Well. All I can say is WOW! Take a day off and this is what I come back to?
Shorty. I too am not a fan of having beer can holders, condom dispensers, flash lights, lasers and other assorted crap attached to my guns. Pink fur dice or CDs hanging from my rear view mirror adorn my car also do nothing for me. Some folks however DO like to accessorize" their guns and cars.
The ADVANTAGE to the 60 year old (modern by gun terms) modular style rifles is that YOU decide what the grip, stock and hand guard feels like.
There are a virtual ton of various components that can alter what the look and feel of a "modular" rifle has. This is something the conventional (fudd style) "hunting" does not have to offer to much or any degree.
I guess the real question that only you can answer is whether you like the more modern style and modularity of this types of rifles or not.
Billabong has eluded to reliability and accuracy. The AR platform, which the MH shares quite a lot commonality to, has been well proven in the military since the 1960s, so although not having the 200 odd years of experience that today's bolt actions have, a 60 year history is saying something.
Accuracy, like with bolt guns dictated by how well the platform is designed,assembled and the quality of the parts used. The AR platform has a long history of being quite accurate, certainly on par with many bolt guns. Frankly will we ever be able to achieve the same level of accuracy from our Modern Hunter as we can get from our bolt action rifles? I seriously doubt we can make a semi that is sub .2 MOA capable. Now then a question. How many hunting rifles can even produce .5 MOA? My guess damned few if guys are honest, yet our MH DOES produce .5MOA groups as was witnessed on Saturday at RDSC.
Is the Modern Hunter the right rifle for all purposes and all people? Frankly no. Does it fill a niche within the Canadian shooting culture? Yes.
Billabong. Thankfully your line of thinking is not common. If the auto industry were to use your line of logic we would all still be driving Model Ts.
Progress and advancements are made in most areas of life. Make NO mistake ALL firearms were originally designed to kill people NOT big game animals. The advancements in the firearms industry mirror the auto industry in many way. 100 years ago cars had steel bumpers and dash boards, some wood was still employed in many and leather seats were common and doors were bolted on. A car that lasted 100000 miles was not all that common and top speeds were under 100 MPH for the most part.
Today polymers are used for bumpers, dash boards and many other parts. Good luck finding any wood in most modern cars, even my BMW has fake wood trim. Leather seats are now a major upgrade in many cars, most are easily capable of plus 100 MPH and try to find a car that has its doors bolted on. THAT is called progress.
In the firearms industry, wood stocks are becoming an anomaly, mostly due to the cost of wood and more so because of the costs to make and finish wood stocks. Blueing is old technology simply because it is labor intensive and not nearly as durable as most of the newer finish's are.
Imagine what the fudds will be saying in another 60 to 75 years, assuming that we still inhabit the planet and that there is still some wildlife left.
