Magazine capacities for small game hunting.

Just went thru the ontario regs, nothing about magazine limits, nothing in the "firearms restriction" table on page 24 either for number of rounds.

Obviously nothing in the provincial law restricts federal law, so yeah, 3 rounds in shotguns for bird applies :)


An interesting spinoff question... why do you want to find the "max"?

If you don't kill your target on the first round (MAYBE the second), I would revise my hunting principles, and marksmanship skills ;)

It would be interesting to see what would happen if centerfire hunting was limited to single shot bolt action rifles!
 
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To those looking for a page number, here is my reference. Ontario Hunting Regulations 2017-2018, PDF copy, page 25 (PDF page 29 of 104).

Paragraph 3. "You must plug a semi-automatic or repeating shotgun so that it will not hold more than a total of three shells in the chamber and magazine combined."

Paragraph 5. "Under the Criminal Code of Canada you cannot possess any clip/magazine that holds more than five shots for a semi-automatic centrefire non-restricted firearm unless that clip/magazine has been specifically exempted, pursuant to the federal regulations".

Any typos mine...
 
wasa said:
To those looking for a page number, here is my reference. Ontario Hunting Regulations 2017-2018, PDF copy, page 25 (PDF page 29 of 104).

Paragraph 3. "You must plug a semi-automatic or repeating shotgun so that it will not hold more than a total of three shells in the chamber and magazine combined."

Paragraph 5. "Under the Criminal Code of Canada you cannot possess any clip/magazine that holds more than five shots for a semi-automatic centrefire non-restricted firearm unless that clip/magazine has been specifically exempted, pursuant to the federal regulations".

Any typos mine...
Click to expand...

Heres your answer, complete with page numbers.

How did you miss this?
 
tharkhold said:
Just went thru the ontario regs, nothing about magazine limits, nothing in the "firearms restriction" table on page 24 either for number of rounds.

Obviously nothing in the provincial law restricts federal law, so yeah, 3 rounds in shotguns for bird applies :)


An interesting spinoff question... why do you want to find the "max"?

If you don't kill your target on the first round (MAYBE the second), I would revise my hunting principles, and marksmanship skills ;)

It would be interesting to see what would happen if centerfire hunting was limited to single shot bolt action rifles!
Click to expand...

Never had a flock of birds fly by you?
 
XX Moosehead XX said:
I've seen pics of a person taking a deer with a Bushmaster ACR that had a 10 round magazine. Is this legal in Ontario?
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When big game hunting in Ontario, the limit for centre-fire semi-auto rifles is 5rounds.
That is in the regs. The first bunch of red pages I believe. I'll say it is more than likely, the magazine was that of a 10round body permanently altered to fit 5 cartridges.
To my recollection, there is no mention of magazine capacity used on any particular firearm type when hunting small game with a rifle.
As others have pointed out when hunting with a shotgun for any legal game species in Ontario, the shotgun cannot contain more than three shells. That is also in the regs. Again, it's in the same bunch of red pages at the front of the booklet.

To the OP: your question is a totally valid question, and one that I have asked myself. I Did not get my answer in writing from the COs office; so here is my take....YMMV
Say i am hunting grouse, partridge, ptarmigan using a rimfire rifle; legal to load 10, 15, whatever rimfire magazine capacity.

Say I am hunting coyotes in a WMU that is open all year round and during that time of year there was no open season for any big game. I am using a bushmaster ACR that happens to function with a 10 round pistol magazine. Legal to possess, legal to contain that number of appropriate cartridges for the rifle chambering, legal to carry and use for hunting purposes…?
That's what we wanna know right? Has it been done before? Sure.

Say that I am hunting gophers with a JR carbine chambered in 9 mm using hollow points. (Ballistic properties aside) it would be legal to use for small game using hunting ammunition (lead, HP etc) legal to use 5 round rifle magazine capacity. Legal to own, legal to possess and legal to use for hunting by the books standards. Legal to use a 10 round pistol magazine for hunting...? Again, that's what we all wanna know. Have those 10 round pistol magazines been used in rifles while hunting small game? Sure they have.

In this country, we have the law administering the LAW. Occasionally the law (think LEO/CO) is un-informed or maybe overzealous. Nevertheless, it is up to you to hunt ethically and make choices you are comfortable with.
I personally see no mention within the regs about the use of pistol magazines while hunting small game in Ontario. Does is mean that we can't do it? I think not necessarily...again your mileage may vary.
My apologies on the lengthy post. It's something I do share an interest in and just wanted to cover a few different points
 
wasa said:
To those looking for a page number, here is my reference. Ontario Hunting Regulations 2017-2018, PDF copy, page 25 (PDF page 29 of 104).

