For generations, shotguns have been the standard firearm in deer camps across southern Minnesota.
Beginning with the 2026 deer season, hunters in many former shotgun-zone counties will also be able to use legal rifles. That gives hunters more options, but it does not mean everyone needs to replace the shotgun that has worked for years.
A rifle may offer advantages for certain properties, distances and hunting styles. A shotgun may remain the more familiar, practical and responsible choice for others.
The right firearm is not automatically the newest, fastest or most powerful option.
It is the one that fits the hunter, the property and the way the hunt actually takes place.
Check the Rules Where You Hunt
Minnesota eliminated the former statewide shotgun-only zone, but counties may still adopt local shotgun-only ordinances.
That means rifle rules can change from one county to the next. Hunters who travel, hunt near county lines or use multiple properties should not assume the same rules apply everywhere.
Before opening weekend:
- Review the current Minnesota hunting regulations.
- Check the Minnesota DNR’s county information.
- Confirm the rules directly with the county where you hunt.
- Review any additional restrictions for public land or special hunts.
The ability to use a rifle depends on where the property is located, not where the hunter lives or buys a license.
Your Shotgun Did Not Become Obsolete
The law may be changing, but the effectiveness of your shotgun did not.
If you have hunted successfully with the same slug gun for years, know how it handles and can place shots accurately within your established range, there may be no urgent reason to switch.
Familiarity matters.
A hunter who knows exactly how a shotgun shoulders, where the safety is located and how the slug performs may be better prepared than someone carrying an unfamiliar rifle simply because rifles are now legal.
A new firearm brings a learning curve. The hunter needs to understand its controls, recoil, optic, ammunition and trajectory before carrying it into the field.
Opening morning should not be the first time you feel comfortable operating your firearm.
When a Shotgun Still Makes Sense
A shotgun remains a practical deer firearm in many situations.
You hunt at shorter distances
Many southern Minnesota deer are harvested in woods, river bottoms, shelterbelts and small food plots where shots happen relatively close.
If most of your realistic opportunities are inside 75 or 100 yards, a properly set up slug shotgun may provide all the capability you need.
A rifle’s longer effective range offers little benefit if the property does not provide a safe or ethical longer shot.
You hunt thick cover
A compact shotgun can be easy to carry through brush, timber and narrow trails. Hunters participating in deer drives may also appreciate a familiar firearm when opportunities happen quickly and at shorter distances.
Deer drives require careful planning regardless of firearm type. Every participant should know where the other hunters are located, which directions are safe and when a shot must be passed.
Your property is small
A small parcel does not automatically require a shotgun, and a shotgun slug still needs a safe backstop.
However, a property surrounded by roads, homes, livestock or neighboring hunters may not provide any practical reason to use a longer-range firearm.
Every hunter should consider:
- Property boundaries
- Nearby roads and homes
- Livestock and buildings
- Neighboring hunting parties
- Likely shot directions
- Safe, solid backstops
The range of the firearm should never determine whether a direction is safe.
You already shoot it well
If you can consistently place slugs into an ethical group at the distances you expect to hunt, your shotgun remains capable of doing the job.
That may be especially true if changing to a rifle would mean less practice or carrying a new setup you have not fully tested.
Understanding Shotgun Slugs
Not every slug is designed for every barrel.
Before buying ammunition, determine whether your shotgun has a smoothbore barrel, a rifled choke tube or a fully rifled barrel.
Traditional rifled slugs
Traditional rifled slugs are generally used in smoothbore barrels.
They can be a practical option for:
- Shorter-distance hunting
- Existing field shotguns approved for slug use
- Hunters using bead sights or simple optics
- Hunters who want commonly available ammunition
Despite the name, the grooves on a rifled slug do not mean it requires a rifled barrel.
Sabot slugs
Sabot slugs are generally designed for fully rifled shotgun barrels.
They can offer:
- Improved accuracy
- A flatter trajectory than many traditional slug loads
- Better performance at moderate distances
- A more rifle-like shooting experience
They are also usually more expensive, which can make practice more costly.
Every shotgun has ammunition preferences. Two compatible slug loads can group very differently from the same firearm.
Once you find one that shoots well, buy enough for practice, sight-in and hunting. Do not switch loads without confirming the zero again.
Recoil Matters
Shotguns have a reputation for heavy recoil, and many slug setups deserve it.
A hard-kicking load fired from a lightweight shotgun can cause flinching, poor trigger control and reluctance to practice.
That does not mean every rifle is easier to shoot. A lightweight magnum rifle may be less comfortable than a properly fitted slug gun.
