Big Game Hunting Magazine Capacity Restrictions

[Gunner]

Tell him to drill a screw in the damn thing! It's cheaper than a ticket and he won't have to worry!

[sniper7]

It is not vague at all.

centerfire rifles:
C. If semiautomatic, a maximum of six rounds are allowed in magazine and chamber combined.

no mention for bolt action, so no restriction other than caliber size. I figured he was using an AR. So no need to buy a separate mag.

[CS1983]

It is not vague at all.

centerfire rifles:
C. If semiautomatic, a maximum of six rounds are allowed in magazine and chamber combined.

no mention for bolt action, so no restriction other than caliber size. I figured he was using an AR. So no need to buy a separate mag.

Bu that is vague for semi-auto users, because a 10 round mag w/ 5 rounds+1 in chamber = 6 rounds in magazine, as written is allowed. It doesn't say, "If semiautomatic, a magazine can only accept no more than 5 rounds, and one round allowed in the chamber." or any other combinations of explicitly worded phrasing such that one could conclude a 10 round mag w/ only 5 rounds in it is unacceptable.

I bet a lawyer would have a field day with it if someone read it as simply a 5 round limit and got hemmed up.

[Lars]

I have spoken to DOW about this and have received the same answer from multiple officers and the office. There is no restriction for mag size on a bolt gun. A gas gun must be limited to 5 rounds in the mag. You can use a 30 round mag as long as it has a plug to limit capacity to 5 rounds and not another round more. A wooden dowl in the mag to limit capacity is acceptable. Your buddy may want to call and verify on his own and I can't take responsibility as an officer in a bad mood could interpret in his own words, but this is the results I have came up with based on my conversations. I have a 10 round mag in a Creedmoor bolt gun and have never had an issue during multiple interactions with DOW officers.

[sniper7]

Bu that is vague for semi-auto users, because a 10 round mag w/ 5 rounds+1 in chamber = 6 rounds in magazine, as written is allowed. It doesn't say, "If semiautomatic, a magazine can only accept no more than 5 rounds, and one round allowed in the chamber." or any other combinations of explicitly worded phrasing such that one could conclude a 10 round mag w/ only 5 rounds in it is unacceptable.

I bet a lawyer would have a field day with it if someone read it as simply a 5 round limit and got hemmed up.

along with What Lars said, I have personal experience with a few different DOW officers that will check and make sure a mag or tube is limited to the stated number of rounds. If they can push in a round 1 over the limit in a shotgun or semi auto then you will most likely get a ticket.

i agree with you that it can be interpreted easily to state you can have a larger mag but not put in that many rounds, but based on experience it does in fact need to be plugged or blocked to limit the mag from accepting any more rounds.

[CS1983]

along with What Lars said, I have personal experience with a few different DOW officers that will check and make sure a mag or tube is limited to the stated number of rounds. If they can push in a round 1 over the limit in a shotgun or semi auto then you will most likely get a ticket.

i agree with you that it can be interpreted easily to state you can have a larger mag but not put in that many rounds, but based on experience it does in fact need to be plugged or blocked to limit the mag from accepting any more rounds.

It doesn't surprise me. But when it comes to entities like DOW, the only thing that surprises me is when they don't do the dumb. Notice in my first post I wrote, in part, "By its phrasing, one would think that the present capacity is the issue, not potential capacity. However, I suppose that would be up to the DOW officer to make a judgement call and then let you fight it. Not a fight I'd like to go through."

[rondog]

Yeah, the whole rule seems kinda odd. The levergun I used can hold 14 or 15 rounds of .45 Colt, and two wildlife officers helped me load my deer into my truck. They didn't ask me diddly about the rifle. Ran into a third officer and let him check out my rifle because he liked leverguns, but capacity was never mentioned.

[newracer]

Yeah, the whole rule seems kinda odd. The levergun I used can hold 14 or 15 rounds of .45 Colt, and two wildlife officers helped me load my deer into my truck. They didn't ask me diddly about the rifle. Ran into a third officer and let him check out my rifle because he liked leverguns, but capacity was never mentioned.

The average person cannot fire a lever or bolt gun very rapidly. The average person can fire a semi-auto very rapidly.

[CS1983]

The average person cannot fire a lever or bolt gun very rapidly. The average person can fire a semi-auto very rapidly.

I guess my question would be, why the heck does it matter if someone fires rapidly?

[newracer]

I guess my question would be, why the heck does it matter if someone fires rapidly?

Dumbass fires 20 shots into a herd of elk hoping to hit one.