Paragraph 3. "You must plug a semi-automatic or repeating shotgun so that it will not hold more than a total of three shells in the chamber and magazine combined."

Paragraph 5. "Under the Criminal Code of Canada you cannot possess any clip/magazine that holds more than five shots for a semi-automatic centrefire non-restricted firearm unless that clip/magazine has been specifically exempted, pursuant to the federal regulations".

Any typos mine...
Click to expand...

I gave up on trying to copy and paste tha from the IPad his morning.

It puts hunting with 10rd pistol mags in to a rather grey area IMO. CC allows possession based on firearm they were designed for, but hunting regs reference to CC say you can't possess. In the end, a judge would probably rule in your favour, but getting to that point probably wouldn't be cheap or worth the headache. Besides, if you can't drop something after a .308 mag dump, better go back to punching paper.
 
verminaard said:
I gave up on trying to copy and paste tha from the IPad his morning.

It puts hunting with 10rd pistol mags in to a rather grey area IMO. CC allows possession based on firearm they were designed for, but hunting regs reference to CC say you can't possess. In the end, a judge would probably rule in your favour, but getting to that point probably wouldn't be cheap or worth the headache. Besides, if you can't drop something after a .308 mag dump, better go back to punching paper.
Click to expand...

Well put. Thank you.
 
wasa said:
To those looking for a page number, here is my reference. Ontario Hunting Regulations 2017-2018, PDF copy, page 25 (PDF page 29 of 104).

Paragraph 3. "You must plug a semi-automatic or repeating shotgun so that it will not hold more than a total of three shells in the chamber and magazine combined."

Paragraph 5. "Under the Criminal Code of Canada you cannot possess any clip/magazine that holds more than five shots for a semi-automatic centrefire non-restricted firearm unless that clip/magazine has been specifically exempted, pursuant to the federal regulations".

Any typos mine...
Click to expand...

Thank you!! Can't believe I missed this. Read through that stupid book at least 6 times!
 
verminaard said:
I gave up on trying to copy and paste tha from the IPad his morning.

It puts hunting with 10rd pistol mags in to a rather grey area IMO. CC allows possession based on firearm they were designed for, but hunting regs reference to CC say you can't possess. In the end, a judge would probably rule in your favour, but getting to that point probably wouldn't be cheap or worth the headache. Besides, if you can't drop something after a .308 mag dump, better go back to punching paper.
Click to expand...

Well said and exactly what I thought.

At the end of the day the court might let you walk or drop all charges on the magazine capacity in terms of a pistol mag but why put yourself in the situation or risk you have to fight at the court when 5 rounds is plenty or a simple mag change if you really have to.
 
tharkhold said:
Just went thru the ontario regs, nothing about magazine limits, nothing in the "firearms restriction" table on page 24 either for number of rounds.

Obviously nothing in the provincial law restricts federal law, so yeah, 3 rounds in shotguns for bird applies :)


An interesting spinoff question... why do you want to find the "max"?

If you don't kill your target on the first round (MAYBE the second), I would revise my hunting principles, and marksmanship skills ;)

It would be interesting to see what would happen if centerfire hunting was limited to single shot bolt action rifles!
Click to expand...

It's not about wanting the "max". I don't want to have to alter my magazines if it isn't necessary. I hope I never need more than 1 shot!
 
verminaard said:
I gave up on trying to copy and paste tha from the IPad his morning.

It puts hunting with 10rd pistol mags in to a rather grey area IMO. CC allows possession based on firearm they were designed for, but hunting regs reference to CC say you can't possess. In the end, a judge would probably rule in your favour, but getting to that point probably wouldn't be cheap or worth the headache. Besides, if you can't drop something after a .308 mag dump, better go back to punching paper.
Click to expand...

Not sure how grey the area is actually. The hunting regulations posted in this thread are actually from the hunting regulations summary, not the actual law. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act is the actual law and while it spells out the 3 shell limit for shotguns, I could find nothing in it referencing centerfire magazine limits. Perhaps someone else can? I suspect the reason the regulations summary mention the CC wrt centerfire magazine limits is because the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act does not touch on this. This would mean that things like 10 round glock mags in a jr carbine or 10 round LAR-15 mags in a NR centerfire rifle would be fine for hunting.
 
