Illinois Ends Single-Shot Rifle Limit for Deer Hunters in 2027

AmmoLand ^ | August 5, 2026 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

The Illinois government has passed Senate Bill 2756 into law. The bill reforms the limitations on what firearms may be legally used for hunting deer in Illinois. The previous limitations allow centerfire rifles to be used if they are limited to one shot. Bill SB2756 passed the Senate third reading on April 15, 2026. It passed the House at third reading on May 21, 2026. Democratic Governor Pritzker approved the bill on July 24, 2026, now known as Public Act 104-0627.

Beginning January 1, 2027, Illinois deer hunters will no longer be limited to single-shot centerfire rifles. Public Act 104-0627 will allow qualifying centerfire rifles and handguns capable of holding up to three cartridges in the magazine and chamber combined.

Centerfire rifles or handguns used to take deer are required to use either bottleneck cartridges of .30 caliber or more, with a case length of no more than 1.4 inches, or straight-walled cartridges of .30 caliber or more. The cartridges must be available in a factory round with manufacturer-published ballistics of 500 foot pounds or more of energy at the muzzle.

The .300 BLK case is 1.368 inches long. It meets the requirements. There may be other bottleneck cartridges that meet the requirements. The .357 magnum, 10mm magnum, .41 magnum, .44 magnum, and larger magnum calibers meet the requirements.

In addition to the cartridge case and ballistic limitations, many rifles and handguns are not eligible because of the extreme restrictions on how they may be rendered incapable of holding more than three cartridges in the chamber and magazine combined. If they can use removable magazines, it is very difficult to meet the requirements. From the law:

If a centerfire handgun or centerfire rifle is capable of holding more than 3 rounds, it shall be fitted with a one-piece plug that is irremovable

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TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: banglist; deer; il; rifle

[MikelTackNailer]

What sort of men go around enforcing such nincompoop laws? The kind who get the warm fuzzies thinking about the starving deer population?

[Pontiac]

My brother has a Thompson Contender, it is a quality pistol. The Cyclops I am not familiar with. In any case these niche firearms are fine if you want to spend your money on single purpose firearm. But hundreds of other firearms are eliminated for no practical reason. A large bore revolver that can serve multiple purposes is not legal for hunting in Illinois for no real reason. There is no real difference between a three shot pistol and a six shot revolver for the purpose of hunting deer.

Who makes a three shot pistol? What kind of idiots drafted this legislation?

[SakoL61R]

So glad I live in a state where the regs read:

“FIREARMS
Deer & Bear
• Modern Rifles and Handguns: Centerfire
only, .22-cal. or larger with expanding
bullets. There is no restriction on magazine
capacity for rifles”

[T.B. Yoits]

Marktwain clarified in Post 20 that revolvers are exempted from the magazine limit.

[ConservaTexan]

Infringed?

[No name given]

Just like the rest of the constitution.

[NonValueAdded]

“One shot, Stevie, one shot.”

[zeestephen]

Finally...

Deer hunting with machine guns!

[marktwain]

This three barreled "cigarrete" pistol shows there are some three barreled pistols out there.

The pistol shown above is a rather crude muzzleloader. It is fired with a cigarette to one of the flash holes.

It is on display in an Australian museum.

[Donbue]

Mario Coumo before his ass got tired…..
“Nobody needs seven bullets to kill a deah!”

[Big Red Badger]

Rather Crude....
Looks like a Zip gun from Sixth Grade !

[Pontiac]

The pistol shown above is a rather crude muzzleloader. It is fired with a cigarette to one of the flash holes.

I have to wonder, why it has a trigger guard?

The owner would have to be a chain smoker so that he would always be prepared to fire his pistole.

[marktwain]

I have to wonder, why it has a trigger guard?

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For that matter, why the trigger? It is non-functional.

I believe they are just for show, just to make it look more like a modern handgun.

[MikelTackNailer]

The “trigger” may lower a shield that covers the ignition hole.