How Popular is the AR-15 When it Comes to Hunting?
The AR-15 isn’t typically what I think of when it comes to most hunting applications. However, the AR platform covers a wide range of cartridges, some of which are more than suitable for hunting everything from small varmints to feral hogs. A new research document from the Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation titled Proliferation of Hunting With AR-Platform / Modern Sporting Rifles sheds some light on how AR has been used within the hunting world.
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How Popular is the AR-15 When it Comes to Hunting?
The research, entitled “Proliferation of Hunting with AR-Platform / Modern Sporting Rifles”, was conducted for OSCF by leading outdoor industry research firm Responsive Management.
Mark Damian Duda, Executive Director of Responsive Management states: “This report is chalk full of new insights and is a must read for anyone connected with hunting or AR-Platform rifles. In addition to many key findings, the report includes demographic-participatory analyses graphs that provide extra insight to the reader on how various demographic groups respond to certain questions within the report.”
Key findings include:
- Most important reasons for hunting last season.
- Percentage of hunters that have used an AR-Platform rifle to hunt with.
- What type of firearm hunters use most often to hunt with.
- How long they have hunted with AR-Platform rifles.
- Type of game, (i.e., large/small) that hunters have used an AR-Platform to hunt.
- Main reasons they use AR-Platform rifles for hunting.
- Likeliness of using an AR-Platform rifle to hunt with in the future (asked of hunters not currently using an AR-Platform rifle to hunt with). PS – the results will surprise you!
OSCF Board of Directors Secretary, Patrick Shay noted; “With limited data on this topic, the new OSCF report is a welcomed resource that allows readers to make fact-based decisions – which is important during these tough market conditions.”
This report expands an ever-growing knowledge library provided by Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation. To view the report and findings (free of charge) visit www.OutdoorStewards.org .
The single most important reason for hunting according to the research document turned out to be “for the meat” by about 20% more than the next biggest reason which was “to be with family and friends,” Both of these are great sentiments but when it comes to the AR-15, most stated that the reason they favored it over other rifles was for its “ease of shooting,” and its “accuracy.” A majority of respondents to the research also stated that they used the AR-15 for large game such as deer or elk over small game such as squirrel or rabbit. The whole report is a bit of a dry read but it I thought might be interesting to some of you out there. Do you use your AR-15 to hunt with? If so then in what configuration and what for? Let us know in the comments!
Reloader SCSA Competitor Certified Pilot Currently able to pass himself off as the second cousin twice removed of Joe Flanigan. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ballisticaviation/
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The AR platform is ideal for hunting. It makes for light, accurate rifles, is usually much lighter kicking that a bolt action rifle of similar weight, and with the newer hunting chamberings - the 350 Legend is a personal favorite with me - is a very capable hunting combination up to 200 yards in the hands of the average hunter, a category that I count myself in. And, if you need to down harmful invasive species like feral pigs, there's no better tool for helping get rid of whole sounders. More advanced hunters could definitely do better with the AR-10 and the more punchy chamberings available in it as well. As a father, I can see the sense in buying an AR to teach children to shoot and hunt and to not develop a flinch as well.
Back in the 80's I killed many deer with a 22 and a head shot. Also rabbit, and even fish, with a 22 to survive during that time. When I shoot my AR15 223 I cant imagine not being able to drop a deer with it using even 55gr ammo with a head shot. Even with the 22 I never had a deer that ran off after I hit it with 40gr. but again all head shots. When times are tough you do whatever you have to, to survive. During those times, sport hunting goes out the window and anything you can do to put food on your table....well lets just say rules and laws go out the window.