HUNTING WITH AMERICA'S RIFLE

The Sub 6-pound 308 Rogue Rifle From Patriot Ordnance Factory

- Steven Kuo

The “AR” in “AR-15” originally referenced Armalite, the company that developed it, not “assault rifle” as many uninformed cable news pundits might think. But many now consider it to represent “America’s Rifle,” as the AR platform (and other semi-automatic rifles like it) has exploded in popularity across this great nation. The National Shooting Sports Foundation estimates over 16 million modern sporting rifles like ARs were owned by civilians in 2018, and that number keeps rising.

And what could be more American than using America’s Rifle for hunting, that most American tradition of self-reliance, independence, and good, healthy eating. According to a 2017 study by the NSSF, while the most commonly used firearms for hunting were still traditional rifles and shotguns, 40 percent of those surveyed used an MSR to hunt. Plus 40 percent of those who use MSRs hunt big game, especially deer. No doubt these percentages have continued to climb in the years since.

With gun sales going through the roof throughout the 2020 pandemic, increasing numbers of new gun owners are entering the picture as well. An April 2020 NSSF study estimated that about 40 percent of recent customers were first-time gun buyers. Not surprisingly, handguns were the top-selling type of firearms, but MSRs weren’t far behind. Also not surprisingly, most of these buyers were focused on personal protection — however,almost 1 in 10 were for hunting. And Americans are hunting in record numbers, with many states reporting large upticks in hunting licenses this year.

Pros and Cons of Hunting With an AR