Hunting Rifles, Archery Equipment, and Firearm Regulations
Quality hunting demands the best rifles, hunting gear, and equipment. Make sure to maximize your enjoyment of your Wyoming or Montana hunting experience by bringing the best rifle, bow, and hunting equipment along with you.
The optics you bring can make or break your hunt.
Rifles should be topped with quality scopes at a minimum of 3x9 power with a 40mm objective or larger. Remember, we take longer shots out West, and often in low-light conditions. Binoculars need to be 10x and should also be a quality pair.
Range finders have become essential—if you own one, bring it.
Guides carry rangefinders, but it never hurts to have your own. Spotting scopes are optional except on Hunt #7—they will help you maximize your hunting experience. If you want to bring your spotting scope on any of our hunts, please feel free to do so.
Neither Wyoming or Montana have restrictive laws concerning firearms that may be legally possessed under the laws of your home state. Hunting rifles and other firearms may be carried uncased in vehicles although safety considerations dictate that all firearms in a vehicle should be unloaded with the action open.
Legal firearms and rifles for big game or trophy game must have a barrel bore diameter of at least 0.23 inches and be chambered to fire a centerfire cartridge not less than two inches overall length including a soft or expanding point bullet seated to a normal depth or any other cartridge authorized by the Commission that has a barrel bore diameter of at least 0.40 inches and a charge of at least 50 grains of black powder or equivalent.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission Regulations (Chapter XXXII) approved the following cartridges for the taking of all BIG GAME or TROPHY GAME animals:
- 0.41 Remington Magnum
- 0.44 Remington Magnum
- 0.44 Auto Magnum
- 0.45 Winchester Magnum
- 0.454 Casull and any cartridge
- 0.35 caliber or larger which has a factory load available that, according to published ballistic tables of the manufacturer, produces at least 500 ft. lbs. of energy at 100 yards when fired from a handgun. Any firearm meeting the above qualifications is allowed.
For more information on firearm preparation, check out our blog on the subject.
Legal Archery Equipment
When hunting antelope and deer, the longbow hunter must be equipped with a longbow of not less than 40 pounds draw weight or possess the ability to cast a hunting arrow of 400-grain weight at least 160 yards. When hunting elk, the longbow hunter must be equipped with a longbow of not less than 50 pounds draw weight or possess the ability to cast a hunting arrow of 500-grain weight at least 160 yards. The crossbow hunter must be equipped with a crossbow of not less than 90 pounds draw weight which has a minimum draw length of 14 inches (from the front of the bow to the back of the string in the cocked position), a positive safety mechanism, and which must be cocked by hand without the aid of leverage gaining devices. Crossbow bolts must be at least 16 inches long. The broadhead of arrows or bolts shall be of sharp steel with a minimum cutting width of one inch.