Originally Posted by
Billabong
Did I say that people who hunt with semis are bad hunters? No. What I said was that if you are gonna drop $3000 on a rifle that is heavier, less reliable and likely less accurate than one you can buy for under $1500, then you must have some sort of a reason. The only advantage you get with this gun in a big game hunting situation is to help with your "spray and pray" shooting, which is not acceptable. If there is some other advantage, please let me know what that is.
I have a Tikka Stainless bolt, in 7mm/08. It cost me under $1500 with a Nikon scope on it. It shoots 1/2 MOA all day long from a rest. Kneeling, with a sling, I get 1.5 inch groups with it. Prone, 1 inch groups. I hand load my own ammo, so that helps a bit. Nothing spectacular. Just a decent, accurate rig at a reasonable cost. The guys I go hunting with can all shoot the same sort of groups with the rifle. We all practice a lot during the year, and this helps our shooting. I am sure a lot of guys here are a lot better. For the hunting we do, our shooting is fine.
I would not use The Modern Hunter for hunting big game. I can see the gun's application in shooting large numbers of targets...this does not apply to a big game hunting situation.
This is my opinion. It is rather different than your suggestion that I say that all hunters who use semi-autos are slobs.
Shorty asked us for our opinions. I gave him mine. I know a lot of other hunters who feel the way I do about ARs/black guns being used for hunting. I think it takes away a fundamental bit of respect that we hunters should have for the animals we hunt. They are not some enemy you mow down. They are not things we hate. Why use a tool designed for war to hunt them, when we have other options? Why call such a rifle a "Hunting Rig"? It seems rather absurd to me. If you are going to view your quarry as "enemy" and go after it with tools that give you every advantage, then that is not ethical hunting. The animal has to have a chance. It is not like they are evolving at the same rate that we are. You don't see a moose shooting back at you. If we abandon all ties to hunting traditions, where will we be down the track? Maybe in 50 years one of the vendors on this site will be proudly selling the XRC CrittaKilla laser rifle, guaranteed to shoot to point of aim out to infinity, and you get 10,000 rounds out of a 9 volt battery. No worries about wind drift or bullet drop. How long do you think game will last out there if every hunter is equipped with one of these?
The battlefield is different. You have to keep one step ahead of the jerks on the other side trying to kill you. They have guns. They have technology. You throw whatever you can at them. Hunting animals is not like this.
You bring up cost. I would suggest that if you can pay $3000 for a rifle, then good for you, but it is definitely a "high end item".
For this sort of money, you can purchase several rifles, and have rifles that are more suited to the individual situations you might encounter, rather than "one rifle that does it all" (there is no such thing).
I would not dream of turning up at deer camp with this AR. Not in a million years. Shooting a big game animal with it would indeed repulse me, and it would repulse a great many other ethical hunters I know.
If you feel differently, that is fine.
As far as shooting it at the range, I am sure it would be an awesome rifle. Like I said, I might yet buy one.
I have a short barrel VZ 58 that I enjoy shooting at the range a lot. I would never hunt with the thing, even if that were legal.
This is my opinion, and I am sticking to it. You are entitled to yours.
Shorty should know that if he goes hunting with this rig, a lot of hunters he encounters in the woods will not look at him in a favourable light.
I know this.
Most folks here know it too.
Since he asked for an honest opinion, I felt that I should let him know. That is all.
