Minnesota State Senator Steve Drazkowski (R-Mazeppa) on Monday praised the elimination of southern Minnesota’s shotgun-only hunting zone, an antiquated law dating back to the 1940s that has become obsolete as technology advancements have increased the range of shotguns and further improved rifle accuracy.
The provision was eliminated in Special Session SF3, which is the Senate-House agreement on a new environment budget. Counties and local governments will retain the ability to create their own ordinances prohibiting the use of shotguns.
“The data and the evidence are crystal clear: rifles are safer than shotguns,” Senator Drazkowski said. “For decades, hunters in southern Minnesota have been subjected to this antiquated, arbitrary, and absurd rule that is out of step with modern safety data and hunting practices. This is long, long overdue.”
In 2024, the Senate passed a similar measure with bipartisan support. Unfortunately, it was stripped out at the last minute during negotiations.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
An in-depth study commissioned by the Pennsylvania General Assembly found “shotguns firing modern saboted slugs have a larger danger area than the .30-06 rifle when the angle of elevation is approximately level (0 degrees); hence, given this firing condition, the shotgun is riskier than the rifle. In other words, the typical hunter discharging a 12 gauge shotgun fitted with a rifled barrel firing a .50- caliber saboted modern high-velocity ammunition at a deer on level terrain is riskier than a hunter firing a .30-06 with a 150-grain expanding bullet at the same deer.”
In 2013, Wisconsin legalized rifles for statewide use. Since then, according to the Wisconsin DNR, total incidents are at the lowest level in the history of the state.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a 2003 Wisconsin DNR survey found 76% of hunters used a rifle while 24% used a shotgun. Yet from 1998-2008; 42% of incidents were with a shotgun. In other words, shotguns are responsible for a disproportionate amount of shooting incidents.