Texas sets no minimum caliber for deer hunting with centerfire rifles or handguns. Any legal firearm chambered in a centerfire cartridge may be used to take white-tailed deer and mule deer, regardless of bullet diameter.1Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Hunting Means and Methods The only firm caliber floor in the rules applies to pre-charged pneumatic air guns, which must be at least .30 caliber. Rimfire ammunition is banned outright. Everything else turns on cartridge type and equipment design, not bullet size.
Centerfire Rifles and Handguns: No Minimum
Many states require a bullet of at least .24 caliber for deer. Texas does not. The Texas Administrative Code Section 65.11 authorizes hunting game animals with “any legal firearm,” then lists specific prohibitions instead of setting a diameter.2Cornell Law Institute. 31 Texas Admin Code 65.11 – Lawful Means The rule focuses on the cartridge’s ignition system, not the size of the projectile.
That means a .223 Remington or .22-250 is technically legal for deer, because both are centerfire. Whether a small centerfire is a wise choice is a separate question. Lighter rounds leave very little margin for error on shot placement, and most hunters move up to .243 Winchester or larger even though the law doesn’t require it. There are also no magazine capacity limits for hunting game animals, so standard-capacity semi-automatic rifles are permitted.1Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Hunting Means and Methods Fully automatic firearms are prohibited.
Rimfire Is Prohibited at Any Caliber
The one ammunition type Texas explicitly bans for deer is rimfire. Rimfire cartridges fire when the firing pin strikes the rim of the casing base rather than a centered primer. Common examples include the .22 Long Rifle and .22 WMR. No rimfire cartridge may be used to hunt white-tailed deer, mule deer, pronghorn, or desert bighorn sheep, regardless of caliber or load.1Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Hunting Means and Methods
This is the restriction that catches new hunters off guard. A .17 HMR or a hot .22 WMR load might look capable on paper, but because it uses rimfire ignition, it is illegal for deer. The distinction is about cartridge design, not performance.
Air Guns Have a Real Caliber Floor
Air guns are where Texas actually imposes a minimum caliber. A pre-charged pneumatic air gun used for deer must fire a projectile of at least .30 caliber in diameter and at least 150 grains in weight, with a minimum muzzle velocity of 800 feet per second. Any combination of bullet weight and velocity producing at least 215 foot-pounds of muzzle energy also satisfies the requirement.3Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Air Gun and Arrow Gun Regulations
Only pre-charged pneumatic systems qualify. CO2-powered and spring-piston air guns are not legal for deer. Arrow guns, which use compressed air to launch an arrow or bolt, must meet the same broadhead and equipment standards as archery, and they cannot be used during the archery-only season.1Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Hunting Means and Methods
Shotguns, Muzzleloaders, and Archery
Shotguns are legal during the general season with no gauge restriction and no requirement to use slugs over buckshot. Muzzleloaders are legal during the general season and are the only firearms allowed during muzzleloader-only seasons. A muzzleloader is defined as any firearm designed so the projectile and powder load only through the muzzle; a cap-and-ball revolver does not qualify.1Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Hunting Means and Methods Texas does not restrict muzzleloader ignition systems, propellants, or sighting equipment.
Longbows, compound bows, recurve bows, and crossbows are all lawful during the archery-only and general seasons. Texas sets no minimum draw weight for any bow type, which is unusually permissive compared to other states.4Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Archery Only Seasons and County Regulations Arrows and crossbow bolts for deer must carry a broadhead hunting point; beyond that, there are no minimums on arrow length, weight, broadhead diameter, cutting edges, or material. Arrows may not be poisoned, drugged, or explosive.1Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Hunting Means and Methods
Penalties for Using Prohibited Equipment
Using prohibited equipment to hunt deer is generally a Class C Parks and Wildlife Code misdemeanor, with a fine of $25 to $500.5Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Hunting Laws, Penalties and Restitution That covers violations like using rimfire ammunition or a fully automatic firearm.
More serious offenses rise to a Class A misdemeanor, with fines from $500 to $4,000 and up to one year in jail. Killing a white-tailed deer, mule deer, pronghorn, or desert bighorn sheep without landowner consent is a state jail felony, punishable by fines of $1,500 to $10,000 and up to two years in jail, and a conviction at that level triggers automatic revocation of hunting and fishing licenses.5Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Hunting Laws, Penalties and Restitution Equipment used in a violation may be seized, and repeat offenders face escalating penalties that can reach felony classification.