Anyone here from Colorado?

Curious as to whether I'm realing the rules right.........
the .44 mag is NOT legal for hunting here? Thanks for the help,
..... I may just have to decide on a different rifle then .....

Tim

I'm sure the minimum caliber is 6mm. I'll double check tho.

RJ

1. Rifles using center fire cartridges of .24 caliber or larger, having expanding bullets of atleast seventy (70) grains in weight, except for elk and moose where the minimum bullet weight is eighty-five (85) grains, and with a rated impact energy one hundred (100) yards 3 from the muzzle of at least one thousand (1000) foot pounds as determined by themanufacturer's rating providing that any semiautomatic rifle used shall not hold morethan six (6) rounds in the magazine and chamber combined. A fully automatic rifle isprohibited.

Sorry :( Didn't mean to put this in the wrong section.

http://wildlife.state.co.us/NR/rdonlyres/6E977561-C613-466D-BCFC-2CA9C9C91CD9/0/Ch02.pdf


That was the link I got my info from. Does that apply to elk and moose only, or all 'big game'? Got a 'bit' of a headacke right now, and the kids are making a LOAD of noise. Wondering if I'm reading it right is all.

levergun,
No worries about putting this somewhere else. We have a lot of different areas. I think the post is more suited to this part of the site since it deals strictly with Colorado's regulations.

Hope this helps with your questions and concerns.

levergun,
No worries about putting this somewhere else. We have a lot of different areas. I think the post is more suited to this part of the site since it deals strictly with Colorado's regulations.

Hope this helps with your questions and concerns.


Cool, no problem. Don't mind it moving....just wasn't sure where to put it because of the topic :D We live we learn, yes?

Just hope someone can clear me up on this one. It looks like it could be taken two ways. Thanks again,


Tim

Sounds like to me, regardless of the caliber size, the round must have 1,000 ft/lbs of energy at 100 yards to be legal. I'm not sure if your 44 Mag load delivers those type of ballistics or not.

Sounds like to me, regardless of the caliber size, the round must have 1,000 ft/lbs of energy at 100 yards to be legal. I'm not sure if your 44 Mag load delivers those type of ballistics or not.


That's what I figured. Thanks for the input. Most of my family hunts with the 30-06, and I was always a 30-30 man, so looks like I get to decide on a new rifle, yet again :rolleyes::D. That little .44 would have been handy though.

Lever, the way I read it is---

The 85 grain bullet must have 1000 foot pounds of enegy at 100 yards. Now the 240 grain (or whatever size) bullet out of a 44 mag at 100 yards may not have 1000 ftlbs of energy but it's mass in motion is what is going to do the work.

In the handgun section it states that a handgun must be of 24 caliber and have a bullet energy of 550 foot pounds at 50 yards.

Seems to me you'd be OK. I've got a friend that hunts deer with a 44 mag levergun so it must be OK. :rolleyes:

I can ask the game warden and get back to you.

RJ

Lever, the way I read it is---

The 85 grain bullet must have 1000 foot pounds of enegy at 100 yards. Now the 240 grain (or whatever size) bullet out of a 44 mag at 100 yards may not have 1000 ftlbs of energy but it's mass in motion is what is going to do the work.

In the handgun section it states that a handgun must be of 24 caliber and have a bullet energy of 550 foot pounds at 50 yards.

Seems to me you'd be OK. I've got a friend that hunts deer with a 44 mag levergun so it must be OK. :rolleyes:

I can ask the game warden and get back to you.

RJ

Cool! Thanks recoil junky. Right before my x and I split up I started inquiring about the .44mag through the Colorado DOW, but never got a straight answer. Today I check my Shooters bibles balistics tables and they were stating that most of the .44mag hunting rounds WERE over the 1000 Ft. pounds out of a rifle length barrel, but still, wanting to be on the safe side, and not spend money on a rifle I may or may not be able to use .....

Hunted Colorado a couple of years back with a .357/44 B&D, in a 1894 Marlin and had no problem. Game Warden was impressed with the ballistics, and like he said he could see no problems with it. He just rated it as a pistol cartridge. I think he was most impressed with the 100% penetration than anything else.

As Recoil Junky noted, only 550 ft lbs are needed at 50 yds if fired from a handgun, but 1000 ft lbs are needed at 100 yards if fired from a rifle. The logic is right in line with some of the other things that the CO DOW does. The Federal website lists the energy of their 240 gr Premium .44 Mag hollowpoint at 1025 ft lbs at 100 yards. These are very accurate in my .44 Mag Marlin, but I have not yet shot a deer with it (I only carry it occasionally in PA - in CO my .270 Win is better because of the open terrain where I hunt) so I can't comment on these bullets performance. You might print the web's ballistics page to carry as documentation that the cartridge specifications by the manufacturer meet the legal minimum. Other manufacturers may have similar documentation on their websites.

As Recoil Junky noted, only 550 ft lbs are needed at 50 yds if fired from a handgun, but 1000 ft lbs are needed at 100 yards if fired from a rifle. The logic is right in line with some of the other things that the CO DOW does. The Federal website lists the energy of their 240 gr Premium .44 Mag hollowpoint at 1025 ft lbs at 100 yards. These are very accurate in my .44 Mag Marlin, but I have not yet shot a deer with it (I only carry it occasionally in PA - in CO my .270 Win is better because of the open terrain where I hunt) so I can't comment on these bullets performance. You might print the web's ballistics page to carry as documentation that the cartridge specifications by the manufacturer meet the legal minimum. Other manufacturers may have similar documentation on their websites.



Thanks for the info! Been looking into it....printed out the Federal info already. All the others have listed is veloceties/energy delivered from an average 6.5" barrel. I wish I had a new copy of the shooters bible. They always had handgun & RIFLE ballistics noted for these type rounds.