How many hunters in the US use an assault rifle for hunting?
Tom Kehoe, Lifelong shooter, firearms instructor and maker of fine leather holsters.
Answered Jul 19, 2016
If you mean real “assault rifles” (which have select-fire capability) then “none,” since there are only a handful of real assault rifles in civilian hands.
If you mean the semiauto guns that are often referred to as “assault rifles” because of their appearance, then not all that many. Most modern military rifles use high-speed, small-diameter bullets that don’t have enough power for hunting deer-sized game (or larger).
The AR-15, whose appearance inspires terror in so many anti-gun zealots, is chambered for the 5.56x45 mm round, which is basically a mid-powered varmint round for popping groundhogs, prairie dogs and the odd coyote. It’s not powerful enough for hunting deer.
Guns chambered for the Soviet 7.62 x 39mm have ballistics that are virtually identical to the old .30–30, which has accounted for more deer than any other cartridge. So there are folks who hunt with guns chambered for this cartridge.
But generally, most folks who use military rifles for hunting use older designs chambered for more powerful cartridges, like the .30–06, .308, or 7.62 x 54R.
There are some modern military-rifles, like the Robinson Arms XCR, that are capable of changing cartridges from standard military rounds like the 5.56 to more modern, more powerful cartridges, like the 6.8 or 6.5 Grendel. They’re effective on deer, pigs, and perhaps elk — and folks do use them for hunting.
Tom Kehoe, Lifelong shooter, firearms instructor and maker of fine leather holsters.
Answered Jul 19, 2016
If you mean real “assault rifles” (which have select-fire capability) then “none,” since there are only a handful of real assault rifles in civilian hands.
If you mean the semiauto guns that are often referred to as “assault rifles” because of their appearance, then not all that many. Most modern military rifles use high-speed, small-diameter bullets that don’t have enough power for hunting deer-sized game (or larger).
The AR-15, whose appearance inspires terror in so many anti-gun zealots, is chambered for the 5.56x45 mm round, which is basically a mid-powered varmint round for popping groundhogs, prairie dogs and the odd coyote. It’s not powerful enough for hunting deer.
Guns chambered for the Soviet 7.62 x 39mm have ballistics that are virtually identical to the old .30–30, which has accounted for more deer than any other cartridge. So there are folks who hunt with guns chambered for this cartridge.
But generally, most folks who use military rifles for hunting use older designs chambered for more powerful cartridges, like the .30–06, .308, or 7.62 x 54R.
There are some modern military-rifles, like the Robinson Arms XCR, that are capable of changing cartridges from standard military rounds like the 5.56 to more modern, more powerful cartridges, like the 6.8 or 6.5 Grendel. They’re effective on deer, pigs, and perhaps elk — and folks do use them for hunting.