Runningfool said:
Not sure how grey the area is actually. The hunting regulations posted in this thread are actually from the hunting regulations summary, not the actual law. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act is the actual law and while it spells out the 3 shell limit for shotguns, I could find nothing in it referencing centerfire magazine limits. Perhaps someone else can? I suspect the reason the regulations summary mention the CC wrt centerfire magazine limits is because the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act does not touch on this. This would mean that things like 10 round glock mags in a jr carbine or 10 round LAR-15 mags in a NR centerfire rifle would be fine for hunting.
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Going back and reading through that snoozer, no arguments here. That being said, my desire to test a CO on their familiarity of the minutiae of the act vs the verbiage of the summary is pretty low. The closest thing to a CO that I know is a guy who rode around a provincial park on a golf cart yelling at teenagers an picking up trash bags. Next time I am out and the fish cops stop at the camp on their way up the river, or are hanging out by the vehicle on the walk back from the stand close to sunset, it will be quiz time once the formalities are done.
 
MNR person who lives in North Grey and works in the KW area hunts with a NR CX4, with a 96 mag. That's a legal 15 + 1. For me, 10 rds of 308 in a semi or 303 in a bolt will be enough to put down anything unless I am having a real bad day.lol.
 
Garaldtao said:
MNR person who lives in North Grey and works in the KW area hunts with a NR CX4, with a 96 mag. That's a legal 15 + 1. For me, 10 rds of 308 in a semi or 303 in a bolt will be enough to put down anything unless I am having a real bad day.lol.
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You are limited to 5 rounds in a centerfire semi.
 
hoytcanon said:
You are limited to 5 rounds in a centerfire semi.
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No, Federally you are limited to 5 rounds in a centerfire long gun magazine. You can have a 10rd pistol magazine in a rifle, that would be perfectly legal as pistol magazines are limited to 10rds. They have many pistol magazine carbines out there that you can legally have 10rd magazines for and use in a carbine that is non-restricted. Furthermore, you do not have to load the marked ammunition into the pistol magazine. In the case of a Beretta 92 a Beretta 96 magazine will fit, a 96 is designed for 40 S&W but will fit more than 10 9mm Para rounds in it. Therefore you can take a carbine that uses Beretta 92 magazines, chambered in 9mm Para but use Beretta 96 magazines loaded with 12-15 9mm Para rounds and be perfectly legal as that magazine is designed for a Beretta 96 pistol in 40 S&W.

Clear as mud eh.
 
j_san said:
Bearing in mind of course, this statement is in the Ontario regulations for BIG GAME.
The question posed by the OP is with regards to hunting small game.
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This is a Federal law, there are only a few limited exceptions based on excluded magazines (JR, CX4 etc...) but in Ontario it applies to small and big game.
 
Placed a call to the MNRF, twice. One person said limited to 5 rounds in a semi rifle, regardless of calibre or game being hunted. Another, 1 hour later, said 10 round pistol mags in your rifle IS ok for small or big game. As long as you aren't breaking any federal laws.

So, I say to all the people who asked "how can you not know this", or "how can you miss it" this is why. It seems, no one has a clear answer. Which is why I posed the question in the first place. To get info from those who have been there, done that.
 
XX Moosehead XX said:
Placed a call to the MNRF, twice. One person said limited to 5 rounds in a semi rifle, regardless of calibre or game being hunted. Another, 1 hour later, said 10 round pistol mags in your rifle IS ok for small or big game. As long as you aren't breaking any federal laws.

So, I say to all the people who asked "how can you not know this", or "how can you miss it" this is why. It seems, no one has a clear answer. Which is why I posed the question in the first place. To get info from those who have been there, done that.
Click to expand...

That is because you are asking the MNRF about firearms law, they do not know firearms law.

Here is the RCMP magazine restriction summary

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/bulletins/bus-ent/20110323-72-eng.htm

The only other restriction in Ontario is a limit on shotguns for all hunting, that being 3 rounds total. This means for deer, turkey, rabbits, pigeons, migratory bird, all hunting with a shotgun.

All other hunting in Ontario follows the RCMP magazine restrictions, meaning, you can use your 10rd pistol mag carbine in 9mm for hunting small game, you can also use a 25rd magazine in a Remington 597 rimfire for hunting small game in Ontario, you can also use an 8rd M1 Garand for hunting small game in Ontario.

The only other concern is your local area you hunt in, some have caliber and some have firearm restriction and they are not all listed in the MNRF hunting regulations, call your local municipality and ask about firearms restrictions in the area.
 
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