NH laws on hunting with a magazine

[soloman02]

I was at a local gun shop today and asked if they had any 5 round mags for an ar-15 to hunt with and cause it is easier to shoot from the bench with a short mag when sighting in.

The employee I spoke to said that NH fish and game lifted the restricting on the mag having to only hold four rounds and that as long as you had five rounds in the mag you were not violating the regs. Now I checked the NH F&G website and it still states that you must have a magazine or clip that holds no more than 5 rounds.

So he was full of BS right?

 

[Twigg]

I'd go with what the F&G site says.

 

[PixelPusher]

A quick call to your local CO will clear things up without a doubt.

The times I have called they seemed very happy to help.

 

[Kevin_NH]

NH fish and game lifted the restricting on the mag having to only hold four rounds and that as long as you had five rounds in the mag you were not violating the regs. Now I checked the NH F&G website and it still states that you must have a magazine or clip that holds no more than 5 rounds.

The official 2011 hunting digest says "hunt with a semi-automatic rifle with a clip or magazine holding more than five cartridges (except rimfire..."

The F&G officer who taught my NH hunter safety class (this past fall) stated the word "holding" in this regulation means "currently holding", so the issue is how many rounds you have loaded, not potential capacity. He also said this is separate from Federal law limiting shotgun capacity when hunting waterfowl, where you really must have the plug in.

He also said he wouldn't usually be interested in counting out the rounds from your magazine, but might go to that effort if he found a hunter in the field with a 30rd banana clip

 

[Harleynut]

I bought two of the 5 round mags from Bushmaster. They are not cheap but well made and work well. I find myself using them shooting off a bench where I am not burring up much ammo. I originally bought them for hunting coyote.

 

[Jose]

An AR 5 round mag is so cheap, there is absolutely no reason to tempt fate on this one.

I do think these mag restrictions are pointless. ALL of them. But then I have lived and hunted in states that don't have them and witnessed no mayhem or evil doing by those would would use common sense and obey the law. OTOH, those who do not use common sense and/or piss off the law won't be deterred by words on paper or a warden anyway.

We all know that.

 

[edhead35]

My CO told us the same thing. The law is holding, not potential holding, except where Federal Law applies when hunting Migratory.

I wouldn't hunt with an AR 30 rounder, just because of the size, but I would buy a 10 rounder, and only put 5 in the mag. I would carry some additional ammo for obvious reasons, and filler up in an emergency situation.

 

[Twigg]

I bought two of the 5 round mags from Bushmaster. They are not cheap ...

An AR 5 round mag is so cheap, there is absolutely no reason to tempt fate on this one.

$10.49 at Midway. worth the cost of avoiding any potential hassles IMHO.

 

[strangenh]

I'd definitely trust the COs on this one. They are the "cops" enforcing it, advised by their legal eagles, and when they come down on the less restrictive interpretation, it's for a practical reason (like they've been advised that the courts would rule that way, or the top F&G officials want it read that way). The statue (RSA 207:3) IS vague, but that reading is consistent with the same restriction on handguns, where finding a plugged magazine would be a PITA:

Section 207:3 II: "...nor shall a semi-automatic rifle be used to which is attached a magazine or clip holding more than 5 cartridges,"

Section 208:3-d: "...provided that a pistol used for taking deer under this section shall be loaded with no more than 5 rounds of ammunition at any time."

Note with the handgun, you can't have more than 5 rounds LOADED, i.e., one in the chamber, 4 in the magazine, if it's a mag-fed pistol.

That's just my personal take on it, not legal advice.

 

[highlander]

I have some 10 rd plastic mags that I got with my AR from DPMS they most likely have them. Just checked the C Products website they have 10 rd mags $12 each.

 

[one-eyed Jack]

The 5 round mags that I have for my AR-15 in 6.8 SPC for hunting will not latch into the gun fully loaded with the action closed, so I am limited to 5 round total capacity, for better or worse. Jack.

 

[leadspitter]

If you have not hit the deer in 5 rounds put down your gun and walk to the nearest farm to buy meat , Go fishing !

 

[Admin]

If you have not hit the deer in 5 rounds put down your gun and walk to the nearest farm to buy meat , Go fishing !

Deer aren't the only animals people shoot at Elmer.

 

[AFAR/PFAR]

This was fixed this year and was signed by the governor. Kudos to the house, Senate, and Gov. The gist is you can have a 30 round mag and the only thing that matters is the number of rounds in the firearm.

Current Legislation Search

AN ACT relative to the number of rounds of ammunition allowed for hunting regardless of firearm capacity.


Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

58:1 General Provisions as to Fish and Game; Lawful Methods of Taking. Amend RSA 207:3, II to read as follows:

II. A full automatic rifle shall not be used at any time [nor shall a semi-automatic rifle be used to which is attached a magazine or clip holding more than 6 cartridges, nor shall a full jacketed metal case bullet be used,]. A semi-automatic rifle may be used provided it is loaded with no more than 6 rounds of ammunition at any time. A full jacketed metal case bullet shall not be used, either in its original form or any alteration thereof.

58:2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

Approved: May 20, 2022

Effective Date: July 19, 2022

 

[ChevyGuy91]

If you have not hit the deer in 5 rounds put down your gun and walk to the nearest farm to buy meat , Go fishing !

Did you join this forum just to comment in this thread?

 

[appraiser]

where do these one post necro-thread resurrecting wonders come from?

 

[ChevyGuy91]

where do these one post necro-thread resurrecting wonders come from?

The liberal troll farm.

 

[mcshooter]

Wait, you can't read while waiting for an animal?

 

[lazypengu1n]

I an totally with the shorter mag in an AR for to move around easier. I pick up the 10rd mags and put in the 5 round limiter. It makes the mag 5 rounds.

Minus 5 Round Limiter – PMAG® AR/M4 GEN M3®, 3 Pack

For sporting and hunting limitations

magpul.com

 

[AFAR/PFAR]

I an totally with the shorter mag in an AR for to move around easier. I pick up the 10rd mags and put in the 5 round limiter. It makes the mag 5 rounds.

Minus 5 Round Limiter – PMAG® AR/M4 GEN M3®, 3 Pack

For sporting and hunting limitations

magpul.com

I'm a big fan of 20 round mags for that reason. No need to buy a limiter in NH anymore.

 

[lazypengu1n]

I'm a big fan of 20 round mags for that reason. No need to buy a limiter in NH anymore.

Yup, agreed. I've gone that route as well.

 

[The Anchor]

I an totally with the shorter mag in an AR for to move around easier. I pick up the 10rd mags and put in the 5 round limiter. It makes the mag 5 rounds.

Minus 5 Round Limiter – PMAG® AR/M4 GEN M3®, 3 Pack

For sporting and hunting limitations

magpul.com

yet the magazine limiter doesn't shorten the mag???

 

[AFAR/PFAR]

yet the magazine limiter doesn't shorten the mag???

It's like a shotgun plug for your mag. Again, wholly unnecessary in NH.

 

[DarthRevan]

This was fixed this year and was signed by the governor. Kudos to the house, Senate, and Gov. The gist is you can have a 30 round mag and the only thing that matters is the number of rounds in the firearm.

Current Legislation Search

AN ACT relative to the number of rounds of ammunition allowed for hunting regardless of firearm capacity.


Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

58:1 General Provisions as to Fish and Game; Lawful Methods of Taking. Amend RSA 207:3, II to read as follows:

II. A full automatic rifle shall not be used at any time [nor shall a semi-automatic rifle be used to which is attached a magazine or clip holding more than 6 cartridges, nor shall a full jacketed metal case bullet be used,]. A semi-automatic rifle may be used provided it is loaded with no more than 6 rounds of ammunition at any time. A full jacketed metal case bullet shall not be used, either in its original form or any alteration thereof.

58:2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

Approved: May 20, 2022

Effective Date: July 19, 2022

So I’m confused. That reads like it limits to six, am I not understanding it correctly and it’s removing it from the law?

 

[The Anchor]

It's like a shotgun plug for your mag. Again, wholly unnecessary in NH.

agreed, but just pointing out the obvious...

 

[Blackmore]

However, my understanding is once you cross the river into Bernie-land, it has to be a 5 round magazine or less. Not sure if a blocked one counts.

 

[ChevyGuy91]

So I’m confused. That reads like it limits to six, am I not understanding it correctly and it’s removing it from the law?

6 rounds in a mag, no mag restriction.

 

[DarthRevan]

6 rounds in a mag, no mag restriction.

Still a round restriction, not a mag type… hence the other posts about 5 round mags and mag baseplate mods and being 5+1
Okay. It clicked now. Thanks.

Next step is to work on eliminating round restrictions? Or do we not care?

 

[ChevyGuy91]

Still a round restriction, not a mag type… hence the other posts about 5 round mags and mag baseplate mods and being 5+1
Okay. It clicked now. Thanks.

Next step is to work on eliminating round restrictions? Or do we not care?

Doubt it. F&G needs some way to show young kids that their fathers will bend the knee to the state while he is trying to show them a good time.