New Mexico

Centerfire rifles of .24 caliber (6mm) or larger firing expanding bullets are legal for deer, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, Barbary sheep, and javelina. Recommended .270 Win, 6.5 PRC, 7mm Rem Mag, or .300 Win Mag for trophy Gila elk, oryx, and Persian ibex. Suppressors are legal with ATF compliance. FMJ and fully automatic firearms prohibited.

Minimum .45 caliber for deer, pronghorn, and Barbary sheep; minimum .50 caliber for elk and oryx. Modern in-line muzzleloaders with 209 primer ignitions, sabots, and magnifying optical scopes are fully legal during all New Mexico muzzleloader draw hunts, making it one of the most technologically permissive muzzleloader states in the West.

Compound bows, recurves, and longbows. Minimum 40 lb draw weight for big game. Broadheads must have minimum 7/8-inch cutting diameter and fixed or mechanical cutting blades. Arrows must weigh at least 275 grains. Lighted nocks permitted; laser sights or electronic projecting devices attached to bows prohibited.

Legal during any-legal-weapon rifle seasons. Crossbows are prohibited during archery-only draw hunts unless the hunter holds a certified New Mexico Mobility-Impaired (MI) bowhunting authorization. Minimum 100 lb draw weight with working safety and legal broadheads.

Centerfire handguns of .24 caliber or larger with expanding bullets are legal for big game. Magnum revolvers (.357 Mag, .44 Mag) and specialty bolt-action or single-shot handguns (Thompson/Center Contender / Encore in rifle chamberings) are popular for oryx and Barbary sheep hunts in rocky canyons.

20 gauge or larger firing single rifled slugs legal for deer and bear in weapon-restricted hunt zones. Shotguns for waterfowl and upland birds must be 10 gauge or smaller with non-toxic shot required for all migratory waterfowl throughout the Rio Grande valley corridor.