Using a 6.5 Grendel Pistol in MN Deer Shotgun Zone

[rebby]

JD6-Mn. has changed the laws on what can be used in rifle caliber weapons in the southern shotgun- muzzle loader zone. They will let you use straight wall rounds, like the .350 Legend,

.450 Bushy, .458 socom., etc.. They don't want long range calibers shooting across the farms down there.

I'm not disputing this but I am curious of your source for this information. Here is what I can find;

From page 57 of the 2020 MN Hunting & Trapping Regulations book (underlined emphasis mine, to be addressed later);

Firearms
Firearms for big game must meet the following criteria:

• At least .220 caliber and has centerfire ignition;
  
• Loaded only with single projectile ammunition;
  
• The projectile has a soft point or is an expanding bullet type;
  
• Muzzleloaders (long gun or handgun) cannot be loaded at the breech (back powder revolvers are not legal for taking big game if they are loaded through the cylinder);
  
• Smooth-bore muzzleloaders must be at least .45 caliber;
  
• Rifled muzzleloaders are at least .40 caliber;
  
• Muzzleloaders with scopes are legal during the regular firearms and muzzleloader deer seasons.
  

One can thus conclude, if we're using a centerfire firearm of some type (not a muzzleloader) with a caliber > .220 and load it with a legal projectile, we're good to go. Since a Grendel is .264 and uses the proper projectiles, there are no concerns there (a 6mm ARC, .243, also qualifies). Let's dig a little deeper.

Continued on page 79 of the same book (again, underlined emphasis mine);

Rifle/shotgun boundary
In the shotgun zone (see the 2020 Deer Season Area Map), deer hunters may use only legal shotguns loaded with single-slug shotgun shells, legal muzzleloading long guns, or legal handguns.

What I'm reading here is that in the shotgun zone we can use a single-slug shotgun load, a muzzleloader or a legal handgun. So... what is a "legal handgun?"

Page 24 addresses handgun possession while hunting (as part of the FAQ) but the focus here is on the nuances of if you can legally possess a handgun while hunting and doesn't address any other aspect of concern (especially in the definition of a handgun). As far as I can tell, the MN DNR never defines "handgun" in the regulations book or elsewhere and numerous conversations with DNR officials over the years indicate that the DNR uses the definition as provided by MN State Statute 624.712. The DNR admits to substituting "handgun" in their literature for "pistol," as defined in statute. Per 624.712 (underlined emphasis mine);

Subd. 2.Pistol. "Pistol" includes a weapon designed to be fired by the use of a single hand and with an overall length less than 26 inches, or having a barrel or barrels of a length less than 18 inches in the case of a shotgun or having a barrel of a length less than 16 inches in the case of a rifle (1) from which may be fired or ejected one or more solid projectiles by means of a cartridge or shell or by the action of an explosive or the igniting of flammable or explosive substances; or (2) for which the propelling force is a spring, elastic band, carbon dioxide, air or other gas, or vapor.
"Pistol" does not include a device firing or ejecting a shot measuring .18 of an inch, or less, in diameter and commonly known as a "BB gun," a scuba gun, a stud gun or nail gun used in the construction industry or children's pop guns or toys.

So based on what I can ascertain, in the scope of our discussion (a AR-15 based Grendel pistol) a "pistol" per MN State Statute 624.712 is any firearm designed to be fired by the use of a single hand with an OAL of < 26" (which is not outlined in state statute, thus we're forced to assume that ATF guidelines are being followed) OR any firearm designed to be fired by the use of a single hand with a barrel of a length less than 16" (rifle).

Per current ATF interpretation (this may change in as little as 14 days), a braced AR-15 is designed to be fired by the use of a single hand. The only remaining requirement per MN state statute is that the OAL be <26" OR the barrel be <16" (rifle). That's actually a trivial set of requirements.

I posed a couple of fictional "handgun" to the DNR in the fall of 2018 (in writing) and asked for an interpretation based on the above;

• Bullpup style AR-15 design with an SBA3-style brace and a barrel measuring 18" having an OAL of 25.99".
  
• Standard AR-15 design on an extended receiver (stay w/me) with an SBA3-style brace and a barrel measuring 15.99" having an OAL of 48".
  
• Standard AR-15 design on a standard receiver with an SBA3-style brace and a barrel measuring 10.5" having an OAL of 25.75".
  
• Standard AR-15 design on a standard receiver with an SBA3-style brace and a barrel measuring 12.5" having an OAL of 27.75".
  

In all 4 cases, per MN state statue and the DNR hunting regulations, these are "handguns" and thus legal to use south of the MN Rifle/shotgun boundary. Notice; in none of my scenarios did I ever mount a VFG, this introduces more ambiguity/confusion than I wanted to present and, generally speaking, I advise that people avoid VFGs on pistols anyway and instead opt for an AFG instead (or, ideally, skip the *FG altogether).

Therefore, based on all the information that I've been able to gather, any AR-style Grendel build that has (an OAL <26" OR a barrel <16") AND is not an SBR, is legal to hunt deer with in the so-called MN "shotgun" zone.