Hopefully it will be approved, the more legal means of take the better. Doesn't matter if it brings in new hunters to me, but if it does great.

Better hope that they are not trying to prove you dont need your firearms. Watchem

Could say that now about crossbows, archery, muzzleloaders etc. Deer are not hard to kill.

Ive been a tinkerer for about 15 years. For me, it is being able to shoot a 80gr bullet at just under sub-sonic speeds with a shrouded weapon without having to get a permit or spending the money on a silencer to hog hunt. It's also cheaper considering the problems and cost of hand loading and on the occasional ammo shortages that occur.

I guess there are locations where a less noisy option will be a benefit. I do worry about the use of caliber as the only criteria. It really is more about bullet weight and FPE than just caliber. I will say, it is easier to generate higher energy with a larger diameter projectile for a given PSI, but stock .30 caliber airguns have no business being used on anything bigger than a raccoon.

For me, I want to hunt Turkeys with my .257 cal Modified AirForce Condor. As the rule is proposed I will not be able to legally take a Turkey even though my gun shoots a 80gr bullet at 1026 fps and generates 150fpe at 100 yards down range. Anyway, this is a step in the right direction.

The OP's initial statement is a little deceptive, they did not approve air guns for big game this year, they tabled it and will decide next year. I wonder can a felon own a big bore air rifle like they can a muzzle loader???

I am a gunsmith, we associate with the people at Air Guns of Arizona, he has gone all over hunting with air rifles. It is his thing and it promotes the shop, he has shot some big animals in Africa.
It is not my thing and I don't think it is for the entry level hunter but an air rifle does have a place in the hunting world under the right conditions. The performance is very similar to a subsonic cartridge rifle with heavy for caliber bullets at about 1000 fps. So close with a well practiced hand it will do the job.
As stated above the big bores can be very expensive. A very nice center fire rifle could be had for the same money.

Mark

Let me set out a situation that may call for an air gun or air bow.. I have a parcel of land aprox. 30 acres. It is next to a country club subdivision and is lake front property. It has both hogs and deer on it. The hogs are being hogs and are a bit of a problem. My other neighbors are 1 to 5 acre waterfront homes. I know by law I could shoot on this place, but my neighbors probably think I can't and we would have issues... I like to eat wild game and thought I would maybe take a deer or hog as opportunity presents.. Wouldn't this be a solution? I wonder which has more kill power the airgun or the air bow? I sure would hate to have to track an animal on to the golf course or a neighbors yard.

Subdivide it and sell! Then buy a bigger place that you won't need an air gun on.

^^^^^^^^this

Yep. That’s the biggest reason for the move to air guns