Flintknapper
Member
As a matter of fact they do look at power factor. To hunt with a cartridge from a handgun you must meet a specific minimum caliber AND 700 ft.lbs. of energy, and for a rifle you must meet 1200 ft.lbs. of energy.
What happened is a bunch of the counties were worried folks would shoot-out-of-safe, so they decided to ban cartridge rifles for deer hunting, but to keep shotguns. Simpler to simply say, "no cartridge rifles here". They also years ago for humane reasons banned buckshot from shotguns, AND banned the .410 slug.
They didn't look hard at muzzle loaders, nor at what a shotgun slug will do nor how far it will actually travel.
LD
Yes, I get that they have 'minimum' power levels (many states do), but it wasn't their intent to 'compare' one firearm to another was my point. Because if they had...they would have recognized their folly. 'Feel good' legislation without the benefit of research or understanding. All too common these days if you ask me.