SB2756 (2026): Centerfire Rifles and Handguns for Deer Hunting

What the Act Changes

Public Act 104-0627 rewrites the Wildlife Code section that lists the firearms allowed for deer hunting. Under the old wording, a centerfire rifle had to be single shot, and a centerfire handgun had to be either single shot or a revolver.

Under the new wording, the legal handguns and rifles are centerfire revolvers, centerfire handguns that hold no more than 3 rounds in the magazine and chamber combined, and centerfire rifles that hold no more than 3 rounds in the magazine and chamber combined. Shotguns and muzzleloading rifles remain allowed.

A centerfire handgun or rifle that can hold more than 3 rounds must be fitted with a one-piece plug that cannot be removed without dismantling the firearm. It may instead be altered in another way so that it cannot hold more than 3 rounds in the magazine and chamber combined without dismantling it.

Ammunition and Barrel Rules That Stay the Same

The only legal ammunition for a centerfire handgun or rifle is a bottleneck centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or larger with a case no longer than one and two-fifths inches, or a straight-walled centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or larger. Both must be available as a factory load, and the manufacturer's published ballistic tables must show at least 500 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle. A handgun barrel must be at least 4 inches long, and full metal jacket bullets may not be used to harvest deer.

Other standards for guns, ammunition and bows used for deer hunting are set by administrative rule. A person taking deer may not possess a firearm that the rules do not authorize for that season, unless the possession is in accordance with the Firearm Concealed Carry Act.

Possession While Deer Hunting

The act also rewrites the related prohibition. While deer hunting, it is unlawful to possess, be in close proximity to, or use a rifle, handgun, revolver, muzzleloading rifle or magazine that does not comply with the deer-hunting firearms section or the administrative rules adopted under the Wildlife Code. The old wording covered a rifle that was not centerfire and a magazine capable of making a rifle more than single shot.

Current Status

SB2756 was approved by the Governor on July 24, 2026 and became Public Act 104-0627. The official bill record lists January 1, 2027 as its effective date, so the single-shot rule for centerfire rifles applies until then. Read the enrolled act. Official bill status.