Jun 30, 2018 4 min read

With a couple of newly appointed commissioners added to the decision making part of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, perhaps we will find an improvement in the gas royalties from the game lands.

It is the monies from the underground bonanza and what it offers to the commission that seem to draw the most questions. Our own additive to the commission worked in land management and the deals made for the underground gas should be right up his expertise. I, for one, know he will certainly give it his best and right now, with all of the drilling going on, is the best man for the job. But one has to remember he is but one voice and must work with the rest of the commissioners.

While the taking of the gas from the game lands, where the commission holds the mineral rights, is the No. 1 question, 2018 should be a year when changes will be made in traditional rules of the hunt. For instance, will we hunt on Sundays? There is no doubt but Sunday hunting is coming. The question is when. Why not this year? Rules on the sales of liquor have been loosened and most stores that were closed when I was young are now open on Sunday. With the exception of church, Sundays are treated like any other day. While I have mixed feelings on the subject of Sunday hunting, I also admit to being an old fuddy duddy and I am a bit set in my ways. Taking that into consideration we probably should allow Sunday hunting. There is no doubt it will be legal some day in the near future, so why not allow it now?

• The other issue is the legalization of those semi-automatic rifles for deer hunting. I have hunted where semis were legal and wasn’t happy with the shooting I observed. Far too many hunters depend on multiple shots to down a deer and the cartridge they were using was woefully underpowered.

Of course, I am referring to the .223 which most A.R. type rifles are chambered for. Used in the field properly, there is nothing wrong with a semi-auto rifle but there is no excuse for shooting deer or bear with an underpowered groundhog round.

If the Remington 740 or the Winchester 100, each of which is chambered for an adequate cartridge, were used, there would be no problem. But using the .223 is a travesty of sportsmanship. It is just not a big game round. I know there are A.R.s for larger rounds and that might change the picture. If the A.R. becomes legal, there should be a minimum 6mm. limit set and enforced.

The .223 is a good varmint round.

The biggest criticism of this round is the short neck and I also would prefer the design of the .222 magnum but this is a minor concern. At the last gun show, a friend of mine bought a rare Remington 700 varmint rifle in the .223 chambering. I say rare because while the rifle is not that unusual, there are very few chambered for the .223.

After cleaning it and loading a few rounds, he was pleasantly surprised to find it shooting .25 groups at 100 yards. There is no doubt that the .223 is an accurate cartridge just like its brother the .222 and the .222 magnum.

When criticizing the .223 and its short neck, I always remember hearing the same question asked when the Winchester .300 Win. Mag. was first offered to the public around 1963. The short neck was criticized then but years later, it still is one of the best and most accurate rounds in existence. If the short neck is OK in the .300, why question it in the .223? But it still is not a deer round.

• Don’t forget a new hunting license is required starting today.