Wyoming .223 and .357 Mag now legal to hunt

[wyobohunter]

http://wgfd.wyo.gov/web2011/HUNTING-1000179.aspx

See chapter 32

Basically:

1-you can hunt Deer, Pronghorn, Mountain Lion and wolf (where it is considered a game animal) with any .22 caliber cartridge that is at least 2" long and has a bullet that is at least 60 grains. Lead or expanding bullets now allowed.

2-you can hunt any big game species with a .35 caliber cartridge of at least 1.5" in length or generally delivers 500 foot pounds at 100 yards. Lead or expanding bullets now allowed.

1 notes-Expect to see a few standard AR-15's in the field. Wolves can be treated like any other predator outside of the trophy area.
2 notes-The or is really the only new thing, but pretty important.
1&2- And the inclusion of lead bullets.

Seems they are just learning what lots of us have known for a while; shot placement and bullet design trump caliber and energy (generally speaking).

[steveno]

so is note # 2 to allow the 357 mag for deer hunting? 500 ft-lbs at 100 yards would be pretty hard to make with a 357 mag out of a rifle if not impossible. the 357 sure wouldn't make it from a handgun. in Nebraska fro a handgun to be legal you have to 400 ft-lbs at 50 yards and the 357 out of a handgun makes the requirements there sure isn't much extra energy.

[reloader28]

Its actually not hard to make that much energy from a 357 rifle. I have a 165gr RF lead bullet thats hitting harder than my 30-30. And man does it do an excellent job on deer. A Montana friend shot a doe with one last year and it was impressive.

Luckilly our game warden knows cast bullets. I've even talked with him about them and he already knows how good a FN cast bullet is.

[steveno]

have you chronographed your load? just curious

[wyobohunter]

Chronograph data from a hand loader isn't acceptable by WGFD standards. It has to be published data from a manufacturer (which I disagree with). Buffalo bore advertises their 180 gr hard cast load at 547 (I believe) foot pounds at 100 yards from a 5" barrel.

The discussion is now academic as the energy requirement will no longer exist so long as the cartridge is at least .35 caliber and 1.5" OAL.

[wyobohunter]

so is note # 2 to allow the 357 mag for deer hunting?

This does allow .357 mag for deer, pronghorn (antelope), wolf and mountain lion because .357 mag is >.35 caliber and >1.5" long (generally).

the 357 sure wouldn't make it from a handgun.

Not hard at all https://www.buffalobore.com/index.ph...t_detail&p=100

3. 5 inch S&W model 27

a. Item 19A/20-180gr. Hard Cast =1398 fps
Muzzle Velocity @ 1400 fps for Item 19A
at BB published data @ 100 yds velocity is 1172 fps and energy is 548.9 ft/lbs

Any handloader can duplicate this

[kraigwy]

.35 caliber cartridge of at least 1.5" in length or generally delivers 500 foot pounds at 100 yards

That OR is a pretty big, meaningful word in this content.

My 357 load is a 150 Grn Cast bullet (Lyman 358477) that chronies at 1383 out of my 4 inch Model 28. Not close to 500 ft lbs at 100 yards but its lead and its meets the 1.5 inch criteria.

My problem is my Model 28 has to get behind my TC Black Powder rifle and my '98 Krag, for deer hunting.

I really don't need that many deer.

[jmr40]

the 357 sure wouldn't make it from a handgun.

There are quite a few 357 loads that will make 500 ft lbs at 100 yards as long as you use at least a 6" barrel.

Georgia used to have that silly requirement and I used factroy loaded ammo that made it. It is unenforceable. There is no way to make a case stick wthout confiscating the gun and ammo and testing it. That isn't going to happen, and if it does it will cost the state millions in lawsuits when the gun/load comes back legal. After a few years the laws here were changed to make much more sense.