DES MOINES, Iowa — Good news for Iowa dear hunters: a bill passed by the Iowa House is adding a new hunting season.
Senate File 581 will allow hunters to use semi-automatic rifles to hunt antlerless deer in January if counties still have unsold licenses to hunt them. But, not everyone is happy about the changes.
The new bill expands the window for Iowa hunters to use semi-automatic, AR-15-style rifles during hunting season. An AR-15 is not a specific rifle of its own; the title just means it's semi-automatic and based on the design of an older rifle made by Colt. Ethan Settle, manager of Crossroads Shooting Sports, says he sees the rifles pretty frequently.
"AR-15s are already commonly used for target sport and as well as for hunting in the state of Iowa. This is just going to be a minor change in the calibers that are allowed to be used," Settle said.
The bill allows hunters to load their rifles with .223 caliber ammunition. Settle says he's seen shortages of other commonly-used ammo for hunting over the past few years and thinks the change will help hunters.
"A caliber that's already readily available, that people are familiar with is a smart change to be allowed to use and hunt," he said.
However, some Iowans have concerns. While the legislation is intended for deer hunting, rifle rounds can go long distances, potentially causing a hazard if a shooter misses their target.
"A gun like this has a range of about two and a half miles. So any stray bullet can go a lot further than intended in any kind of a hunch," said Art Roche, Acting Board Chair of Iowans for Gun Safety.
When asked how he'd respond to someone with those concerns, Settle said that with AR-15s being so common, owners already have the training and knowledge to use them appropriately.
"The AR-15 is already in common use. So that means there's a lot of people familiar with it already and how to use them properly and safely," Settle said.
Comparing the law to Iowa's neighbors, Minnesota and Missouri already allowed .223 caliber ammo for hunting; Illinois, however, does not.