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Old November 11, 2012, 11:38 AM   #1
hogdogs
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Florida has no caliber minimum for deer???

Seems I remember that the reg used to state "Centerfire cartridge must be .240 or larger" making the .243 the smallest readily available common cartridge for florida big game...

Now I can only find that the cartridge for deer must be "centerfire" so it would seem the AR platform in basic .223 is now legal...???

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Old November 11, 2012, 12:57 PM   #2
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I would call the game and fish to make sure but to me centerfire would mean the .223 or even .204. The thing most folks overlook are their states magazine capacity. Most states only allow 5 rounds or less. Safest bet would be to call the game and fish and make sure the law actually changed.
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Old November 11, 2012, 01:23 PM   #3
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I wouldn't be surprised. NY has no caliber restriction and our deer are a lot bigger bodied than Florida deer.
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Old November 11, 2012, 01:50 PM   #4
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Georgia just requires a center-fire rifle caliber. So you can use .223, as I often do. Down here, it's hard to justify a thirty caliber rifle whn your longest humane shot maybe 150 yards.
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Old November 11, 2012, 01:58 PM   #5
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In OK we have a 5rnd mag cap which is dumb but it does allow .223. You can get 5 rnd AR mags. I recommend the Stoner ones. The others I've used have been failures in one form or another.
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Old November 11, 2012, 02:06 PM   #6
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In Florida the .223 is legal for deer. Most shots in the area im located in are 50 to 75 yards so a good clean ethical shot is not hard to make. The last three deer i got were in green swamp and the longest shot was 43 yards. I normally hunt with a 30/06 or 300 win mag. There are areas that i do hunt that allow for 150 plus yard shots.
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Old November 11, 2012, 02:16 PM   #7
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Any centerfire rifle can be used in Texas for deer. You can't use rimfire or air rifles and there is legislation pending to make silencers legal. (it still needs to be owned legally).
There's no minimum muzzleloading caliber either.

Some states still give hunters credit for having common sense and judgement.
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Old November 11, 2012, 02:31 PM   #8
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Fla has a capacity limit of 5 rounds only on semi auto loaders ... Everything else is unlimited capacity...

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Old November 11, 2012, 02:35 PM   #9
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Fla has a capacity limit of 5 rounds only on semi auto loaders ... Everything else is unlimited capacity...
Otherwise, you wouldn't legally be able to use a tube magazine .30-30.
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Old November 11, 2012, 02:39 PM   #10
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Unless the tube were "plugged" like a shotgun tube for migratory...

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Old November 11, 2012, 03:43 PM   #11
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The main advantage of a 3 round semiauto over a double barrel when hunting migratory fowl is that it allows the skybusters to miss the same bird three times instead of only twice.
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Old November 11, 2012, 08:53 PM   #12
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I wouldn't be surprised. NY has no caliber restriction and our deer are a lot bigger bodied than Florida deer.
Florida has a bit of everything from Keys Deer, to Florida Coastal Whitetail, to Florida Whitetail, to Louisiana Whitetail, to Southern Whitetail. Some of the Southern Whitetail would easily be considered 'Bama deer... (mainly in the panhandle, anyway.)



As far as firearms.... It does look like they removed caliber restrictions for rifles.
Plus... I couldn't find any restrictions for handguns. When I was there, you couldn't use a rimfire; but that was the only handgun restriction for deer. Now, I can't even find that.
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Old November 11, 2012, 10:21 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FrankenMauser View Post
Florida has a bit of everything from Keys Deer, to Florida Coastal Whitetail, to Florida Whitetail, to Louisiana Whitetail, to Southern Whitetail. Some of the Southern Whitetail would easily be considered 'Bama deer... (mainly in the panhandle, anyway.)
What's the average field dressed weight of adult bucks and does of those various versions? I mean, actual scale verified weights. Up here, if you go by asking, the average doe is 150 and the big ones are 175. The bucks start at about 175 and go 250, even 300, for the big ones...

