Hunting Calibers - Here Are Some Of The Major Allowed And Not ..: There is still a lot of confusion in the field of calibers to be used for hunting. Let's say that doubts and perplexities go hand in hand with the number of rifle calibers are many.
Using a hunting rifle with a caliber prohibited by law leads, in fact, to the risk of the withdrawal of the license, in addition to any penalties imposed by the territorial public authority that applies the rules on hunting. But what are the banned calibers for hunting?
Currently, the calibers absolutely prohibited for hunting are those greater than 12 for shotguns with smooth bore and those less than 5,6 mm and with empty case less than 40 mm in height for rifles. This rule is expressly inferred from what is indicated in article 13, paragraphs 1 and 2, of the National Hunting Law (Law 157/92), where it is written:
"1. The hunting activity is allowed with the use of the shotgun with smooth bore up to two shots, repeating and semi-automatic, with a magazine containing no more than two cartridges, of caliber not exceeding 12, as well as with a shotgun with rifled barrel with single manual or semi-automatic repetition loading of caliber not less than 5,6 mm with empty case no less than 40 mm in height.
2. The use of a two or three barreled shotgun (combined) is also allowed, one or two with smooth bore no more than 12 gauge and one or two with grooved bore no less than 5,6 mm gauge. , XNUMX, as well as the use of the bow and the hawk. ".
Any other interpretation that goes beyond the contents of the law risks constituting the crime of poaching. The calibers that, according to the law, are absolutely forbidden for hunting include those caliber 22 and similar, namely caliber 22 LR, 22 Hornet, 22 Magnum and .221 Rem. These are calibers that only allow the use of cartridges with a diameter of less than 5,6 mm, and even if it is possible to use larger calibers, the empty height of the case, that is the length, is around 35 mm and hardly reaches the forty Unfortunately, there are also those who try to circumvent the rules by confiscating, for hunting purposes, legal cartridges in 22-gauge shotguns.
This practice is not only incorrect, because it is carried out in violation of the rules, but also dangerous. For example, firing loaded cartridges with shells longer than the barrel of the gun is very risky, because it can also blow up the chamber itself.
Hunting Calibers: When choosing a hunting rifle, it is therefore necessary to follow the caliber permitted by law.
These are the major calibers used in Italy: In shotguns, the allowed calibers are 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 6 mm and 9 mm (rimfire) Flobert and 8 mm calibers (central percussion); while in those with rifled barrel they are all those of .222; .223 up to 7x64mm, 9,3x62, 9,3x74, 8x57, 9,3x74R, .308, .30-06, 8x57JRS, .300WM,. 338LM and .243. These calibers are also used in rifle models called “Express”. These are weapons with very powerful calibers used to take down dangerous animals at a short distance. We remind you that in some Italian regions, there are restrictions or any concessions not provided for in this article which must be taken as purely informative, in fact in the Province of Reggio Emilia the 7,62 x 39 Russian bullet is prohibited, therefore we invite you to always check how much legislated where you have your hunting residence.
Some rifles are also produced in caliber 22. This caliber, we remind you, is absolutely forbidden for hunting, while it is allowed for sport shooting. Although the law expresses itself very clearly on the type of calibers in hunting rifles, there are cases in which the hunting use of rifles in caliber 22 has been recognized. These weapons are used, illegally, by poachers because they shoot shots even at very long distance and with very low noise. In 22 caliber rifles, in fact, the silencing of the bullets is maximum and, even, some rifles with this caliber are equipped with a special silencer (another practice prohibited in Italy).
In addition to not being usable for hunting purposes, caliber 22 rifles are weapons that do not guarantee the same ballistic performance as other calibers. Usually, these guns are considered to be almost amateurish and that is why they are only authorized for sport shooting. In general, 12 gauge shotguns are also to be preferred for hunting big game, which can be used for any type of hunting, both small and large. The powerful calibers, in fact, even if authorized and easy to use in long-distance and short-distance shooting, risk literally "mangling" the game, even letting the ball enter a part of the animal's body and making it come out of a other.
Among the various calibers permitted by law, you must always choose those most suitable for the type of hunting you will be practicing and the type of game to be targeted. In wild boar hunting, a semi-automatic rifle with a multi-shot magazine is preferred, while for deer or chamois hunting a bolt action rifle is good, i.e. a revolving and sliding bolt action rifle. Some shotguns, such as the aforementioned Express models, are produced not only in the powerful 9,3 × 74 caliber, but also in .375 Holland and Holland Magnum and .418 Winchester Magnum.
These weapons, however, are used for hunting large African game, such as lions, buffaloes, elephants, leopards and rhinos. Calibers that are too powerful are, on the other hand, not recommended for local hunting, because they are too excessive compared to the real size of the game that will be hunted.
The Express rifles that allow you to use weakened ammunition (similar to the rifle) are, on the other hand, those with the initials R after the caliber numbers, such as, for example, the 9,3x74R. Finally, semi-automatic shotguns, side-by-side and over-and-under shotguns in 12, 16 and 20 gauges can be used for migratory hunting.