I personally feel that the AR style rifle is a little more difficult than a traditional rifle to pull up and shoot quickly while stalking deer. Those chambered in .308 are exceptionally good for deer though.
If they are chambered in .223, they are a little light for deer but are still MUCH more effective than slugs, buckshot or arrows out to 150 yards or so. The tiny bullets deflect easily in brush but I always shoot even a 30-06 through clear air because it usually deflects too if I don't. I would not recommend using them in areas of thick brush with 30 yard visibility though where a .35 Remington outperforms them.
The exceptionally low recoil of the .223 certainly allows the fastest follow up shot available if necessary and this could be an advantage for deer hunters since deer often disappear quickly and I understand that some deer hunters actually miss on their first shot.
I've found after observing about 50 deer and antelope hits that a premium bullet like the 55g Combined Technology bullet leaves a wound channel similar to a .308 out to 150 yards and achieves full penetration in the same circumstances as does a .308. As long as hunters realize their personal limitations and those of their rifle, follow the law and shoot accordingly, they are welcome in my opinion (as are bow hunters, slug hunters, buckshot hunters, etc.).
They are just another rifle. Just because they are capable of auto-loading (like say a Remington 7400 or a Browning A5) doesn't mean that their user will fill the forest with lead before aiming. Although really stupid hunters do exist, I don't assume that all hunters are really stupid just because they are using a modern firearm. Although I'm only a sample of one, I have seen the number of really stupid bow hunters, black powder hunters and slug hunters far outweigh the number of really stupid AR hunters. I've also seen some really stupid bolt action shooters and believe it or not, the MOST stupid hunter I have ever seen was using a side-by-side double barrel.
I've shot a few antelope and a deer with a .223 just to give it a try. I've not had to shoot more than one bullet to take game this size, just like with a bolt action rifle. They are fast, flat shooting and very accurate. Most states limit the magazine to 5 rounds while hunting, similar to other auto-loaders so they typically offer no volume of fire advantage over the dozens of auto-loaders that have been used for deer hunting over the last 50 years.
If they are chambered in .223, they are a little light for deer but are still MUCH more effective than slugs, buckshot or arrows out to 150 yards or so. The tiny bullets deflect easily in brush but I always shoot even a 30-06 through clear air because it usually deflects too if I don't. I would not recommend using them in areas of thick brush with 30 yard visibility though where a .35 Remington outperforms them.
The exceptionally low recoil of the .223 certainly allows the fastest follow up shot available if necessary and this could be an advantage for deer hunters since deer often disappear quickly and I understand that some deer hunters actually miss on their first shot.
I've found after observing about 50 deer and antelope hits that a premium bullet like the 55g Combined Technology bullet leaves a wound channel similar to a .308 out to 150 yards and achieves full penetration in the same circumstances as does a .308. As long as hunters realize their personal limitations and those of their rifle, follow the law and shoot accordingly, they are welcome in my opinion (as are bow hunters, slug hunters, buckshot hunters, etc.).
They are just another rifle. Just because they are capable of auto-loading (like say a Remington 7400 or a Browning A5) doesn't mean that their user will fill the forest with lead before aiming. Although really stupid hunters do exist, I don't assume that all hunters are really stupid just because they are using a modern firearm. Although I'm only a sample of one, I have seen the number of really stupid bow hunters, black powder hunters and slug hunters far outweigh the number of really stupid AR hunters. I've also seen some really stupid bolt action shooters and believe it or not, the MOST stupid hunter I have ever seen was using a side-by-side double barrel.
I've shot a few antelope and a deer with a .223 just to give it a try. I've not had to shoot more than one bullet to take game this size, just like with a bolt action rifle. They are fast, flat shooting and very accurate. Most states limit the magazine to 5 rounds while hunting, similar to other auto-loaders so they typically offer no volume of fire advantage over the dozens of auto-loaders that have been used for deer hunting over the last 50 years.
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