Hunting with big bore air rifle, legal or illegal?

[shuswapbear]

Yet, as probably when regulations were originally written up air rifles were not getting over 1000' per second with 350 grain bullets with 500+ft lbs energy.

[saskbooknut]

Explicitly prohibited in the Saskatchewan game regulations.

[E.B.]

Can't seem to find any info on the legality of hunting with a .45 caliber air rifle. It can push a 250 grain bullet at 800 fps.

Probably not legal for big game as a 410 slug is not legal for big game in BC. The 410 can shoot a 110gr slug at almost 1800 fps and is not considered powerful enough in BC for big game but you can shoot a moose with a 222 , go figure. Other provinces vary on the 410 and on big bore airguns. They should both be allowed imo.

[KodiakHntr]

Big bore air rifles are classified as firearms as they are over 500fps and whatever the energy requirement is. Currently legal to hunt with.

[Ltbullken]

Check pg 16-17 of the regs. I do not believe any air rifle is considered legal for hunting as the legal hunting methods only include rimfire, centerfire, shotgun or bow/crossbow.

[Yuritau]

Big bore air rifles are classified as firearms as they are over 500fps and whatever the energy requirement is. Currently legal to hunt with.

Whether they are classed as firearms or not isn't the issue. The issue is whether or not the regs (pg 16-17) say they are legal to hunt game with. And below is the answer:

Check pg 16-17 of the regs. I do not believe any air rifle is considered legal for hunting as the legal hunting methods only include rimfire, centerfire, shotgun or bow/crossbow.

The regs list what methods are legal to hunt with for each game species (or category of game). By extension, if it's not listed, it's not a legal hunting method.

[Walking Buffalo]

Explain to me why there is a current proposal to make Air guns illegal for hunting big game if they are already illegal?

What is a "shotgun"? Does BC even define one?
There is no Federal definition....

Giordani air rifle.... the gun that actually won the west.

You need to put aside relying on the Hunting synopsis when looking for legal answers.
Heck, it even states on page 2 that it is NOT a legal document.

[Walking Buffalo]

So I took two minutes to google the BC hunting regs, NOT the synopsis.
https://www.canlii.org/en/bc/laws/regu/bc-reg-190-84/latest/bc-reg-190-84.html?searchUrlHash=AAAAAQAGd2VhcG9uAAAAAAE&resu ltIndex=8&offset=0

Air guns are currently legal for hunting big game.

Can't find a definition of a "shotgun".
Not surprising, Alberta has this same situation. Shotgun seasons without a legal definition of a shotgun...
Will make an interesting court case if ever enforced and tried.

Division 7 — Hunting Methods

Offence — weapons

17 (1)

A person commits an offence where the person hunts

(a)

with a rifle using

(i)

a full metal jacketed non-expanding bullet, or

(ii)

a tracer, incendiary, or explosive bullet,

(b)

big game, other than lynx, bobcat or wolverine, with a rifle using a rimfire cartridge,

(c)

with a shotgun using a tracer or incendiary shot shell,

(d)

mountain sheep, mountain goat, elk, moose, caribou, bison or grizzly bear with a shotgun,

(e)

deer, black bear, cougar, coyote, lynx, bobcat, wolverine or wolf with a shotgun

(i)

less than 20 gauge, or

(ii)

using a shot shell loaded with shot smaller than the shot size 1 Buck,

(f)

game birds, other than turkey, grouse and ptarmigan, with a rifle,

(g)

small game, game birds, lynx, bobcat, wolverine, mule (black-tailed) deer, white-tailed deer or fallow deer with a crossbow (except a compound crossbow) having a pull of less than 55 kg,

(h)

big game, other than deer, lynx, bobcat or wolverine with a crossbow (except a compound crossbow)

(i)

having a pull of less than 68 kg, or

(ii)

having a bolt with a broadhead less than 2.22 cm at the widest point,

(i)

with a compound crossbow having a pull of less than 45 kg at full draw,

(j)

with a crossbow having a bolt weighing less than 16.2 g,

(k)

with a bow having a pull of less than 18 kg within the archer's draw length,

(l)

big game with a bow using an arrow with a broadhead less than 2.2 cm at the widest point,

(m)

bear

(i)

by placing bait, or

(ii)

by using a dead animal or part of it as bait,

(n)

migratory game birds by using a power boat, unless the boat is beached, resting at anchor or fastened within or tied immediately alongside of a fixed hunting blind,

(o)

migratory game birds using

(i)

a rifle or shotgun loaded with a single projectile,

(ii)

any weapon other than a bow and arrow or a shotgun not larger than number 10 gauge, or

(iii)

more than one shotgun unless each shotgun in excess of one is disassembled or unloaded and encased,

(p)

waterfowl, coot or snipe while using shot other than non-toxic shot,

(q)

turkey with a rifle using a centrefire cartridge,

(r)

bison with a weapon other than

(i)

a centrefire rifle and ammunition other than ammunition constructed with a 175 grain or larger bullet which retains 2 712 joules (2 000 foot pounds) or more energy at 100 metres, or

(ii)

a bow having a pull greater than 22.6 kg within the archer's draw length, an arrow greater than 26 grams in weight and a broadhead greater than 8.1 grams in weight and 2.2 cm in width at its widest point, or

(s)

with a firearm that is designed, altered or intended to be aimed and fired by the action of one hand or that has a barrel less than 305 mm in length.

(1.1)

An offence under subsection (1) (m) of this section is prescribed as an offence for the purposes of section 84 (1) (b) (ii) of the Act.

(2)

A person who possesses shot, other than non-toxic shot, for the purpose of hunting waterfowl, coot or snipe, commits an offence.

(3)

A person who hunts big game with a shotgun loaded with single-projectile ammunition is exempt from section 26 (1) (h) of the Act.

[Gateholio]

Since we are posting what is said in the Synopsis, don't forget that one of the first things in the synopsis says THIS IS NOT THE LAW and refers you to the Wildlife Act for the real law.

If anyone can point out where in the BC Wildlife Act it states that airguns are not legal hunting weapons, please do so.

I can save you some time, you won't find it.

Page 16 is more about pointing out what is illegal to hunt with that providing a comprehensive list of all legal hunting weaponry.

[Yuritau]

Fair enough point that the synopsis isn't the full regs. That's literally what the word synopsis means, heh.

A definition of shot exists on page 5 of the synopsis, however, which I suspect would be the accepted definition, if it ever came up in BC court.

Shot means a cartridge manufactured so
that it contains 8 or more roughly spherical
projectiles.