Buying a hunting rifle MN

[Banage]

I just spent an hour looking for the rules to buy a 12ga Shotgun, but i cant find them, anyone know where to find them? Mainly do i need firearm safety? My bd says yes but i dont know. :TrikesOwn

[Oldshell4481]

as long as ** 18 here in maine. i know if * hunt you have to take a hunters saftey course.

[BIGCRIP28]

yeah around here you just have to be 18 to buy a shotgun or rifle. (21 for handgun)
if you go hunting you need the hunters education though.

[Dan Tenn]

Firearm safety hunter education is recommended for students age 11 or older who have little or no firearms or hunting experience. In Minnesota, anyone born after December 31, 1979 is required to have a hunter safety certificate to purchase a hunting license.

This came straight from the MN DNR's web site.

The title of this thread is rifle, but you actually want a shotgun? Im a bit confused. For deer in MN, the general rule is anything north of state HWY.10 is rifle or shotgun, and anything south is shotgun only.

[Banage]

I just want to buy a shotgun to tell off a friend that swares they wont sell you one unless you got firearm safety, but i didnt want to try if you needed it.

[honda200boyatc]

i got a bright idea why don't * call a gun store like gander or some place like that and ask. that might solve ** problem really quick

[Dan Tenn]

Are you retarded? You want to buy a gun because your friend said you can't?

I thought I was helping to get someone hunting, not settling an argument over who's dumber. :rolleyes:

[Banage]

Well growing up, my dad is against hunting, but i love it, and i want to get one, and there is no classes yet, but the $ is here now so its for me

[rob0781]

i been wantin to start huntin but not shure on the rules,if * hunt ** never gonna go hungry thats fre sure..

[83200e]

Not sure how it is is Canada,but here you can pick up a copy of the game/fish regulations at any bait shop,sporting good store,check staion and most convenience stores.You could always call your G/F commision.

[Dan Tenn]

Go to the DNR's web site and read till it hurts. Everything you need to know can be found here. I believe that you need to be 18 in order to purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer. You do not need any certification to buy a gun, but you do in order to hunt, and its also a good idea if you are not familiar with guns.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/index.html

[Banage]

I know you need to have it to buy a hunting license but from what i can tell not to buy the gun itself. I love hunting i do it on 80 acres of land, so its not like i ever get board of where i am

[TRI Z Racer]

firearms laws are generally fedral laws i believe. 18 years old for long guns, 21 years old for handguns. the only time you would need an education course is if you were going to try and buy a hunting liscence. some people just target shoot and trap shoot, there is no need for them to learn how to be safe in the field with guns. if you plan to hunt i recomend taking a hunter safety class, especially if you have little or no experience in the woods or with a gun. Lets not add to the statistics the anti-gun people love. If your looking for advice on what gun to get or anything let me know, id be more then happy to help

[TimSr]

firearms laws are generally fedral laws i believe. 18 years old for long guns, 21 years old for handguns. the only time you would need an education course is if you were going to try and buy a hunting liscence. some people just target shoot and trap shoot, there is no need for them to learn how to be safe in the field with guns. if you plan to hunt i recomend taking a hunter safety class, especially if you have little or no experience in the woods or with a gun. Lets not add to the statistics the anti-gun people love. If your looking for advice on what gun to get or anything let me know, id be more then happy to help


Firearms laws are generally state laws, with federal guidelines. Many states require you to be 21 for long guns or pistols. Many dont. The criteria to be eligible varies greatly, and on top of that, many local laws and permits can be a nightmare. Hunter education course revolve around all aspects of game management, and firearms safety and handling is only a tiny part of that. Most states require hunter education for first time hunting licenses. Laws pertaining to non-resident hunters vary greatly from state to state.

The suggestion that there is "no need to learn to be safe with guns in the field if you are only going to target and trap shoot" is appalling to me. Most firearms accidents involve unsafe handling everywhere but in the field, because those guys in the field are more likely to have proper training. If you are not well versed on firearms handling, I strongly would urge anyone to take a firearms safety course (not hunter education) BEFORE YOUR PURCHASE A FIREARM! Virtually every range and gun club offers these types of courses. If you are going to hunt, I would strongly suggest taking the hunter safety course BEFORE purchasing a firearm. Training before purchasing will help in making an intelligent choice for your intended purpose. State hunting laws dont allow some choices that would be great in another state, and some arms are just poor choices for certain types of hunting. Thats the purpose of hunter education and firearms training.

As for the original question of what age, just pick up the phone and call any gun dealer who will be able to tell you instantly whats required in that state and any local laws to consider.