Washington

Minimum .24 caliber (6mm) for all big game species with expanding soft-point or partitioned bullets. Minimum .270 Win, .30-06, or .300 Win Mag recommended for Roosevelt elk in Olympic rain forests and Rocky Mountain elk in the Blue Mountains. Hand-held suppressors legal with federal paperwork. Fully automatic firearms and FMJ illegal.

Minimum .40 caliber for deer; minimum .50 caliber for elk. Washington enforces strict primitive muzzleloader rules: open iron or peep sights only (no scopes or red dots), exposed ignition systems (flintlock, percussion cap, or musket cap—no closed in-line 209 primers), lead-only projectiles (no sabots or plastic skirts), and black powder/Pyrodex only.

Recurve, longbow, and compound bows. Minimum 40 lb draw weight for big game. Minimum arrow weight 6 grains per pound of draw weight (minimum 300 grains total). Broadheads must have minimum 7/8-inch cutting width. Barbed broadheads are strictly prohibited by Washington law; broadheads must be capable of being pulled out without cutting.

Permitted during general modern firearm rifle seasons. Crossbows are prohibited during archery-only hunts unless the hunter possesses a certified Washington Disabled Hunter Crossbow Permit. Minimum 125 lb draw weight, functioning mechanical safety, and minimum 16-inch bolts with legal broadheads.

Centerfire handguns of .24 caliber or larger with a minimum barrel length of 4 inches and producing at least 500 ft-lbs of energy at the muzzle are legal for big game. Expanding bullets mandatory. Legal for sidearm defense against cougars and black bears in Cascade wilderness areas.

10, 12, 16, and 20 gauge shotguns firing slugs are legal for big game in firearm-restricted units (such as Whidbey Island and suburban Puget Sound units). Buckshot is prohibited for deer. Non-toxic shot required for all waterfowl hunting across Pacific flyway wetlands.