Order online, pick up at a licensed dealer in Taylor County. Abilene is the Air Force and ranching city of the Big Country, with Dyess Air Force Base and three universities. Taylor County dealers take transfers for complete firearms and Texas adds nothing to the federal check.
Pick an FFL dealer near you that accepts shipped transfers and name it at checkout. We confirm their license and ship the firearm to them. Ammunition, optics and parts ship straight to your door where Texas law allows.
Texas adds no state layer to the federal process: there is no purchase permit, no registration and no waiting period. Federal age limits apply, 21 for a handgun from a dealer and 18 for a rifle or shotgun. The Texas dealer you name at checkout handles the transfer and charges their own fee. The dealer runs the NICS check directly with the FBI, which usually clears in minutes. At pickup you show a current photo ID and complete ATF Form 4473.
Dealers in these communities all work for Abilene-area buyers:
Texas has allowed permitless handgun carry since September 2021 for adults 21 and over who may lawfully possess a firearm, openly in a holster or concealed. The optional License to Carry is issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety and is worth holding for reciprocity in other states. After federal litigation DPS no longer refuses licence applications solely because the applicant is 18 to 20. Schools, courthouses, polling places and properly posted private property stay off limits with or without a licence.
Texas Parks and Wildlife sets white-tailed deer seasons county by county, with most of the state in a North Zone and a South Zone. The usual pattern is archery from early October, a general season opening in early November and running into January, and youth and late seasons around it. Centerfire rifles, handguns, muzzleloaders, shotguns with slugs and archery gear are all legal for deer. Bag limits are set county by county, so read the current Outdoor Annual before you buy tags.
Taylor County is Rolling Plains mesquite and the Callahan Divide, with heavy whitetail on the ranches and hogs everywhere; general season opens in early November and the shots are long.
Long shots across mesquite flats make this a country of .270s, 7mm magnums and big scopes, with a .44 on the hip for hogs on the way back to the truck.
These ranges are run by or officially listed by a state wildlife agency, a state forest or a national forest. Most ask for a hunting licence, a range permit or a small day fee, and hours change with the season, so check the agency page before you drive out.
Source: State wildlife agency, state forest and U.S. Forest Service public range listings, September 2026. Distances are approximate; call or check the agency site before you drive out.
Yes. Order here, name a licensed FFL dealer in Tye, Clyde, Buffalo Gap, Abilene or anywhere in Taylor County, and we ship the firearm to them. You fill out ATF Form 4473 at their counter and they run the background check.
No. Texas has no purchase permit, no registration and no waiting period. You complete ATF Form 4473 at your dealer and pass the federal background check.
Adults 21 and over who may lawfully possess a handgun can carry openly in a holster or concealed without a licence. A Texas License to Carry still helps when you travel.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Annual publishes season dates and bag limits county by county and revises them every year.
Most of the states here allow it with a calibre minimum. A scoped six-inch .44 Magnum is the standard handgun-hunting rig; check the current regulations for the season.
Each dealer sets its own fee, commonly $20 to $75. Call before you order to confirm the price and that they accept firearms shipped from an online store.
General information, not legal advice. Rules current as of September 2026. See our buying guide and check with Texas Department of Public Safety, License to Carry unit or a local attorney about your own situation.