“The third change would make it unlawful to hunt a big game
mammal with a rifle using a centerfire cartridge larger than .50 caliber or
with a case length longer than 3 inches. The amendment would also make it
unlawful to hunt a big game mammal with any firearm equipped with any sighting
system using a computer or electronically controlled firing mechanism.
“The Commission directed the Department to change ‘3.8
inches overall loaded length’ to ‘3 inches case length,” change ‘.46 caliber or
larger’ to ‘larger than .50 caliber,’ change the minimum legal handgun
cartridge to ‘caliber .22 or larger,’ and change ‘electronic or computer
controlled trigger’ to ‘sighting system using a computer or electronically
controlled firing mechanism.’
.50 BMG stands for “Browning Machine Gun” as it was invented
during World War I by John M. Browning as a cartridge for his new anti-tank
machine gun, the M2. Electronic sighting systems assist the shooter in
determining range, ballistics, and releasing the shot at the optimum moment.
The decision was a clear abuse of power and an example of
administrative rulemaking made with no scientific or empirical justification. Nevadan’s
for State Gun rights said that: “This was in spite of a majority of their
county advisory boards voting against it and testimony against it from shooting
organizations and hunting as well as a complete lack of justification for the
ruling.”
Commissioners did admit they received a large volume of
emails, but that they were choosing to disregard them. The chief game warden
dismissed them as either coming from out of state or coming from people who
don’t hunt, claiming he “looked up the names.” Nevada Carry contributor Vern
reminded the chief that Nevada sells hunting tags to out of state residents and
that hunting was a right that should be preserved for future generations.
Additionally, non-hunters are still entitled to an opinion on state
regulations.
A disabled veteran was brought almost to tears fearing that
as his health deteriorates, he will be unable to hunt because of the
commissions arbitrary and excessive regulations. Use of electronic aids may be
his only way of making a shot. Another hunter testified that he hunted elk with
a .50 caliber rifle “with some success.”
On the surface, a half-inch round may seem like overkill,
but to someone knowledgeable about firearms, it’s not. On the contrary, the ban
is arbitrary, captious, and likely ultimately related to ulterior motives of
gun control. One commissioner’s scientific defense consisted of reading from
the Wikipedia page “.50 BMG.” A well-informed decision does not involve
Wikipedia.
Eliminating the .50 BMG as a hunting cartridge removes it
from the category of cartridges used for “sporting purposes.” This has sinister
implications as once a cartridge’s “sporting purpose” is removed, it can no
longer be imported and is a ripe target for anti-gunners who love to claim that
the Second Amendment is about hunting.
Objections to .50 caliber rifles in particular have no
veracity Vern told us. He pointed out that there are only two plausible
arguments in support of the ban. 1, to prohibit long-range shots that circumvent
the “sporting” chase of the animal, and 2, the large wound channels that the
.50 caliber rifle creates, causing a potential waste of meat.
“Some would argue that making really long range shots is
“unfair” or “unsporting”,” Vern said. “I beg to differ. Making a 1000 yard
shot, then hiking in to field dress it is quite sporting. Especially now that
much of the habitat is getting closed to vehicular traffic.” .338 Super Lapua
and a few other non-banned cartridges are capable of the extremely long
distance shots that .50 caliber is known for. In fact, some of the longest
sniper kills in history have been made with .338 caliber rifles.
The wound track from a common .30 caliber rifle soft-tip
hollow point and a round nose .50 caliber bullet are comparable. “Anecdotes
about wasted meat are not founded in truth, just anecdote.”
The smaller .30 caliber round may not instantly kill the
elk, allowing it to run off and die hidden from the hunter, whereas heavier
rounds can immediately or very quickly incapacitate the game. A smaller bullet
with less mass, especially after traveling hundreds of yards, will have lost
velocity and thus reducing its lethality. A .50 caliber cartridge is designed
for extreme long-range shooting and preserves its velocity.
“Sporting purposes” is language taken from the 1968 Gun
Control Act, generally applicable to imported weapons. Self-defense or militia
weapon considerations do not fall under the guise of “sporting purposes,” which
was intended to mean hunting or competitive target shooting (as then
practiced—not today’s .50 caliber long-range shooting competitions).
Interestingly, just before the 1968 act was proposed by
Senator Thomas Dodd (CT), the senator requested the Library of Congress translate the Nazi weapons law
from 1938, which curiously also has a “sporting purposes” provision.
Commissioners are appointed by the governor. In response, grassroots
are already organizing to petition next year’s legislature to strip the
commission of its powers and return rulemaking authority to the legislature.
Former Clark County Sheriff Bill Young, a proud supporter of gun control
(including blue cards, Ballot Question 1, and the Bloomberg gun control groups),
needs his political career put out to pasture. Unfortunately, the NDOW
commissioners abused their discretion despite obvious public opposition to enact
needless regulations and do not deserve to be trusted with that power.
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