Hunting Information

Many Iowans look forward to hunting season each year.  If you have a son or nephew that hasn't yet been hunting, take them out with you once this year.  If they like it, they should consider taking the hunter's safety class that is offered through the Iowa DNR.  This program is meant to teach young hunters about gun and hunting safety.  Contact the Iowa DNR for more details.

Recommended Firearms for Hunting

Here are a few shotguns and muzzleloaders that I recommend for hunting in Iowa.  Iowa allows the use of shotguns, pistols, and muzzle loaders for hunting purposes.  A rifle season has recently been made available in southern Iowa, so hopefully the rest of the state will follow.

Remington 870 Wingmaster or Express

The Remington 870 12 gauge shotgun is one of the most popular shotguns for all types of hunting.  It can be used very effectively for deer, turkey, and pheasant.  Through the use of choke tubes, you can choose different shot patterns for both turkey and pheasants.  There are also many aftermarket barrels and parts that can be purchased for the 870.  Many hunters will purchase a rifled barrel for their 870 so they can shoot sabots and get better accuracy.

Saiga-12 Shotgun

The Saiga-12 is made in same plant as the world famous Russian AK-47.  This shotgun has a semi-automatic action (same action as the AK-47) and is very accurate when shooting rifled slugs.  The only downside to this rifle is that it isn't equipped with a choke tube system.  There are many gunsmiths that can machine the barrel to accept choke tubes if you wish to go that route.  I know many guys that love using this shotgun for both deer and pheasants.  If you haven't shot one of these before, give it a try.

Taurus Revolvers

Iowa also has a pistol season for hunting deer, so many hunters have gone that route over the years.  I believe that Taurus revolvers are the best bang for the buck.  These pistols are built tough and have a patented grip system that is very effective at reducing felt recoil especially for larger calibers.  For deer hunting, I would recommend the .357 or .44 magnum calibers.  These rounds have great stopping power and are relatively inexpensive rounds to purchase when compared to other pistol calibers.

Knight Muzzleloaders

Muzzleloaders have been around for a very long time.  These are very popular among deer hunters in Iowa.  If you are hunting in open fields and long range shots may be necessary, than a muzzleloader is what you should look into purchasing.  Knight is one of the most trusted names in muzzleloaders and they are built extremely sturdy and reliable.