Felt recoil depends on the complete setup:
- Ammunition
- Firearm weight
- Stock fit
- Recoil pad
- Shooting position
- Shooter experience
The best choice is the firearm you are willing and able to practice with.
There is no advantage to extra power if the recoil makes you close your eyes or jerk the trigger.
When a Rifle May Be the Better Choice
A rifle may offer real benefits for many southern Minnesota hunters.
You hunt open agricultural ground
Fields, drainage areas and long field edges can provide longer shooting opportunities.
A rifle generally offers a flatter trajectory and greater practical range than a shotgun slug. That can make accurate shot placement easier at moderate distances.
Longer capability does not mean every long shot should be taken. Hunters still need a stable rest, a safe background and enough practice to know their personal limit.
You want less recoil
Depending on the caliber and rifle, switching from a slug gun to a rifle may reduce recoil considerably.
Moderate rifle calibers can be especially helpful for:
- Youth hunters
- New rifle shooters
- Smaller-framed adults
- Recoil-sensitive hunters
- Anyone who wants to practice more comfortably
Less recoil often leads to better practice and better confidence.
You want more options
Rifles are available in a wide variety of calibers, action types, weights and stock sizes.
That makes it easier to build a setup around the individual hunter.
A rifle can be selected based on:
- Shooter size
- Recoil tolerance
- Expected distance
- Weight
- Action type
- Suppressor compatibility
- Whether the firearm will be shared
More choices can also be overwhelming. Most Minnesota deer hunters do not need the fastest or most powerful cartridge on the shelf.
You want a flatter trajectory
Rifle cartridges generally drop less over distance than shotgun slugs.
That can reduce the amount of holdover needed at moderate distances, but it does not eliminate the need to know the distance or understand the firearm’s trajectory.
A flatter-shooting rifle is only an advantage when the hunter has practiced with it.
When a Shotgun May Still Be Better
A shotgun may remain the better choice when:
- You already own a reliable and accurate slug gun.
- You hunt primarily at shorter distances.
- You are highly familiar with the firearm.
- Your county remains shotgun-only.
- You hunt thick or confined terrain.
- Your shotgun fits you well.
- You are consistently accurate within your established range.
- A rifle would not meaningfully improve your hunt.
You are not behind the times because you continue carrying a shotgun.
The law changed. Your ability to make a safe, ethical shot did not.
You Can Use Both
Choosing a rifle does not require abandoning your shotgun.
Many hunters may keep both available and choose based on the property or hunt.
For example:
- A rifle may be used from a stand overlooking a larger field.
- A shotgun may be carried during a drive through thick cover.
- A rifle may be legal on one property but not another.
- A lighter-recoiling rifle may fit one family member better.
- A familiar slug gun may remain the preferred firearm for someone else.
Firearms are tools. Different hunts may call for different tools.
RVAA Is Still Your Shotgun Destination
River Valley Arms & Ammo may be helping more hunters choose their first deer rifles, but we are not abandoning shotgun hunters.
We will continue helping customers with:
- Traditional rifled slugs
- Sabot slugs
- Shotgun ammunition
- Rifled-barrel setups
- Scope mounts and optics
- Recoil pads
- Cleaning supplies
- Firearm inspections
- Sight-in questions
- Rifle, shotgun and suppressor options
Bring us the exact shotgun model, barrel information and ammunition you have used in the past. We can help determine which slug options make sense and whether your current setup still fits the way you hunt.
Sometimes the answer will be that a rifle offers a meaningful advantage.
Sometimes the answer will be that the shotgun you already own is still perfectly capable of doing the job.
The Bottom Line
Rifles give Minnesota deer hunters more options. They can offer lower recoil, flatter trajectories, greater customization and more practical range.
But shotguns remain effective deer firearms.
A familiar slug gun may still be the right choice for thick cover, shorter distances, smaller properties, deer drives and shotgun-only counties.
Do not switch because you feel like you are supposed to.
Choose the firearm that:
- Is legal where you hunt
- Fits you properly
- Matches your property
- Uses ammunition you can find and test
- Allows you to practice comfortably
- Helps you make a safe and ethical shot
The best firearm for Minnesota deer hunting is not automatically a rifle or a shotgun. It is the one that fits your hunt and that you can operate safely, accurately and confidently.
Stop into River Valley Arms & Ammo before deer season. Whether you are setting up your first rifle or keeping a trusted slug gun in service, we can help make sure you have the firearm, ammunition and supplies you need.
Firearm rules may differ by county and can change. Review the current Minnesota hunting regulations and confirm local requirements before hunting.
