PA hunters, need your help !

[handgunhuntr]

OK...I need everyones help in Pennsylvania. I enjoy shooting my T/C cannons as much as everone else. I have contacted the PA Game Commission several times with this matter and get no response. After serving most of my adult life in the military, and moving back home to PA, I find that I live and hunt in a "Special Regulation Area" and handgun hunting small game is permitted.... BUT.....handguning for deer is not legal. What I am asking is that hunters bombard the game commission (as I have been doing for a year) for them to amend the game laws to allow handgun hunting in the special areas. My view is that they allow any type of muzzleloader to be used as well as shotgun slugs (all of which are as capable to travel up to 200 yrds as my Contender or Encore chamberings) why not allow handguns? Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Shawn

[Mikey]

Folks, this sounds like a good cause and handgunhuntr should get all our support.  I find it more than confusing, as well as annoying, when regulatory agencies apply limitations without apparent cause.  Maybe we can help our fellow hangun hunters and shooters in PA.   Mikey

[DropTheHammer]

handgunhuntr,

while you have a valid point about the range of your hand cannon vs the range of the inline ML & sluggun, IF the purpose of the regulation is to keep centerfires out of populated areas, then you can see how allowing centerfire handguns would open the door for people to say "well then why not my lever action 44Mag then, too?"  I guess they had to draw the line somewhere, and I think they drew it at centerfire / cartridge guns.

[Redhawk1]

handgunhuntr,

while you have a valid point about the range of your hand cannon vs the range of the inline ML & sluggun, IF the purpose of the regulation is to keep centerfires out of populated areas, then you can see how allowing centerfire handguns would open the door for people to say "well then why not my lever action 44Mag then, too?"  I guess they had to draw the line somewhere, and I think they drew it at centerfire / cartridge guns.

DropTheHammer the thing I see that your missing is, you have to start somewhere. If you sit there and do nothing you will get nothing. Being concerned that someone might want to add to it or ask why can we have this, should not stop supporting handgunhuntr in his cause. If I were in PA you would have my support 100%. I supported a push to get Shiloh Sharps and Sharps replica firearms to use blackpowder and paper patch bullets to used in Delaware. I did not own a Shiloh Sharps or Sharps replica gun at that time, but I supported it to get our foot in the door. Now we can use Shiloh Sharps and Sharps replica guns with black powder cases and paper patch bullets to hunt in Delaware, which was a Shotgun only State. Guess what!!! I know own a Shiloh Sharps and load my own 45-70 black powder cases to hunt with. What a blast. Bottom line gun people need to support one another. Thanks for listening.

[DropTheHammer]

Redhawk1,

Don't get me wrong, I support what handgunhuntr is proposing.  I was just 'thinkin out loud' in an effort to define what the problem is.   What is the 'problem' that the Special Regs were put in place for, and what are the criteria for banning handgun hunting in the SRA?  Is it due to a populated area or what?  Need to understand this b4 forming a case against it.

[handgunhuntr]

DroptheHammer,
I see what your saying...My point was that if they are allowing firearms that will go 200 yrds, regardless of population, why draw the line at handguns.  Even if they said ok to straight wall cartridges only, it would still allow us to use our handguns and limit our range to around 100 yrds.  I just want to be able to hunt the way I enjoy without having to travel to a non-special area.

[CJ]

Have Written before, I will again.  As a PA resident and special regs area hunter, I have yet to figure how a .45 250gr jhp in a sabot from a muzzle loader is somhow "safer" or shorter range than the same bullet from a hunting handgun. I believe the issue is HANDGUNS more than anything logical. I can give a little concession on my Contender in rifle chamberings, but I agree  revolvers should be legal.

[Sheila]

OK...I need everyones help in Pennsylvania. I enjoy shooting my T/C cannons as much as everone else. I have contacted the PA Game Commission several times with this matter and get no response. After serving most of my adult life in the military, and moving back home to PA, I find that I live and hunt in a "Special Regulation Area" and handgun hunting small game is permitted.... BUT.....handguning for deer is not legal. What I am asking is that hunters bombard the game commission (as I have been doing for a year) for them to amend the game laws to allow handgun hunting in the special areas. My view is that they allow any type of muzzleloader to be used as well as shotgun slugs (all of which are as capable to travel up to 200 yrds as my Contender or Encore chamberings) why not allow handguns? Your help would be greatly appreciated.

You have my support.

Shawn

[PA-Joe]

You should be pushing this over at the www.huntingpa.com site

[handgunhuntr]

Joe,
Thanks for the site, thats exactly what I will do.  I also want to thanks everyone who has or will be sending letters or e-mail to the game commission to help.  There really is a great group of people here at GBO.

Shawn

[JPSaxMan]

Guys, I hate to burst all of the good bubbles here, but the PA Game Commission isn't going to listen to a bunch of rowdy hunters complaining about regulations. Trust me, I've tried. You get nowhere. How far do you want to go with this? Do you want to get a state rep. involved? It's not impossible, I suppose.

[Steelbanger]

Get Gary Alt on your side! Anything he says - goes.

Good, bad, indifferent, if Gary says it, it will happen.