Section 650.30  Statewide Firearms Requirements

a)         The only legal firearms to take, or attempt to take, deer are:

1)         Shotgun, loaded with slugs only, of not larger than 10 nor smaller than 20 gauge, not capable of firing more than 3 consecutive slugs; or

2)         A single or double barreled muzzleloading rifle of at least .45 caliber shooting a single projectile through a barrel of at least sixteen inches in length; or

3)         Centerfire revolvers or centerfire single-shot handguns of .30 caliber or larger with a minimum barrel length of 4 inches. 

b)         Standards and specifications for legal ammunition are:

1)        For shotguns and muzzleloading firearms, the minimum size of the projectile shall be .44 caliber.  A wad or sleeve is not considered a projectile or a part of the projectile.

2)        For handguns, a bottleneck centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or larger with a case length not exceeding 1.4 inches, or a straight-walled centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or larger, both of which must be available as a factory load with the published ballistic tables of the manufacturer showing a capability of at least 500 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle.

3)        Non-expanding, military-style full metal jacket bullets cannot be used to harvest white-tailed deer; only soft point or expanding bullets (including copper/copper alloy rounds designed for hunting) are legal ammunition.

c)         Standards and specifications for use of muzzleloading firearms are as follows:

1)         A muzzleloading firearm is defined as a firearm that is incapable of being loaded from the breech end.

2)         Only black powder or a "black powder substitute" such as Pyrodex may be used.  Modern smokeless powders (nitrocellulose-based) are an approved blackpowder substitute only in muzzleloading firearms that are specifically designed for their use.

3)         Only percussion caps, wheellock, matchlock or flint type ignition may be used, except the Connecticut Valley Arms (CVA) electronic ignition shall be legal to use.

4)         Removal of percussion cap or removal of prime powder from frizzen pan with frizzen open and hammer all the way down or removal of prime powder from flashpan and wheel unwound or removal of prime powder and match with match not lit, or removal of the battery from the CVA electronic ignition muzzleloader, shall constitute an unloaded muzzleloading firearm. 

d)         Violation of this Section is a Class B misdemeanor (see 520 ILCS 5/2.24).

(Source:  Amended at 32 Ill. Reg. 9300, effective June 13, 2008)