Longwalker said:I'm really struggling with this one. I think I agree with Zumbo but I don't want to give the "gun grabbers" any more excuses.
I just can't see hunters with a great deal of respect for the game using military autoloaders. Doing so would seem to be part of a " whack 'em and stack 'em" mentality that does not fit my PERSONAL ethics. I think respect for the game is the key. I know there are a lot of hunters uncomfortable with the discussion. Maybe we should be discussing our public image as hunters more. I know we won't make any converts by doing whatever we feel like and "to hell with them" - I for one do try to make converts out of non-hunters, and part of that is to stress our love for wild game meat and the traditions and joy of the hunt while respecting the animals that we kill.
I did kill my first deer years ago with a military surplus .303, so hunting with military arms is not a black/white issue to me, just something worth keeping an open mind about.

Ouch, scary. What exactly does the appearance of one's firearm have to do with respect for the game they chose to persue with it? How would you feel if the first rifles to be produced were black and made of aluminum or poly... would these new-fangled Brown Wood stocked bolt action firearms then be the scourge? (Those high-tech muzzle-loaders would just be appaling then.)
There is nothing to keep in mind here. The actions of the hunter determine whether or not they are following the 'rules' of fair chase and sportsmanship. The second you start thinking that the action/colour/composition of their chosen firearm determines this is the second you have lost touch.