunting, it's with the fact that using modern guns to hunt, just takes all the fun out of it in my opinion. Why don't we just ban muzzle loaders and archery?

[mrnyman]

I dont see no reason not to allow semi-autos for hunting.

I grew up in
new York where semi-autos are allowed and new york have one of the best safety records , and no i dont see any rambo types spraying and praying in the New York woods with thier semis.

Hunter education and ethics is the key here not banning a certain type of rifle.

Nymaz

[Bug44]

Coyote yes.... Deer no....

[Dredly]

I dont see no reason not to allow semi-autos for hunting.

I grew up in
new York where semi-autos are allowed and new york have one of the best safety records , and no i dont see any rambo types spraying and praying in the New York woods with thier semis.

Hunter education and ethics is the key here not banning a certain type of rifle.

Nymaz

NY has 200k - 300k less hunters (on average) then PA does, it also has more land and less people outside of NYC

there is no accuracy test given during hunter ed, and in PA I have no doubt that spray and pray (accuracy by volume) would become the generally accepted practice as it already is to some extent with pump guns... this would just make it much easier to do.

also the PR nightmare that allowing hunting with an AK or SKS would cause would be devastating to hunters in this state.

[PA Highlander]

I voted yes ... there are "spray and pray" hunters now with pumps and levers, I don't see semis making this any worse (or better). I'd love to be able to hunt with an AR pattern rifle as I spend more time with that platform than any other in my gun cabinet. (and this from a guy that hunts with a Ruger bolt action or H&R single shot now)

[ChamberedRound]

I'm not a hunter. However, I am considering trying it either this season or next, and one of the things holding me back is the additional cost of buying a non-semiauto long gun specifically for the purpose of hunting. It would be nice to be able to use the AR which I already own, or refit my semiauto shotgun with a rifled slug barrel.

I understand there's a concern about "spray 'n pray" in the field, but I believe that's a Red Herring. It can happen now anyway as it's not hard to get off a lot of shots with a pump or lever gun if you're not thinking about the shot.

[WhiteFeather]

I voted Yes, its the 21st century the hunter numbers are falling in PA rapidily for lots of reasons.

Since this thread is turning once again into this same old debate every time this subject comes up and no one has address my questions in this thread going to re post it here. This semi-auto and spray pray debate is the same lame debate that the anti-gunners use in why you need a rifle or a shot gun with more than 10 rounds all because of criminal misuse of firearms.

is pa the only state where you can't go hunting with a semi auto rifle?
http://forum.pafoa.org/hunting-23/15...le-page-8.html

Currently in PA 09/10 session there is this bill to allow limited animals to be hunted with semi autos.

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/...type=R&bn=0095

HB 659 – An Act amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for unlawful devices and methods.

This bill allows the use of semi-automatic 22 caliber rimfire rifles or smaller for the taking of coyotes, foxes or woodchucks.

I know this same debate comes up all the time about semi autos and people being irresponsible with firearms.

It’s not a hardware problem but a soft ware problem, does anyone ever go confront irresponsible people out hunting ? We all have witnessed numerous versions of this, you set up half way up a hill guy comes in after you sits right above you looking and probably being shooting your way if anything appears. Guys glassing you in a scope with loaded rifle instead using binoculars, or a dozens of stupid irresponsible things we all have seen out hunting.

Right now in PA its legal to use a revolver that can discharge 5, 6, 7 high powered rounds almost as fast as a semi auto. I been in the woods up north with idiots using lever action rifles like they have been watching too many episodes of the old “rifle man” tv series with Chuck Connors empting the mag almost as fast as a semi auto again shooting at running deer. Same applies to pump action rifles and shotguns shooting at deer running. Most of the people that are against semi-autos always seem to miss this existing problems of lack of poor judgement.


All of the other states (I believe the number is 38) that allow semi-autos for hunting don’t have all the problems mentioned in this thread, again it’s not the hardware, it’s the software that is the problem, the human factor. People don’t need more advanced hardware or semi autos to be irresponsible, they can do it with currently legal hunting guns like pumps, levers and revolver style actions.

To counter this debate on semi-auto can some explain to me why in the most densely populated parts of PA like Allegheny county it’s LEGAL to use semi-auto shotguns for deer?
Wait, more fire power that can’t be legally used in remote parts of the state, top it off with lots of these same semi-auto / pump shotgun only urban counties allow / demand multiple projectiles like buckshot to used for deer.

Others will counter that a shotgun is somehow less lethal or shorter range than rifles, well PA game commission study shows that is not the case and its results are being used trying to loosen up shotgun only regulations in other states. Many semi auto shotguns with rifle barrels and scopes can accurately hit targets out to 200 yards and beyond with modern shotgun slugs designs. The only limitation on shotguns is magazine capacity is limited to three shots for migratory game (by the feds) and in general small season, on deer season I can’t find any magazine capacity.

So why not open up some hunting opportunity to more people to use different firearms actions like semi-autos, it would be easy enough to put a magazine limit on semi-autos that doesn’t currently exist for the rest of the firearms used for deer or should we continue to practice a form of gun control in PA?

One of the other benefits of allowing semi-autos is for very young and older hunters is the recoil is less with semi-autos that regular firearms and also might allow for disabled hunters (veterans) to go hunting with semi-autos that is not possible with regular firearms due to physical limitations.


For people that are against semi's for safety reasons.

How about banning shooting at running deer and deer drives for SAFETY SAKE of others out hunting, it would solve most of the problems that currently exist with irresponsible people that are wildly shooting at running deer now with or without semi-auto rifles.

Any one for this?

[NP1724]

This is the same argument hard core archery hunters have for gun hunting in general. Your first shot is the most important, and with that it does not matter if you are hunting with a semi or a bolt. Owning a semi by no means gives you a better chance at a kill.

Voted NO.

It's just not very sporting..

It just feels like it's too easy IMO. just so unfair.

[Yellowfin]

Also the PR nightmare that allowing hunting with an AK or SKS would cause would be devastating to hunters in this state.

Can you tell the difference between these



and this?

I hope you can be intellectually honest enough to realize that the top two are absolutely no different for hunting than
and


I think too many people have some kind of psychological conditioning that's affecting their perception.

[Dredly]

I wouldn't be opposed to seeing a "pilot" type program launched to see the results. Put it in some areas where the population is low and there is a lot of open public land and see how it works.

personally it scares the shit out of me when I'm in a tree 50 yards from houses on private land and I see people 200 yards out that just unload on deer that come past, shooting in the direction of houses.

I know it isn't a rifle issue, its a user issue. But I also know how people get with semi rifles and I already know how dangerous it is to be in the woods. I'd be surprised to ever see semi rifles legalized, I think PA is much more likely to go the other direction and go with shotgun only.

I think we are 2 - 3 more "high profile non-hunting bystander kills" from going with Shotgun only on this side of the state. there has been at least 1 - 2 every year for the last 5 years... sad really.