NFA SBR for a deer hunt?

[Patton]

So a friend of the family was scouting my wifes familys property yesterday and we crossed paths. I had hunted there before but all I ever saw was does, the bucks are there I just never saw them. I happened to mention that the grandmother doesn't like for whoever to use rifles but she wouldn't ever know anyway. He said he was aware of that and that he had been thinking about a short barrel rifle build and was wondering if it was addressed anywhere by TWRA. Anybody know? For sake of arguement lets just say it's bigger than 5.56.

Edited October 8, 2011 by Patton

[roverboy]

Well, a short rifle build would have to be at least 16 1/4" barrel. Thats a Federal law. As far as caliber I think any centerfire is legal.

[Patton]

He was talking more like a 7.5" to 10.5" barrel NFA registered SBR with a rifle stock. I personally would not spend the $250 for the tax stamp but I am curious if it's legal to hunt with anyway.

[R_Bert]

Thompson Encore Pro Hunter pistol in 15" bbl (for example .308 Win), Ruger Super Redhawk , or a BFR. Small, but still "reach out and touch", and can mount scope on them.

BFR in .30-.30 Win - Magnum Research 5 Round 30-30 Winchester w/10" Barrel/Stainl $823.00 SHIPS FREE

[Guest bkelm18]

Well, a short rifle build would have to be at least 16 1/4" barrel. Thats a Federal law. As far as caliber I think any centerfire is legal.

Technically it is 16", but with a tax stamp you can go as short as you want.

[Alleycat72]

This is what I got done a couple of years ago. This is the E-mail and response I received.

On page 12 of the 2008-2009 Hunting and trapping guide there is inaccurate information. In the section Illegal Equipment #10, it states that it is illegal to possess a short barreled shotgun or rifle therefore it is unlawful to hunt with one. It has never been illegal to possess a short barreled rifle or shotgun. All you have to do is fill out a form 4 or form 1 as per ATF instructions. This includes a background check, finger print cards, and a sign off by the local Sheriff. This is sent to the ATF with a $200 check. The ATF dose a thorough background check and if you are clean you are given a $200 tax stamp on your form 4 or 1. You must keep this form with the gun at all times. The process takes up to four months. If it is your opinion that these firearms are dangerous due to their shorter barrel I refer you to page 16 Legal Equipment #6. It states that center fire handguns firing a single projectile and having a barrel length of four inches or more....... Some of the hand guns have 14 to 16 inch barrels on them, the addition of a stock would only make them safer to handle. I am not implying that some one should be able to hunt with a illegal firearm I am merely suggesting that the rules allow for someone who legally owns one of these firearms be aloud to hunt with them.

Thank you for your time

XXXXX XXXXXX

The response I received

Mr. XXXXX,

You're e-mail has been forwarded to me for a response.

Paragraph 10, page 12 of the 2008 Hunting & Trapping Guide incorrectly states why short barrel rifles and shotguns are illegal to use for hunting. The reason is because the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission has not proclaimed them for use in hunting.

Thank you for bringing our attention to this matter.

Sheryl D. Holtam

General Counsel

TN Wildlife Resources Agency

PO Box 40747

Nashville, TN 37204

615-781-6606 phone

615-781-5264 fax

Sheryl.Holtam@state.tn.us

They were removed from the illegal equipment list the next season.

Edited October 8, 2011 by alleycat72

[Patton]

Good eye alleycat for catching that!

[Caster]

Yup! Suppressors are perfectly legal too. I wrote the TWRA earlier this year to ask and was told as long as they are legally owned NFA they are no problem. I was told to be darn sure to keep a copy of the paperwork for any curious gamewardens....but that's just good practice no matter where you go with it.

[DaveTN]

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency - Hunting Equipment & Methods

[Alleycat72]

My medium range hunting gun.

My short range hunting gun

My 8 year old girl hunts with a suppressed AR

[DaveS]

So a friend of the family was scouting my wifes familys property yesterday and we crossed paths. I had hunted there before but all I ever saw was does, the bucks are there I just never saw them. I happened to mention that the grandmother doesn't like for whoever to use rifles but she wouldn't ever know anyway. He said he was aware of that and that he had been thinking about a short barrel rifle build and was wondering if it was addressed anywhere by TWRA. Anybody know? For sake of arguement lets just say it's bigger than 5.56.

All argument aside, If Grandma doesn't want anyone to use a rifle....why are we even considering this? Shouldn't we obey Granny's wishes? But to answer your question.....short barrels are fine......

[Dolomite_supafly]

I would never hunt deer with a 7.5" or even a 10" 223. The velocity isn't there to reliably drop a deer unless it is a head or CNS shot. I would use a caliber more suited to the short barrels. 7.62x39, 6.8, 300 BLK or Whisper loaded to supersonic, or some of the other heavy bullet slingers like a 458 SOCOM but never a 223 out of a short barrel.

And if you are shooting supersonic there is still going to be a substantial crack from the sonic boom of the bullet. But the deal is the game will not know which way the shot came from. The bullet sounds like it comes from the side it misses on. The is if a suppressoed supersonci bullet is coming at you front to back but misses to the left then the crack sounds like it comes 90 degrees off to the left. Or at least that is what I have been told by reliable sources.

