Pennsylvania: Please Attend Meeting Concerning Proposed Rulemaking for the New Semi-Auto Rifle Hunting Law

Please consider attending the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s first quarterly meeting on January 29-January 31.  At this meeting, the Game Commission will open the floor for public comment regarding the newly enacted semi-automatic rifle hunting legislation.  Signed by Governor Tom Wolf on November 21, 2016, Act 168 of 2016 eliminates the prohibition on the use of semi-automatic rifles for hunting and allows for the Pennsylvania Game Commission to regulate these sporting rifles for all game species in accordance with season and bag limits.

Under the proposed rulemaking, a semi-automatic rifle magazine capacity shall not exceed five rounds nor shall the firearm’s total aggregate ammunition capacity exceed six rounds.  Semi-automatic rifles will be allowed for all legal species during the appropriate hunting seasons.  

Please consider attending the meeting!

As most other states have discovered, allowing hunters to use semi-automatic rifles is nothing more than expanding firearm selection for the hunter afield.  Semi-automatic rifles simply give hunters a much greater ability to fire a timely and accurate follow-up shot, which can be the huge difference between wounding or quickly taking a game animal.  Ending the prohibition on semi-automatic rifle hunting will provide Pennsylvania hunters the same opportunities and options enjoyed by hunters in 48 states.

Once again, please consider attending the meeting.  Final approval for the regulations will take place at the April meeting.  For more information regarding the meetings, please refer to the Game Commission website.