Feelings on AR style rifles in camp?

[L_Killkenny]

Like I said, I find no place for tacti-cool crap and high cap magazines in the woods. Someone did bring up hog hunting and it "may" be the exception but only in very rare circumstances. Just about any semi-auto can be a serviceable hunting weapon and the format can be as good as the others.

To me the gun you chose to hunt with or own speaks volumes about a person. It's along the same lines as a persons preference of dogs. Example: Take someone who's favorite breed of dog is a pitbull. Around here, I've never met anyone who's favorite dog is a pitbull (other than hog hunters) that I would hang with. Just me, the people who like the breed just aren't my cup of tea. As a matter of fact, IMO the breeds reputation is damaged more by the owners of the dogs than by the breed itself.

Take that for what it's worth but I'd not hunt with someone who showed up with an AR, AK, etc. that was not set up in a hunting configuration (proper optics/sights for the job, low cap mags, no tacti-cool stocks or add-ons, no bayonets or lugs, etc). Just not my cup of tea and I think it speaks volumes about what the person is like. Should they outlaw such weapons? Hell No!!! Do I think you should go to field with such weapons? Hell no!!

BTW, you don't see me hanging around guys shooting $2000 rifles or $10,000 trap guns either. Not my cup of tea either. (and I generally think it's a waste of $$)

There is such thing as a proper tool for the job. When you go to the field, make sure you bring it. It doesn't matter if it's a single shot, bolt, lever gun, semi, etc.
LK

[armedtotheteeth]

Hmm, A Ar is going for about 2000 bucks now. Saw a bunch of used Colt M4s in Pawn shop for 2000.

[ZeroJunk]

To me the gun you chose to hunt with or own speaks volumes about a person

Yep. It's likely that I wouldn't want to hunt with the AK AR bunch any more than they would like to hunt with me.

[armedtotheteeth]

Whats a matter zerojunk?? Scared of getting outshot???

[BuckHammer]

This has probably already been said, but there will always be those who resist new trends. In my eyes, there is nothing wrong with using the most effective, cutting edge weapons, even when hunting. The bottom line is that you should use whatever weapon with which you can most effectively hunt, whether it is an HK91 or a muzzle loader. I would even say that this is an obligation. Just make sure to obey any and all laws.

[yosemitesamaz]

you guys might hate me for this but i dont think any type of assualt rifle belongs in a hunting camp. i bow hunt alot and maybe its just in my neck of the woods but the all think there rambo at camp. trying to stalk a animal to 30 yards then all of a sudden you get some automatic gun fire over the next ridge is not cool. i know many people that hunt with .223, 7.62x39,308. but they do it in a bolt rifle. sorry im a bit bitter i have had more than a few hunts disrupted.

[armedtotheteeth]

Oh.. But wait Yosemite.. You cant hunt anywhere with an "assault Rifle". You can only use the semi automatic neutered versions like i have.

Old pharts will came around to the idea.
we dont still drive around in Model Ts for every day use.
We do so for Nostalgia. In 20 years, After Obama is long out of our hair and the Gun banners have all been uhm, well , you know, "put out to pasture" , These guns will be popular. You cant say nobody wants them, cuz 87 % of folks here say ok, and you cant find any in the stores.

[ZeroJunk]

Whats a matter zerojunk?? Scared of getting outshot???

I would rather see it than hear tell of it.

Doesn't it seem a little contadictory that the proponents of these rifles for hunting use sub MOA groups to support their choice. If it shoots that well, why do you need rapid fire capability?

Armed, if you want to use them it's your business.

[hogdogs]

ZJ, I am a proponent of the bestest and the mostest wins... I have no problem with the platform for deer, it is the limited capacity of the round. Heck, if you put 2 MOA you have about the same grain weight in 'em as a good .30-06 Now an AR in .308 would get the ye' ol' hogdogs nod...
Brent

[Art Eatman]

Brent, you look back in this thread and you'll find where I commented favorably about an AR-10.

Consider: There is a lot more difference between a lever action and a bolt action than there is between an AR-type critter and a Browning BAR.

I'd surely raise an eyebrow if Sumdood brought a beautiful bolt-action .223 on a grizzly hunt, just as I would if that same Sumdood brought an AR-10 on a squirrel hunt. Again, it's the cartridge, not the platform, that's seems to me to be more important.

[yosemitesamaz]

i have ar's but i never take them to any hunting areas. its just not for me.

[ZeroJunk]

Everybody has their likes and dislikes. I've never hunted with anything but a bolt action and I'm too old to learn new tricks. But, if I had a big boar or grizzly on my butt I would probably wish I had and semi-automatic.

[armedtotheteeth]

OH zerojunk I was just yanking your chain.
What I like about the Ar platform is its accuracy, and its handiness. Its a light little rifle that is very very accurate. I dont use the semi auto funtion pretty much ever when deer hunting. One shot does the job. Its nice to have another one though. On the other hand,,,hog hunting and deer hunting pretty much go hand in hand here. If you are deer hunting, more than likely you will see hogs first. All of the landowners around here want you to shoot every hog you see. Usually you will find 1 boar or 10 sows with piglets. I have been told in the past " you can hunt whatever you want on my land, but , if you see hogs, youd better be pulling the trigger!"

I Have a Ar10 in 338 Federal. It just aint as handy as the Ar15 IMO. This one has a 24 inch heavy barrel, versus the ar15s 20 inch. The 223 shots alot flatter from what I have seen so far. This spring after all the city hunters have left the area, It ll get a workout.

