I don’t like them partly because I’m old school and hard-headed. I admit it.

But anyone has to admit they throw any semblance of “balance” on a rifle out the window. And rifle balance used to be pretty important to good shooting. Maybe not so much anymore?

A lot of their appeal is simply the “coolness” factor. Not that it’s a sin to get something because it’s “cool”.

Because it's my God given right as it is your God given right to ask the question, why.

Am I the only person who doesn't think this thread will end well?

With a sendero contour barrel on my primary hunting rifle I threw blance out the window a long time ago!

But it's going to be quite interesting!

Both are correct!

I understand the need for the latest and greatest information. What I cannot understand is the need to project one's useless opinion regarding another's choice of rifle to use to deer hunt.
Surely, no one in his right mind thinks that a hunter is going to stick around while you continue to run your mouth and miss.

Why not?

I think the attitude changed for me when I started killing hogs because the land owners wanted everyone of them killed. Before that I also didn't really see a need for them, now I know it is the correct tool for the job where I hunt and I hunt everyday, almost. Shooting a 6.8 makes it my go to rifle for deer also.

A lot of it is what I call the "Rambo Factor", somebody missed their war, so they dress up like they are going to battle the zombies. Everyone knows that to battle zombies you need 50 round "clips", a low slung side arm and wear full camo. That chit doesn't look good carrying a woodstocked Savage 110, it has to be the latest civilian version of an AR with a stock by Mattel.

There is no need for it, they do it because they want to and they can. Simple as that. If they think it is cool, whatever, no sweat off my sack. If someone wants to blow them to pieces with a 30mm Avenger cannon, let em! I might pay money to watch that.

What I don't understand is how someone can be so simple minded.

Not a very subtle troll, OP.

I have an AR. It’s fun to shoot. It would be fun and useful for a hog hunter who expects to encounter a sounder of hogs - especially one who does a lot of night hunting a la DJones. His prowess with one cannot be argued.

That said, I believe for a hunting rifle on anything else a non-AR platform is better from any other objective standpoint. Most of the time a bolt gun. Sometimes a handy lever gun.

Primarily because ARs are clunky and unwieldy compared to those platforms.

You don’t need a magazine of cartridges for most hunting.

I’m not against anyone using one. I simply think that, attempted justifications aside, they are not the best platform for a hunting rifle. They are trendy and popular in Texas for hunting. Probably because we have a bunch of hogs in Texas. That popularity has led to a lot of folks using them for anything and everything - IMO trying to put a square peg in a round hole most of the time.

But, hey, ‘Merica!

NP,

for those under 35, AR's seem overwhelmingly to be their rifle of choice. That is what they are comfortable with and enjoy.

They are as comfortable with an AR as we are with M70's and R700's.

I do not really care for lever actions, but some folks love them.

Each person will have some strong preferences, which seem hard to understand to others.

If it is what they feel comfortable with and enjoy shooting, then it is a good choice for them.

If it gets them to participate in shooting and being outdoors, I'm all for it.

Im 35 I'm comfortable shooting anything I've ever shot. All the same fundamentals go into shooting any type of gun. My preferences are based on the job I need the gun to perform. I mainly use my AR in 6.8 for hunting hogs usually with a 10 or 15 round mag. I prefer my Browning A-bolt for deer hunting but have killed multiple hogs from a sounder with it as well and have killed a couple deer with my AR in 6.8. On Ft Hood I'm stuck using shotgun because of their rules so I got a rifled barrel and killed 50 hogs with it shooting slugs last yr. They are just tools and in the right hands all are very effective against most anything.

I know real deer hunters only need one shot, so why would anyone need anything more than a break barrel rifle? Bolt actions with storage for multiple rounds really ruined the sport for everyone, bunch of pansies.

That would apply to me for the past 6 or 7 years. Fired exactly one shot each year during deer season. But this year I carried a Tikka CTR that holds 10 rounds on almost every hunt. Loved having those 10 rounds handy, but still only used 1.

Sapper,

you are proving my point.

You are as comfortable with an AR as NP is with a bolt rifle.

Everyone needs to pick what works for them.

My point is, I'm comfortable with all of them. I could pick up any gun in my safe and be confident I could make accurate shots with them and I have multiple different types. If I could only have one rifle for hunting hogs and deer id choose the bolt action. Luckily in this country we get choices and we can choose the right tool for the job rather than making due with what our grampa's, grampa's, grampa used back in the day. Although I got nothing against that as I kill lots of hogs with my grampa's 870 Wingmaster he purchased in the early 70's

We are in emphatic agreement.

You can tell deer season is over.

The reason I hunt with one is because.....I CAN, CAN, CAN! And I choose to. Why should you care? These kind of threads drive me crazy! The truth is it's an AR-10 in 6.5CM and it's extremely accurate and my other 6.5CM is just too heavy. But again...Why do you or anyone else care? And I'm a lot older than 35...

Seriously...

Somebody gets the point!