Committee approves bill removing rifle-caliber length restrictions for deer hunting on public lands

Senator Baldwin presented Senate Bill 280 to the House Committee on Natural Resources, saying the bill “simply removes the length restrictions on rifle calibers for hunting deer on state lands or public lands” while retaining a minimum caliber/diameter of .223 inches (sometimes referenced as 2.23 or 5.56). Baldwin said the current law allowed a range of other uses at night — including firearms and pyrotechnics for nuisance animals — but retained a distinct restriction for deer hunting; SB 280 would remove that caliber-length restriction.

During brief committee discussion Representative Boye asked whether larger calibers would increase lethality, and Baldwin acknowledged that the bill “does allow calibers that will be more deadly.” No outside witnesses opposed the bill in committee; the motion to pass was made and seconded and the roll call recorded 11 yes, 0 no. The committee advanced the bill to the next legislative stage.

The bill as described to the committee removes the specific length restriction for rifle cartridges while preserving a minimum projectile diameter defined in the bill text; Baldwin said the change aligns rules for deer hunting on public lands with other allowed firearm uses. No fiscal impacts or implementation details requiring new agency staffing were discussed at the hearing.

The committee did not adopt amendments at the hearing. The bill moves forward with committee approval and will be considered in subsequent legislative steps.