[Swampghost]

After some soul searching and getting by the 'it just ain't right to hunt with a 'combat rifle' it comes down to this;

Somebody that hunts with this type of rifle is probably young, probably not very experienced, probably tempted to take bad follow up shots because they can and they are excited.

Some of the camps that I hunt have ground blinds that are less than 100 yds. apart and you always have to keep in mind where they are. An excited hunter could forget that there are others around. My 742 was frowned upon my first time in one of these camps, good thing that I'd brought a bolt and lever as backups.

[armedtotheteeth]

ouch!! I thin your tallkin about me!! Hmm, My 60 ish year old dad just bought one. he loves it! Hell of a rifle. Way more accurate than his Rem 700. Easier to handle too.

[Swampghost]

I'm close to your fathers age and my son has all of the toys including night vision3, he's also a SEAL. I can shoot all of his toys better than he can. We have another showdown coming up this week at the range. I'll post the results win or lose.

As to the 700 Rem. I'd like to see the AR that can hit a dime @ 200 yds.

[DonR101395]

As to the 700 Rem. I'd like to see the AR that can hit a dime @ 200 yds.

Have you seen many 1/4 MOA Remington 700 off the shelf rifles?

[T. O'Heir]

"...It's only properly called an "assault rifle" when it is full auto..." And not then either. An "assault rifle" is a select fire rifle chambered in the same calibre as the PBI rifle but with a smaller case. An AR-15 is not an "assault rifle". It's a commercial hunting rifle. Just like the M1A. An M16 isn't an "assault rifle" either. It's a battle rifle. The AK-47 and STG44 are the only assault rifles that have ever been made.
In any case, if the hunter can hit what he's shooting at and make a clean kill, the rifle he uses doesn't matter. Mind you, if a guy showed up with a .223, he'd have to show me his ammo. If he has factory ammo, he'd be told to re-think his choice of ammo. Most factory .223 ammo is loaded with varmint bullets. Varmint bullets are not suitable for deer sized game.

[Art Eatman]

Go back and read the opening post. Then read through the thread, particularly the negative views.

How are they much different in attitude from what we hear from the Pelosi/Kennedy/Schumer crowd?

[Sarge]

It's the property owner or lessee's call. I can see it both ways. If I had nosy/idiot adjoining neighbors who'd "Call the damn game warden!!" over anything with a protruding magazine, I'd probably just forgo the EBR for something more traditional- what I'd normally use, regardless. No point inviting an interruption to your hunt.

In the off-season however I would make sure to shoot my EBR, in a safe manner and into a safe backstop, in full view of those same same neighbors. If they called the coppers on me then, I'd have plenty of time to visit with the constabulary- and talk them into firing at least one mag themselves, before they went 10-8.

[ZeroJunk]

How are they much different in attitude from what we hear from the Pelosi/Kennedy/Schumer crowd?

I haven't gotten the feeling from reading this thread that anybody cares if you have a housefull of these whatever you decide to call them rifles. They are fun. Thousands of people shoot all the time and never hunt anything. And, for personal protection I would a hell of a lot rather have one that a bolt action. But, if you want to deer or elk hunt I think a bolt action will be more reliable in harsh conditions, have adequate folllow up capability, and allow you to use cartridges that are not commercially available in semi-automatics. I can pull a boat with a corvette, but it's not best suited for it.

I wouldn't mind hunting around the house with a BAR or Benelli, but I'm not going to take one to the wilderness and I've never seen anybody else do it either. That's what I took from the OP's "camp". I probably got this attitude from the 742 Remington that almost everybody had years ago. It was a stretch to call them a semi-automatic since so many of them might cycle and they might not. I don't care much for any semi-auto for a hunt where there may be a once in a lifetime opportunity regardless of what color it is.

[mavracer]

As to the 700 Rem. I'd like to see the AR that can hit a dime @ 200 yds.

Yes, I want to see the 700 that can too.

[L_Killkenny]

Art, I'll tell you how I'm different from them: I stated that I believe you should be able to own them. I didn't say they should be taken away, not sold or even illegal to hunt with. I also stated that it wasn't the platform that's the problem. As a matter of fact, I voted "go ahead" and then qualified my answer. The AR "can" be a great hunting platform. Accurate, fast follow up shots, short and easy to handle. If I had to chose 1 coyote gun and money wasn't an object a .243 Ar type rifle would be at the top of the list. 22-250 would be even better. I have no problem with "sporterized" military type rifles being used. I do have an issue with "tactilized" military type rifles being used.

It has less to do with the weapon than it does with the mindset of the shooter.

LK

[Yithian]

L_Killkenny...
If you know the shooter already, what difference does mindset mean?
Or to put it more bluntly....
Why would you invite, or lease, to someone if you don't know, or don't trust, their mindset already?

The rifle has nothing to do with it.
So what if the rifle has a light or laser on it.
Are you saying that someone you invite, should remove all "Home Defence" related items from their rifle, just to hunt with it around you?

You either expect too much, or are anti and trying to wriggle an excuse by us.

[L_Killkenny]

Yithian, all my friends/acquaintances/hunting buddies are smart enough to realize that the 12 ga they use for deer season is all they "might" ever need for HD (and more). None of the people I hunt with would even think of taking a tacti-cool rifle hunting (let alone owning one). Save the gadgets for the kids. IMO, if someone chooses to use and set up a rifle for HD it will not be properly set up for hunting the game we have around here. I'd think they were nuts for even trying. It's like playing baseball using a tennis ball. They're both balls right? Use the right tool for the job. Just because it sends a chunk of lead down range does not make it the right tool.

LK