Until you actually use a scale....

then the doe average 95-105 and the bucks are lucky to go 150, big ones might make 200, really big ones 225.
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Old November 11, 2012, 10:30 PM   #14
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Maybe the problem of people trying to kill whitetails with .22 rimfires isn't the problem it used to be when deer hunting was done mainly by farmers and rural poor folks who happened to have land to hunt on.
Today, deer hunting is big business with people paying thousands for a deer lease and the problem today is convincing them that it doesn't take a .300 Weatherby Magnum to kill a whitetail more than it is that you need something bigger than a .22.
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Old November 11, 2012, 11:03 PM   #15
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Brian, A "right fine" buck will weigh 125-150 hoof weight on a Moultrie game scale... A big dang slob will bust 150...

Does as far as I know are rarely weighed out but guess 90-125 pounds...

Unlike many states, florida only requires a "check in" during quota hunts on WMA's...

We drive right by the voluntary check stations usually...

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Old November 11, 2012, 11:35 PM   #16
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I can hunt with a 25 acp there!


kidding but it would be legal.
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Old November 12, 2012, 12:09 AM   #17
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17 hornet

I assume the 17 hornet would be legal too. I have killed central mississippi deer weighing 224 but it was a monster. does 120 bucks 160 is common.
the 224 buck was killed with buckshot. The area of the lungs is not that much thicker on the largest deer than the smaller deer. The heavy deer will have swollen necks a hanging fat in the belly, not massive muscle or huge rib bones.
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Old November 12, 2012, 03:51 AM   #18
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I can hunt with a 25 acp there!
During the 'rifle' deer season, there were a few days that I went out with nothing but a .380. ...But I was after coastal whitetails in an area where the average buck was 100 lbs, does were lucky to hit 80 lbs, and I wouldn't have a shot longer about 15 yards.

I wouldn't recommend it, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.
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Old November 12, 2012, 06:46 AM   #19
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I know someone who actually hunts Texas whitetails with a .22 Hornet, but he doesn't even shoulder the gun unless the deer is close enough and the shooting conditions are good enough that he can put that bullet behind the deer's ear with nearly 100% certaintly.
A .22Hornet behind the ear beats a .50BMG in the ankle.
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Old November 12, 2012, 07:17 AM   #20
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I don't use a .223 here in central FL, but I would if that's what I had. The biggest deer I ever killed here was 165 on the hoof and he was the old man of the woods. On average 110 would be what I see here and 80 or 90 pounds for a good doe. I've ever shot a deer past 100 yards or so, either. 40 to 60 yards is more common.
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Old November 14, 2012, 07:17 PM   #21
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anything centerfire for deer is fine in florida. I shoot a .22 hornet, .17 fireball, .221 fireball etc for deer all the time. That old Ruger M77 Hornet has more deer kills to its name then most peoples .22's for squirrels lol.
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Old November 17, 2012, 05:05 PM   #22
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Texas minimum caliber...

is not specified, per se. The only requirement is that it be a CENTERFIRE round.

So, I guess that means it doesn't matter if it is a pistol or rifle.

Seeing as how the .25 ACP is centerfire, technically you can shoot Texas deer with a little "Saturday Night Special"!
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Old November 17, 2012, 05:16 PM   #23
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NY has no caliber restriction and our deer are a lot bigger bodied than Florida deer.
True, no minimum caliber for rifles, but must use a shotgun 20g or larger.
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Old November 17, 2012, 05:33 PM   #24
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Seeing as how the .25 ACP is centerfire, technically you can shoot Texas deer with a little "Saturday Night Special"!
My observation, the real problem here is convincing hunters that Texas whitetails aren't African big game and that a .30-06 is plenty, overkill even.
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Old November 17, 2012, 05:51 PM   #25
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Originally Posted by B.L.E. View Post
My observation, the real problem here is convincing hunters that Texas whitetails aren't African big game and that a .30-06 is plenty, overkill even.
We have same problem here in NY. My buddy went out today with a .338 Win Mag.

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