41:06:04:11Minimum

size and type of big game ammunition. Except for wild turkey as provided in § 41:06:04:12 and elk as provided in § 41:06:04:13, a person may hunt, pursue, shoot at, shoot, or kill any of the big game animals of this state only with a shoulder-held firearm using ammunition which is rated to produce at least 1,000 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle or a handgun using ammunition which is rated to produce at least 500 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle. Muzzleloading handguns must discharge a projectile of .50 caliber or larger. Only soft-point or expanding bullets are permitted.

Source: 20 SDR 13, effective August 8, 1993; 45 SDR 9, effective July 30, 2018; 46 SDR 116, effective April 29, 2020.