Please Explain the popularity of AR's for hunting big game

[Biggerhammer]

The .338 Federal would be a tough one to beat in close.

What would the recoil be like on that without a muzzle brake?

A gas system/ semi auto will be less than that of a bolt rifle. The .308 Winchester isn't jack when it comes to recoil. Little heavier bullet with the .338 Federal but still restricted by its case capacity for powder charge. My 8 year old daughter wouldn't even sweat it from the prone.

[philepe]

Adjustable stock and lightweight are two big reasons but my original reason to hunt with an AR was to stop carrying an iron sight gun and a scoped gun.  instead I just have a quick detach scope with iron sights backup under the scope on one gun. Also I just kinda think the AR is cool

[EmeraldBullet]

Adjustable stock and lightweight are two big reasons but my original reason to hunt with an AR was to stop carrying an iron sight gun and a scoped gun.  instead I just have a quick detach scope with iron sights backup under the scope on one gun. Also I just kinda think the AR is cool

I like my setup in that the stock is adjustable, I have a trijicon acog for longer range and a red dot for shorter range. My rifle setup is not light weight though, definitely comparably heavy.

[actionshooter]

 I'll through it out there, If I'm hunting in an area that is timbered, or brushy and I know shots are going to be under 200yds the AR10 is my go-to rifle.
 A huge bonus for ARs is familiarity, modularity (as mentioned many times) and they are just easier to shoot faster with follow up shots when needed.

 I see a few guys mention that they don't see guys using the AR platform, well they aren't looking hard enough....its the fastest growing rifle platform for hunting right now, not so much here in the West, but in the South and East it is one of the most popular rifles for hunting hogs, whitetails, and yotes.
 EVERY manufacturer has a hunting model right now and they are some of the best sellers in the product lines. ARs aren't going to be replacing bolt actions they aren't a fad either.

 Not all of them are heavy and loud either      6-1/2pounds, .308 and dang quiet

 

[dreamunelk]

Not sure how I missed this one.   If it has not be said there is one thing that all need to consider.


It is a Rifle!  If it shoots a legal size bullet accurately then it really does not matter what it looks like!

[bearpaw]

Not sure how I missed this one.   If it has not be said there is one thing that all need to consider.


It is a Rifle!  If it shoots a legal size bullet accurately then it really does not matter what it looks like!

  nicely said

[actionshooter]

It is a Rifle!  If it shoots a legal size bullet accurately then it really does not matter what it looks like!

 

[6.8mmARHunter]

After Sandyhook, I picked up an AR because my government wasn't going to allow me to have one going forward. Don't even ask how much I paid for it. It was only a 5.56mm (.223").

So I have this rifle, now what? I think I'll go deer hunting. Turns out that you need at least a 6mm (.24") to hunt deer. I did some research and decided i would pick up a 6.8mm AR15 upper. You just pop out two pins, take off the 5.56 upper and slap on the 6.8 upper and away you go. I ended up building a dedicated lower for the 6.8.

When I planned a hiking, backpacking, and fishing trip to Alaska, neither of those rifles seemed big enough for Grizzly defence. I decided I'd build a bigger rifle. I ended up putting together a .458 SOCOM AR15.  10 + 1, 350 Grain projectiles as fast as you can pull the trigger. I convinced myself I was good to go if a bear wanted to snack on me. We didn't encounter any Bears, but I was glad to have a bigbore autoloader.

Anyway, I think maybe versatile and capable are good descriptors.

[bobcat]

Not sure how I missed this one.   If it has not be said there is one thing that all need to consider.


It is a Rifle!  If it shoots a legal size bullet accurately then it really does not matter what it looks like!

  nicely said

I'm not sure anyone has a problem with the way they look. That's irrelevant. The reason most people don't choose to hunt with an AR style rifle is they're simply not practical and not cost effective. You can have a decent bolt action rifle with scope for $500. A person could hunt big game with that same $500 rifle for 20 years and never have a need for anything else. I just can't imagine myself ever feeling like I need faster follow up shots in a deer and elk rifle. I prefer accuracy and one shot kills over firepower. So no, the way they look is not the reason why I wouldn't use one. Although I do have to say, thinking about it now, it would feel weird to me, like I was going to war instead of going hunting. If I ever do feel the urge to try one, my practical side would probably decide to spend that money on an out of state hunting trip instead.

[grundy53]

I don't see how an AR isn't practical? And they are accurate.

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[grundy53]

Where is Jim Zumbo to answer this when we need him?

how did that work out for him?

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[bobcat]

I don't see how an AR isn't practical? And they are accurate.

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The cost. I already have a bolt action rifle and it's all I need.

So if you were to only have one rifle for all of your big game hunting, would it be an AR?

[grundy53]

I don't see how an AR isn't practical? And they are accurate.

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The cost. I already have a bolt action rifle and it's all I need.

So if you were to only have one rifle for all of your big game hunting, would it be an AR?

I think you are definitely in the minority if you only have one hunting rifle. I think most people that hunt regularly have at least a couple. I personally like to fit the rifle I'm using to the style of hunting I am doing. The right tool for the job.  Besides I was talking about the practicality of actually hunting with an Ar not of owning one.

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[bobcat]

I don't see how an AR isn't practical? And they are accurate.

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The cost. I already have a bolt action rifle and it's all I need.

So if you were to only have one rifle for all of your big game hunting, would it be an AR?

I think you are definitely in the minority if you only have one hunting rifle. I think most people that hunt regularly have at least a couple. I personally like to fit the rifle I'm using to the style of hunting I am doing. The right tool for the job.  Besides I was talking about the practicality of actually hunting with an Ar not of owning one.

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I have a few but what I'm saying is I could easily get by with just one. The rifle I use the most I've had since 1997, and none of the others I have are "better," they're just different rifles that do the exact same thing, and they very rarely are taken out of the safe. If I had an AR it would just be another one of those rifles that never leaves the safe.

[pianoman9701]

I definitely got mine because of our disarming President. I thought it was important to have one before he convinces the sleeping idiots that we don't need them. Knowing that I wanted to do more than plink with it, however, I got a caliber big enough to shoot big game and long enough to do some coyote hunting. Shooting it is a blast. It's expensive, but it's a lot of fun. And being such a custom firearm, it's also a lot of fun just to show off to my shooting and military friends.