I know from personal experience of shooting suppressed around horses that they will look either in the direction where the bullet passed closest to them or where the bullet impacts, never at where the bullet originated.

Dolomite

[jtmaze]

I have been wondering about this. I am glad you posted. My father-in-law hunts short range with a .500 s&w with 12+ inch barrel in Michigan and he wants to come down this Xmas and hunt here. You just saved me a bunch Of time. Thanks.

[Patton]

All argument aside, If Grandma doesn't want anyone to use a rifle....why are we even considering this? Shouldn't we obey Granny's wishes? But to answer your question.....short barrels are fine......

She just doesn't want a hi power rifle round traveling 800-1000 meters. Muzzleloader, pistol, shotgun slug, and etc keeps that stray shot from traveling into a horse pasture or the subdivision down the road.Like I said before, I believe the SBR in question is a larger caliber 6.8 or 7.62

[monkeylizard]

She just doesn't want a hi power rifle round traveling 800-1000 meters. Muzzleloader, pistol, shotgun slug, and etc keeps that stray shot from traveling into a horse pasture or the subdivision down the road.Like I said before, I believe the SBR in question is a larger caliber 6.8 or 7.62

Granny had better restrict it to non-slug shotguns then. The charts below are all assuming the optimal conditions with weather, elevation, and angle, but you'll get the general idea.

Except for .22 short all rifle rounds travel a good deal farther than 1000m. In the right conditions, .22LR can go over a mile.

http://www2.huntercourse.com/tennessee/study?chapter=3&page=8

As do handguns except .25ACP and maybe some other small calibers not listed.

http://www.info4guns.com/graphics/handgun_range_distance.gif

Slugs go way out there too. Check the chart at the bottom.

HunterCourse.com

Edited October 10, 2011 by monkeylizard

[DaveS]

Good point.....Don't make granny mad! A .22 at a mile going into a horses head is not a good thing!

[mikegideon]

I would never hunt deer with a 7.5" or even a 10" 223. The velocity isn't there to reliably drop a deer unless it is a head or CNS shot. I would use a caliber more suited to the short barrels. 7.62x39, 6.8, 300 BLK or Whisper loaded to supersonic, or some of the other heavy bullet slingers like a 458 SOCOM but never a 223 out of a short barrel.

And if you are shooting supersonic there is still going to be a substantial crack from the sonic boom of the bullet. But the deal is the game will not know which way the shot came from. The bullet sounds like it comes from the side it misses on. The is if a suppressoed supersonci bullet is coming at you front to back but misses to the left then the crack sounds like it comes 90 degrees off to the left. Or at least that is what I have been told by reliable sources.

I know from personal experience of shooting suppressed around horses that they will look either in the direction where the bullet passed closest to them or where the bullet impacts, never at where the bullet originated.

Dolomite

I'm thinking a .458 SOCOM would do fine, even subsonic, since it slings a 500 grain pill. The 300 grain supersonic drops them in their tracks.

[DaveS]

What am I missing here? People have "short range" rifles, "medium range" rifles, and, "long range" rifles. Since I do not know at what range a deer will show up....is my 308 bolt action ok? I can't carry 3 rifles into the woods.....what am I missing here?

[Mdunntn]

What am I missing here? People have "short range" rifles, "medium range" rifles, and, "long range" rifles. Since I do not know at what range a deer will show up....is my 308 bolt action ok? I can't carry 3 rifles into the woods.....what am I missing here?

That's what I was wondering

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

[MacGyver]

I hunt with a suppressed SBR. It frankly suits my needs at every range I'm going to feel like I can ethically take a shot at. Firing 250 and 300 grain rounds, it has plenty of stopping power in it's advisable range.

Once you start shooting "ear-safe", it will affect every firearm decision you make from that point forward. I wasn't the one shooting, but I've seen a pig hunt with a suppressed .458SOCOM where at 110 meters the other pigs in the group didn't even react when their buddy went down. The 500gr round put it down immediately and quietly.

[Alleycat72]

What am I missing here? People have "short range" rifles, "medium range" rifles, and, "long range" rifles. Since I do not know at what range a deer will show up....is my 308 bolt action ok? I can't carry 3 rifles into the woods.....what am I missing here?

Most people never shoot over 100 to 150 yards so one gun is fine for them. I hunt a place like that. It’s a 200 acre plot that’s bordered by three neighborhoods. I use a suppressed short barreled rifle with subsonic ammunition. I limit my shots to 200 to 250 yards. (Short Range) I also hunt on a place where you can easily get shots out to 500 yards. For this I use a suppressed 308. (Medium range) I shoot steel out to 1000 yards. For that I use a 27†barreled 6.5 WSM. (Long Range) I have taken deer with this gun at extended ranges, but after I got into class III guns my focus changed. It’s hard to believe shooting 1000 yards can get boring. As for ethical shots, my loose rule is to hold your shots on deer to half the distance you routinely practice at.

[dlm37015]

for years i have hunted deer in belle meade with a sbr in 300 whisper with a 10.5 inch barrel i use 200 grain rn at subsonic speeds

this year i will most likely be iin the creek with a supressed 44 mag rifle