How many Provinces/Territories allow .22 Varients for big game Hunting?
- Thread starter Jetjock
- Start date
If I remember correctly Ontario is "Centerfire Only" for big game. So your .22 Hornet is good to go for moose hunting!
Don't you dare use a .380 ACP rifle in Southern Ontario though, that's WAYYYY too big. .270 Win is fine though.
Don't you dare use a .380 ACP rifle in Southern Ontario though, that's WAYYYY too big. .270 Win is fine though.
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unstableryan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Beautiful Okanagan Valley
BC is fine too.
- Location
- In the shadows of the Rockies
7. ammunition to hunt bison must be constructed with
a 175 grain or larger bullet, which retains 2,712 joules
(2,000 ft lbs) or more energy at 100 m.
See p.16
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/sports-recreation-arts-and-culture/outdoor-recreation/fishing-and-hunting/hunting/regulations/2016-2018/hunting-trapping-synopsis-2016-2018.pdf
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Yukon:
.22 only for wolf and coyote.
.24 or 6mm for the other big game except bison
Minimum Firearm Requirements for Hunting Wood Bison
X
X
A centre fire rifle, .30 calibre or larger, with minimum 180 grain bullets
(premium bullets strongly recommended) and minimum 2800 ft/lbs energy
at the muzzle. (A .30-06 calibre is the baseline rifle.)
OR
X
X
A black powder rifle, .50 calibre or larger, firing an elongated bullet with a
minimum 90 grain charge and minimum 2800 ft/lbs energy at the muzzle.
OR
X
X
A black powder rifle, .54 calibre or larger, firing a round ball with a minimum
120 grain charge and minimum 2800 ft/lbs energy at the muzzle. (This option,
while legal, is not recommended.)
Note: Hunters using a black powder rifle must have a centre fire rifle accessible as back up.
.22 only for wolf and coyote.
.24 or 6mm for the other big game except bison
Minimum Firearm Requirements for Hunting Wood Bison
X
X
A centre fire rifle, .30 calibre or larger, with minimum 180 grain bullets
(premium bullets strongly recommended) and minimum 2800 ft/lbs energy
at the muzzle. (A .30-06 calibre is the baseline rifle.)
OR
X
X
A black powder rifle, .50 calibre or larger, firing an elongated bullet with a
minimum 90 grain charge and minimum 2800 ft/lbs energy at the muzzle.
OR
X
X
A black powder rifle, .54 calibre or larger, firing a round ball with a minimum
120 grain charge and minimum 2800 ft/lbs energy at the muzzle. (This option,
while legal, is not recommended.)
Note: Hunters using a black powder rifle must have a centre fire rifle accessible as back up.
7. ammunition to hunt bison must be constructed with
a 175 grain or larger bullet, which retains 2,712 joules
(2,000 ft lbs) or more energy at 100 m.
See p.16
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/sports-recreation-arts-and-culture/outdoor-recreation/fishing-and-hunting/hunting/regulations/2016-2018/hunting-trapping-synopsis-2016-2018.pdf
Yes, one of the more obscure rules that we have in BC, well not really that obscure .
Just one has to wrap their head around it when thinking about the LEH for those Bison.
Yet, a .22 Center Fire is fine for other Big Game Animals.
Curious to what the OP is pondering with such a broad choice of cartridges to choose from.
Smaller isnt always better when there are other choices available.
Times have changed when our Grand Parents and Great Grand Parents used what they had in order to put food on the table to feed many hungry mouths.
Rob
- Location
- In the shadows of the Rockies
little bear
Regular
On the island of Newfoundland it is against the law to use a .22 center fire to hunt big game.
In Labrador, it is legal.
Same province, different rules, same big game animals.
In Labrador, it is legal.
Same province, different rules, same big game animals.
New Brunswick allows.22 centerfire for everything. New Brunswick brought in a law that says you cannot be in the woods with anything larger than a .22 caliber firearm if you do not have a valid moose or white tail tag. It was designed as a measure to curb poaching. I really believe the legislators were not aware .22 centerfire rifles existed. People wanting to hunt coyotes after the deer season now needed 2 rifles, a deer rifle and a .22 centerfire for coyotes, that quickly morphed to the point that now, in that province, the rifle of choice for hunting deer and bear has suddenly become the 22.250 or .223. There is an awful lot of people hunting black bear and whitetail deer with 22.250 and no understanding of the fact that varmint specific bullets are not appropriate for those animals, and vehemently defending that choice as more than adequate. A perfect example in my mind of unintended consequences of a poor legislation to begin with.
This is all true and extremely frustrating. A friend of mine wants to create a petition and get a bunch of signatures to change the regulations. Not sure if it's been attempted before.
Well guys it doesn't seem to matter what the caliber is there will always be those uninformed souls who will swear by absolutely unsuitable bullets that they use for big game. It's not really about legislation as much as it is about education, however I agree that when tiny calibers are allowed for big game the problem does seem to increase. Most 22 cals offer multiple varmint loads and one or two big game suitable loads where as the larger calibers offer many big game loads and one or two suitable varmint loads, so the odds definitely go with the larger calibers.
One would wonder why people would "vehemently defend" that choice as adequate? Perhaps they haven't had bad results with their particular bullet choice?
I would have to think that if someone was using a particular chambering (any chambering really), and asked a fellow hunter what kind of results they were getting and that individuals cartridge choice, that perhaps that might trigger some discussion around bullets and terminal effects, no?
"Hey Bob, how many moose do you typically hit before you finally manage to kill one? I've shot 17 so far this month, and none of them have died from shoulder shots"
"Well Joe, what are you using for a rifle? I got one shot, and killed a 60" bull with a 180 gr TSX from my '06".
"Gee Bob, I'm using an '06 too, but the guys at the local emporium said these 55 gr Accelerators would be really fast and easy on recoil, maybe I should try a different bullet you think?"
Perhaps instead of changing legislation, education might be a better idea.... There are many suitable projectiles designed for animals larger than varmints in .224".
Just a thought. And I'm sure that like myself, there are folks in your province that would be rather upset if some well meaning individual who didn't like their choice of cartridge made it his life's work to change legislation, simply because he felt that was the only option.
There was some discussion about this at our shooting club meeting last night. Have your friend check with the New Brunswick Wildlife Federation (NBWF). I believe there is something being done. A change to the wording.
don t you have a treeline rule for caribou also?
Sort of. To my knowledge, the .22 cal exception in Labrador has never been applied to anything but caribou (when you could actually hunt caribou in Labrador, sadly), as dictated by the annual hunting order, but the actual regulation does not specifically limit the .22 cal exception to caribou (other big game being moose, black bear, polar bear):
ref: section 107, Wild Life Regulations, CNLR 1156/96
As an aside, hunting polar bear with a .22 cal centerfire is not something I would encourage.
