29.1-519 - Guns, pistols, revolvers, etc., which may be used; penalty. - Virginia Statutes

§ 29.1-519. Guns, pistols, revolvers, etc., which may be used;penalty.

A. All wild birds and wild animals may be hunted with thefollowing weapons unless shooting is expressly prohibited:

1. A shotgun or muzzleloading shotgun not larger than 10gauge;

2. An automatic-loading or hand-operated repeating shotguncapable of holding not more than three shells the magazine of which has beencut off or plugged with a one-piece filler incapable of removal through theloading end, so as to reduce the capacity of the gun to not more than threeshells at one time in the magazine and chamber combined, unless otherwiseallowed 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 accordancewith the provisions of § 29.1-306.1.

B. A pistol, muzzle-loading pistol or revolver may be used tohunt nuisance species of birds and animals.

C. In the counties west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, andcounties east of the Blue Ridge where rifles of a caliber larger than .22caliber may be used for hunting wild birds and animals, game birds and animalsmay be hunted with pistols or revolvers firing cartridges rated inmanufacturers' tables at 350 foot pounds of energy or greater and under thesame restrictions and conditions as apply to rifles, provided that no cartridgeshall be used with a bullet of less than .23 caliber. In no event shall pistolsor revolvers firing cartridges rated in manufacturers' tables at 350 foot poundsof energy or greater be used if rifles of a caliber larger than .22 caliber arenot authorized for hunting purposes.

D. The use of muzzle-loading pistols and .22 caliber rimfirehandguns is permitted for hunting small game where .22 caliber rifles are permitted.

E. The hunting of wild birds and wild animals with fullyautomatic firearms, defined as a machine gun in § 18.2-288, is prohibited.

F. The hunting of wild birds or wild animals with (i) weaponsother than those authorized by this section or (ii) weapons that have beenprohibited 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.)