It's a fish and game law, the important part is in red below.
7:25-5.23 Firearms and missiles, etc.
(a) Except when legally engaged in deer or black bear hunting during the prescribed firearm seasons,
respectively, no person shall have in his or her possession in the woods, fields, marshlands or
on the water any shell or cartridge with missiles of any kind larger than No. 4 fine shot. This shall
not apply to persons properly licensed and permitted for hunting during the special eastern coyote,
red fox and gray fox hunting season, exclusively, who may use fine shot no smaller than #4 (.13
inches in diameter) or larger than #T (.20 inches in diameter). This shall not preclude farmers or
their agents from using shot not larger than No. 4 buckshot to control woodchuck causing damage
or a properly licensed person from hunting woodchuck with a rifle during the woodchuck season.
For hunting woodchuck, center-fire rifles of .25 caliber or smaller or rim-fire rifles may be used.
Center-fire rifles larger than .25 caliber may also be used provided that the bullets used do not exceed
100 grains in weight. All center-fire rifle ammunition used in hunting woodchucks must be
hollow point, soft point or expanding lead core bullets. All rim-fire rifle ammunition used in hunting
woodchuck must be hollow point or soft point type. Also excepted is the use of a muzzleloading
rifle, .36 caliber or smaller, loaded with a single projectile during the prescribed portion of the
squirrel season in designated areas. Waterfowl hunters may possess and use shotgun shells loaded
with T (.200") steel fine shot or smaller or other non-toxic shot authorized by Federal regulations no
larger than T (.200") shot and properly licensed persons hunting for raccoon or opossum with
hounds or engaged in trapping for furbearing animals may possess and use a .22 caliber rifle and
raccoon, or opossum or legally trapped furbearing animals other than muskrat. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, this subsection shall not preclude agents and/or permittees operating under an approved
Special Deer Management Permit (N.J.A.C. 7:25-5.32) from shooting deer with a rifle or a rifle
equipped with a silencer or suppressor if that permit so specifically provides. Rifles for this purpose
shall be restricted as specifically provided in that permit to include only .22, .223, .270 and .45 caliber
or other calibers approved by the Division. Only highly frangible bullets shall be employed in
.223 and .270 caliber rifles. Bullets employed in .22 and .45 caliber rifles shall be restricted to those
designed to provide maximum expansion and limited penetration. As a part of a Special Deer Management
Permit, use of .22 rim-fire ammunition is restricted to euthanasia of captive deer only.
(b) All persons in possession of a rifle while hunting or trapping must have in addition to their
proper license, a valid and proper rifle permit.
© Except as may be permitted for waterfowl hunting in accordance with Federal regulations
and as provided for agents and/or permittees operating under an approved Special Deer Management
Permit (N.J.A.C. 7:25-5.32), no person shall use in hunting fowl or animals of any kind, any
shotgun capable of holding more than three shells at one time or that may be fired more than three
times without reloading. Except as provided for agents and/or permittees operating under an approved
Special Deer Management Permit (N.J.A.C. 7:25-5.32), no person shall use in hunting or
trapping of any kind, a rifle loaded with more than three cartridges. No person shall have in his or
her possession while deer hunting on Monmouth Battlefield State Park any shell or cartridge with
missiles of any kind other than shotgun slugs or No. 4 or No. 000 buckshot.
(d) It shall be legal to use a .22 caliber rifle and .22 caliber short cartridge only for hunting raccoon
and opossum with hounds and for killing legally trapped animals other than muskrats on State
wildlife management areas.
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(e) Within the areas described as portions of Passaic, Mercer, Hunterdon, Warren, Morris and
Sussex Counties lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Rt. 513 and the New
York State line; then south along Rt. 513 to its intersection with Rt. 511; then south along Rt. 511 to
its intersection with Rt. 46; then west along Rt. 46 to its intersection with Rt. 80; then west along Rt.
80 to its intersection with Rt. 15; then north along Rt. 15 to its intersection with the Morris-Sussex
County line; then south along the Morris-Sussex County line to the Warren County line; then
southwest along the Morris-Warren County line to the Hunterdon County line; then southeast along
the Morris-Hunterdon County line to the Somerset County line; then south along the Somerset-
Hunterdon County line to its intersection with the Mercer County line; then west and south along
the Hunterdon Mercer County line to its intersection with Rt. 31; then south along Rt. 31 to its intersection
with Rt. 546; then west along Rt. 546 to the Delaware River; then north along the east
bank of the Delaware River to the New York State Line; then east along the New York State Line to
the point of beginning at Lakeside; and in that portion of Salem, Gloucester, Camden, Burlington,
Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland counties lying within a continuous
line beginning at the intersection of Rt. 295 and the Delaware River; then east along Rt. 295 to its
intersection with the New Jersey Turnpike; then east along the New Jersey Turnpike to its intersection
with Rt. 40; then east along Rt. 40 to its intersection with Rt. 47; then north along Rt. 47 to its
intersection with Rt. 536; then east along Rt. 536 to its intersection with Rt. 206; then north along
Rt. 206 to its intersection with the New Jersey Turnpike; then northeast along the New Jersey Turnpike
to its intersection with Rt. 571; then southeast along Rt. 571 to its intersection with the Garden
State Parkway; then south along the Garden State Parkway to its intersection with Rt. 9 at Somers
Point; then south along Rt. 9 to its intersection with Rt. 83; then west along Rt. 83 to its intersection
with Rt. 47; then north along Rt. 47 to its intersection with Dennis Creek; then south along the west
bank of Dennis Creek to its intersection with Delaware Bay; then northwest along the east shore of
Delaware Bay and the Delaware River to the point of beginning; persons holding a valid and proper
rifle permit in addition to their current firearm hunting license may hunt for squirrels between the
last Saturday in September and the Friday following the first Monday in November, inclusive; and
between the first Saturday in January and the third Monday in February, inclusive, using a .36 caliber
or smaller muzzleloading rifle loaded with a single projectile.
