Missouri Hunting Laws
Missouri sets no minimum bullet diameter for deer rifles or handguns — any centerfire cartridge firing an expanding-type bullet is legal. Muzzleloaders and airguns, however, must be .40 caliber or larger, and airguns must be charged only from an external high-compression source (hand pump, air tank, or compressor).
Rules checked against Missouri Department of Conservation regulations, August 30, 2026.
At a Glance
Check a Cartridge in Missouri
Sourced Rules
Each rule links to the regulation we read and the month we checked it.
Rifle
1 ruleNo minimum caliber — any expanding-type centerfire rifle cartridge is legal for deer.
"Any legal method: archery and muzzleloader methods; atlatl; shotguns; handguns or rifles firing expanding-type centerfire ammunition; and air-powered guns, .40 caliber or larger, charged only from an external high com..."
3 CSR 10-7.431(5)(C) · verified Aug 2026
| Species | Rule | Citation | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
|
White-tailed / Mule Deer
|
No minimum caliber — any expanding-type centerfire rifle cartridge is legal for deer.
"Any legal method: archery and muzzleloader methods; atlatl; shotguns; handguns or rifles firing expanding-type centerfire ammunition; and air-powered guns, .40 caliber or larger, charged only from an external high com..." |
3 CSR 10-7.431(5)(C) | Aug 2026 |
Rifle and Handgun
2 rulesDeer rifle and handgun bullets must be expanding-type; full hard metal case (FMJ) projectiles and buckshot are prohibited.
"handguns or rifles firing expanding-type centerfire ammunition... Prohibited, in use or possession: ...4. Full hard metal case projectiles"
3 CSR 10-7.431(5)(C)-(D) · verified Aug 2026
Self-loading deer rifles/handguns are capped at 11 rounds total (magazine + chamber combined).
"Self-loading firearms with capacity of more than eleven (11) cartridges in magazine and chamber combined with the exception of concealable firearms, as defined in Chapter 571, RSMo. Firearms possessed under this excep..."
3 CSR 10-7.431(5)(D)2 · verified Aug 2026
| Species | Rule | Citation | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
|
White-tailed / Mule Deer
|
Deer rifle and handgun bullets must be expanding-type; full hard metal case (FMJ) projectiles and buckshot are prohibited.
"handguns or rifles firing expanding-type centerfire ammunition... Prohibited, in use or possession: ...4. Full hard metal case projectiles" |
3 CSR 10-7.431(5)(C)-(D) | Aug 2026 |
|
White-tailed / Mule Deer
|
Self-loading deer rifles/handguns are capped at 11 rounds total (magazine + chamber combined).
"Self-loading firearms with capacity of more than eleven (11) cartridges in magazine and chamber combined with the exception of concealable firearms, as defined in Chapter 571, RSMo. Firearms possessed under this excep..." |
3 CSR 10-7.431(5)(D)2 | Aug 2026 |
Shotgun
2 rulesNontoxic shot is required statewide for waterfowl/coots, and on Conservation Areas (Missouri's term for WMAs) specifically posted as nontoxic-only for other species.
"Shells possessed or used while hunting waterfowl and coots statewide, and for wildlife or coots designated by posting on public areas, must be loaded with material approved as nontoxic by the United States Fish and Wi..."
3 CSR 10-7.440(3)(K) · verified Aug 2026
Shotguns used for turkey and other wildlife (not black bear, deer, or elk) are capped at 3 shells in magazine and chamber combined.
"Except for hunting black bear, deer, and elk, any shotgun having a capacity of more than three (3) shells must have the magazine cut off or plugged with a device incapable of removal through the loading end, so as to ..."
3 CSR 10-7.410(1)(H) · verified Aug 2026
| Species | Rule | Citation | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
|
All species
|
Nontoxic shot is required statewide for waterfowl/coots, and on Conservation Areas (Missouri's term for WMAs) specifically posted as nontoxic-only for other species.
"Shells possessed or used while hunting waterfowl and coots statewide, and for wildlife or coots designated by posting on public areas, must be loaded with material approved as nontoxic by the United States Fish and Wi..." |
3 CSR 10-7.440(3)(K) | Aug 2026 |
|
Wild Turkey
|
Shotguns used for turkey and other wildlife (not black bear, deer, or elk) are capped at 3 shells in magazine and chamber combined.
"Except for hunting black bear, deer, and elk, any shotgun having a capacity of more than three (3) shells must have the magazine cut off or plugged with a device incapable of removal through the loading end, so as to ..." |
3 CSR 10-7.410(1)(H) | Aug 2026 |
Handgun
1 ruleNo minimum caliber — any expanding-type centerfire handgun cartridge is legal for deer.
"handguns or rifles firing expanding-type centerfire ammunition"
3 CSR 10-7.431(5)(C) · verified Aug 2026
| Species | Rule | Citation | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
|
White-tailed / Mule Deer
|
No minimum caliber — any expanding-type centerfire handgun cartridge is legal for deer.
