§ 29.1-519. Guns, pistols, revolvers, etc., which may be used; penalty
A. All wild birds and wild animals may be hunted with the following weapons unless shooting is expressly prohibited:
1. A shotgun or muzzleloading shotgun not larger than 10 gauge;
2. An automatic-loading or hand-operated repeating shotgun capable of holding not more than three shells the magazine of which has been cut off or plugged with a one-piece filler incapable of removal through the loading end, so as to reduce the capacity of the gun to not more than three shells at one time in the magazine and chamber combined, unless otherwise allowed by Board regulations;
3. A rifle, a muzzleloading rifle, or an air rifle;
4. A bow and arrow;
5. —Expired.]
6. A crossbow, which is a type of bow and arrow, in accordance with the provisions of § 29.1-306.1.
B. A pistol, muzzle-loading pistol or revolver may be used to hunt nuisance species of birds and animals.
C. In the counties west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and counties east of the Blue Ridge where rifles of a caliber larger than.22 caliber may be used for hunting wild birds and animals, game birds and animals may be hunted with pistols or revolvers firing cartridges rated in manufacturers' tables at 350 foot pounds of energy or greater and under the same restrictions and conditions as apply to rifles, provided that no cartridge shall be used with a bullet of less than.23 caliber. In no event shall pistols or revolvers firing cartridges rated in manufacturers' tables at 350 foot pounds of energy or greater be used if rifles of a caliber larger than.22 caliber are not authorized for hunting purposes.
D. The use of muzzle-loading pistols and.22 caliber rimfire handguns is permitted for hunting small game where.22 caliber rifles are permitted.
E. The hunting of wild birds and wild animals with fully automatic firearms, defined as a machine gun in § 18.2-288, is prohibited.
F. The hunting of wild birds or wild animals with (i) weapons other than those authorized by this section or (ii) weapons that have been prohibited by this section shall be punishable as a Class 3 misdemeanor.
(Code 1950, § 29-140; 1962, c. 469; 1964, c. 441; 1974, cc. 108, 302; 1977, c. 377; 1983, c. 166; 1987, c. 488; 1988, c. 162; 1989, c. 421; 1993, c. 684; 1998, c. 144; 2002, c. 157; 2005, c. 8; 2007, c. 643.)
Sections: Previous 29.1-512 29.1-513 29.1-514 29.1-515 29.1-516 29.1-517 29.1-518 29.1-519 29.1-520 29.1-521 29.1-521.1 29.1-521.2 29.1-521.3 29.1-522 29.1-523 NextLast modified: April 16, 2009