(f) Except as specifically provided below for waterfowl hunters, semi-wild and commercial preserves,
trappers, woodchuck hunters, raccoon and opossum hunters, muzzleloader deer hunters,
muzzleloader squirrel hunters, and muzzleloader bear hunters, it shall be illegal to use any firearm
of any kind other than a shotgun. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the use of a shotgun not
smaller than 20 gauge nor larger than 10 gauge with a rifled bore for deer and black bear hunting
only. Persons hunting black bear shall use a shotgun not smaller than 20 gauge or larger than 10
gauge with lead, lead alloy or copper slug only. Persons hunting deer shall use a shotgun not smaller
than 20 gauge or larger than 10 gauge with the lead, lead alloy or copper slug only; or, a shotgun
not smaller than 20 gauge nor larger than 10 gauge with the buckshot shell. It shall be illegal to
have in possession while deer hunting any firearm missile except the 20, 16, 12 or 10 gauge lead,
lead alloy or copper slug; or, if hunting deer the 12, 10, 16 or 20 gauge buckshot shell. Shotgun
shells containing a single spherical projectile may not be possessed or used in deer or black bear
hunting. (This does not preclude a person legally engaged in hunting on semi-wild or commercial
preserves for the species under license or a person legally engaged in hunting woodcock from being
possessed solely of shotgun(s) and nothing larger than No. 4 fine shot, nor a person engaged in
hunting waterfowl only from being possessed solely of shotgun and nothing larger than T (.200
inch) steel shot or other bismuth non-toxic shot authorized by Federal regulations during the shot54
gun deer seasons). A legally licensed trapper possessing a valid rifle permit may possess and use a
.22 rifle and short rimfire cartridge only while tending his or her trap line. Farmers or their agents
may use shot not larger than No. 4 buckshot to control woodchuck causing damage.
1. Persons who are properly licensed may hunt for deer with a muzzleloader rifle during the six
day firearm deer season and the permit muzzleloader rifle deer season. Persons who are properly
licensed may hunt for black bear with a muzzleloader rifle during a prescribed black bear season.
Muzzleloader rifles used for hunting deer or black bear are restricted to single-shot single barreled
weapons with flintlock or percussion actions, shall not be less than .44 caliber and shall fire a single
missile or projectile. Only one muzzleloader rifle may be possessed while hunting. Double barrel
and other types of muzzleloader rifles capable of firing more than one shot without reloading or
holding more than one charge are prohibited. Persons who are properly licensed may hunt for deer
with a single-shot, single barreled, flintlock or percussion action, smoothbore muzzleloader during
the permit muzzleloader rifle season. Single shot, smoothbore muzzleloaders used during the permit
muzzleloader season shall fire a single missile or projectile and shall not be smaller than 20 gauge
or larger than 10 gauge. Double barrel and other types of smoothbore muzzleloaders capable of firing
more than one shot without reloading or holding more than one charge are prohibited during the
permit muzzleloader season. Persons who are properly licensed may hunt deer with double barrel,
smoothbore muzzleloader during the six day firearm and permit shotgun deer seasons. Smoothbore
muzzleloaders used for deer hunting during the six day firearm and permit shotgun deer seasons
shall not be smaller than 20 gauge or larger than 10 gauge, and shall fire a single missile or projectile,
or buckshot no smaller than No. 4 (.24 inch) or larger than 000 (.36 inch). Only one muzzleloader
rifle or smoothbore muzzleloader may be possessed while deer hunting.
2. Properly licensed persons 10 years of age and older engaged in hunting with a muzzleloader
rifle must have in possession a proper and valid rifle permit. Properly licensed persons 10 years of
age or older, hunting during the muzzleloader rifle permit deer season with a smoothbore muzzleloader,
must also have in possession a proper and valid rifle permit. Rifle permits for 10 to 17 year
olds will be valid for muzzleloader deer hunting, muzzleloader squirrel hunting, muzzleloader
woodchuck hunting and muzzleloader bear hunting.
3. A muzzleloader is considered unloaded when, in the case of a percussion cap rifle or shotgun,
the percussion cap has been removed from the nipple; in the case of a flintlock, when the powder is
removed from the pan and a boot or cover made of a nonmetallic material is placed over the frizzen.
4. Only black powder or black powder equivalents, including Clean Shot, GOEX Clear Shot and
Pyrodex, may be used with a muzzleloading firearm when engaged in hunting any game species
during the prescribed seasons enumerated within the current Game Code. Modern smokeless powder
is strictly prohibited while hunting game with a muzzleloading firearm.
5. Whenever a firearm is in a motor vehicle, in addition to the requirements found in N.J.A.C.
7:25-5.23(f)4 (unloaded), it shall be enclosed in a securely fastened case.