Semi-automatic hunting should not include the .223
The use of semi-automatic rifles for the hunting of deer is about to become legal. Take my word for it.
Along with that, I believe we also will be allowed to use the ever popular Ruger 10/22 to hunt squirrel.
The bill allowing the use of semis while hunting has passed the legislature and was given preliminary approval at the last meeting of the Pennsylvania Game Commission board of commissioners.
Now, all that’s needed is final approval at the next commission board meeting and all will be a go.
I have no opposition to the hunting use of semi-autos. With that in mind, while I don’t have a problem with the use of the semi I must state: God save us from that puny .223 cartridge
When the .223 – otherwise called the 5.56 – was adopted by the United States military, the natural course of things dictated young shooters will gravitate toward this the newest army round.
But if you take a look at the energy produced by this cartridge compared to some proven rounds, it becomes exposed as the varmint round it is.
Like other rounds it is what it is – a .22 caliber cartridge that doesn’t anchor a 10-pound groundhog reliably let alone a 150-pound deer or a 300-pound bear.
Much to the surprise of some, there is no magic in cartridges. It comes down to weight of the bullet, how fast it is traveling and whether or not it expands on contact with the target.
Unfortunately, the small .22s do not handle a heavy bullet well and the .223 is not nearly as fast as the .22-250 or the .220 Swift, which in the hands of most hunters is inadequate for big game.
The military says a crippled enemy causes more problems than a dead one, but the ethical hunter wants a clean, quick kill.
If you are using a .223, are you seeking a one-shot clean downing of the animal? I have little against the use of the semi-autos while hunting, but they should be chambered for cartridges larger than the ever popular .223.
It is a fine varmint round, but has no place in deer hunting.
• The Canonsburg Sportsmen Associations annual rabbit hunt takes place Feb. 25. The club is located on Allison Hollow Road with doors opening at 1 p.m.
A $10 donation is asked and there will be door prizes, food and beverages.
It seems to this old hunter the bunny hunting is falling off somewhere to the wayside and it is good to see a group interested in what, at one time, was the most important hunting of the year. There will be no hunting on the club grounds, so do your homework before hand. For more information, call Bill Brooks at 724-941-8321 or Brian Brooks at 724-986-2115.
• I have heard grouse hunting will be closed in some parts of the state this upcoming year. It’s been some time now since I have seen a grouse in Southwestern Pennsylvania and I have heard the numbers are dropping up north.
While local populations have been suppressed for some time here, I used to see them in Elk and McKean counties in good numbers. But word is they are in a free fall now.
Remember, this is the state bird and grouse hunting could well be the best of game birds. The commission should be watching the population drop closely on this fine bird.
George H. Block writes a Sunday Outdoors column for the Observer-Reporter.