"handguns or rifles firing expanding-type centerfire ammunition" |
3 CSR 10-7.431(5)(C) | Aug 2026 |
Muzzleloader
1 ruleMuzzleloaders, including cap-and-ball firearms, must be .40 caliber or larger.
"Muzzleloader: muzzleloading firearms as defined in 3 CSR 10-20.805 (including cap-and-ball firearms) .40 caliber or larger."
3 CSR 10-7.431(5)(B) · verified Aug 2026
| Species | Rule | Citation | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
|
White-tailed / Mule Deer
|
Muzzleloaders, including cap-and-ball firearms, must be .40 caliber or larger.
"Muzzleloader: muzzleloading firearms as defined in 3 CSR 10-20.805 (including cap-and-ball firearms) .40 caliber or larger." |
3 CSR 10-7.431(5)(B) | Aug 2026 |
Air Gun
1 ruleAirguns for deer must be .40 caliber or larger and charged only from an external hand pump, air tank, or air compressor — onboard/self-contained charging systems don't qualify.
"air-powered guns, .40 caliber or larger, charged only from an external high compression power source (external hand pump, air tank, or air compressor)"
3 CSR 10-7.431(5)(C) · verified Aug 2026
| Species | Rule | Citation | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
|
White-tailed / Mule Deer
|
Airguns for deer must be .40 caliber or larger and charged only from an external hand pump, air tank, or air compressor — onboard/self-contained charging systems don't qualify.
"air-powered guns, .40 caliber or larger, charged only from an external high compression power source (external hand pump, air tank, or air compressor)" |
3 CSR 10-7.431(5)(C) | Aug 2026 |
All Weapons
2 rulesHunter orange cap/hat plus shirt, vest, or coat required during the youth and November firearms deer season portions; camo orange doesn't qualify. Migratory-bird hunters, archery-only hunters in municipalities, and a few other groups are exempt.
"During the youth and November portions of the firearms deer hunting season, all hunters shall wear a cap or hat and a shirt, vest, or coat having the outermost color commonly known as hunter orange, which shall be pla..."
3 CSR 10-7.410(1)(R) · verified Aug 2026
Missouri's Wildlife Code sets out the lawful hunting methods in detail — down to night vision, thermal imaging and electronic calls — and is silent on suppressors, so the hunting rules do not restrict them for any species. The claim that conservation areas ban them is wrong: the chapter covering department areas does not mention them either. Possession is a separate question: the suppressor must be lawful under federal law, because Missouri's weapons statute makes possessing a silencer in violation of federal law a crime.
Suppressor law in 2026: what changed · suppressor prices
"(H) Firearms. Firearms may be used to take wildlife (except beavers, mink, muskrats, river otters, turtles, and fish) during the open seasons, with the following limitations: For hunting game birds (except crows), pis..."
3 CSR 10-7.410(1)(H) — no mention of suppressors, silencers or mufflers in 3 CSR 10-7.410 Hunting Methods or in 3 CSR 10-11 (read 2026-10-16) · verified Oct 2026
| Species | Rule | Citation | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
|
All species
|
Hunter orange cap/hat plus shirt, vest, or coat required during the youth and November firearms deer season portions; camo orange doesn't qualify. Migratory-bird hunters, archery-only hunters in municipalities, and a few other groups are exempt.
"During the youth and November portions of the firearms deer hunting season, all hunters shall wear a cap or hat and a shirt, vest, or coat having the outermost color commonly known as hunter orange, which shall be pla..." |
3 CSR 10-7.410(1)(R) | Aug 2026 |
|
All species
|
Missouri's Wildlife Code sets out the lawful hunting methods in detail — down to night vision, thermal imaging and electronic calls — and is silent on suppressors, so the hunting rules do not restrict them for any species. The claim that conservation areas ban them is wrong: the chapter covering department areas does not mention them either. Possession is a separate question: the suppressor must be lawful under federal law, because Missouri's weapons statute makes possessing a silencer in violation of federal law a crime.
Suppressor law in 2026: what changed · suppressor prices
"(H) Firearms. Firearms may be used to take wildlife (except beavers, mink, muskrats, river otters, turtles, and fish) during the open seasons, with the following limitations: For hunting game birds (except crows), pis..." |
3 CSR 10-7.410(1)(H) — no mention of suppressors, silencers or mufflers in 3 CSR 10-7.410 Hunting Methods or in 3 CSR 10-11 (read 2026-10-16) | Oct 2026 |
Federal Rules That Apply in Every State
These federal requirements apply in Missouri on top of state law.
Sources
How to Use This Page
Each rule links to the regulation we read and the month we checked it. Rules marked needs review come from summaries rather than the regulation text, and never produce a green answer in the checker. The checker's energy figures are typical factory loads, so where a rule sets an energy or bullet-weight floor, check your own load's rating. This page covers equipment only, not seasons, tags or local ordinances, and it isn't legal advice. The current Missouri Department of Conservation regulations are the final word.