.17

[HEAD]

This might have already been a topic but is it illegal to shoot deer with a rimfire? I just looked through the rules and regs, but i didnt find anything that said they cant be used.

[adk]

i dont think so, but why do you want to anyways?

[nate10]

i would rather miss on completely than wound one for it to die later for no use

[Tater]

Uncle Trad is your best bet for an answer here, but I'll give you my .02 anyway. On WMA you cannot use military or hard jacketed bullets or .22 or smaller rimfire. For private land, refer to Uncle Trad.

[HEAD]

Why because a head shot offers the quickest and most humane kill.

[b-stick]

i dont think rimfire is allowed there is a law that states a nothing below a certain caliber but head is right, head shots and most neck shots make for the most quick and humane kills

[Palmetto Bug]

SC does not have a minimum caliber law for private land. It does have minimums on WMA land.

A .17 is a damn small bullet to be harassing deer with. It's easy enough to lose one with a real deer cartridge. Nonetheless, I've seen the results of a deer lung shot with a .17HMR and it made pudding out of the lungs.

[CAJUN LAB]

Not so sure about the neck shot thing there b-stick. I shot one last year in the neck with a .270 and the bastard spun around on his head for 5 min or longer bleeding to death.

[tradorion]

B-Stick, please forward me the SC minimum caliber requirement law... i'd like to see it.

On WMA's (as noted) rimfires are illegal for deer-- on private lands they are not.

The upstate private lands used to be governed by the WMA regs but i do believe that changed when DNR lost the No Sunday Big Game Hunting/Hunter Orange Law Suit.

R

[b-stick]

i apologize there isnt a law i must have misread it..

[tradorion]

At how many "laws" people are sure exist that don't. Like calibers and bow draw weights...

I had to become a GW to discover that i really was not required by law to have a plugged gun while turkey hunting.

Plus there are laws that used to apply to half the state (like baiting still does) that didn't apply to others...

Its all good LOL!!

R

[BRR]

.17 is way to small. it is a overglorified pellet rifle. fine for small game.

[Greeny]

I wish I were that good of a shot to be able to constantly hit a deer in the head, one shot one kill, that sort of stuff, without ever missing.

[Carolina Counsel]

I believe that head and neck shots should typically be avoided, regardless of the caliber. There's just too great margin for error. There's plenty of room in the neck to hit and not be vital. Likewise, you can blow a deer's jaw off and he'll sometimes just starve to death. Shoot 'em behind the shoulder.

[beastmaster]

you must not have ever seen a head shot. Not much left, kinda hard to starve like that.

[highballing22]

beastmaster....i think what he was sayin is if you hit there LOWER jaw or there nose or somthin like that....they can still run off and not die for a couple of days....

[ccleroy]

Devastating and Accurate............in the head that is...........if you can hold it and have the confidence in your shooting.............smoke em'

[Candor]

I have seen deer shot in the front part of the head from above and behind basically give the deer a frontal labotomy (instantly they started pulling for the Gamecocks) and then blow the eyes off. Then they run until crashing into a tree. A head shot can be devestating...but don't categorize it as "either a miss or kill shot"...because there is an even smaller allowable margin of error. If you hit the sweet spot...dead like a sack of bricks. If you barely miss the sweet spot then you may have a mess on your hands.

[WoodieSC]

IMO, regardless of whether it is legal to use a rimfire round on deer, I believe it is incumbent on us as Sportsmen to use enough "firepower", or "arrow power", etc, to ensure the likelihood of a quick and humane kill. Going with that is the responsibility to ensure that we are capable of handling said weapon so that we know our own limitations of ensuring that humane kill.

Yes, I think I could kill a deer with a .17HMR, a .22LR, or a .22 Mag, but the only time I would ever do it would be if I was in a survival situation and needed food.

[ccleroy]

Do you also think it's ok to use traditional archery equipment to harvest animals?............Thats the whole thing........w/ traditional archery there are less draw weight most of the time ,slower speeds, less accuracy as with Compound bows topped w/ sights............but I know some trad shooters that can shoot circles around me at every distance................because they are familiar w/ there equipment and are basically one w/ it when they have it in there hand.................I dont care if you're shooting a red-rider............if you can make the shot and you're confident then make it...............if not dont take it...........