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It musty be, or just an ignorant post. The standard .223/5.56 round an AR-15 fires is typically 55 grains to 62 grains in weight. A .30-06, or .308 typical weight is 150 grains to 200 grains. Much heavier, much larger, and more energy transferred to the target. It is the reason our military still uses the M-14 (M1A1). In Afghanistan the Taliban new that the little 5.56 round could not reach them effectively at distances of several hundred yards. The Army got out the M-14's in .308, and suddenly the Taliban were scared as they were getting hit at distances over 600 yards.
I guess I would be a "gun hugger", as I have nearly 200 rifles and pistols. However, my main interest is historical, although I very much enjoy target shooting.
Any weapon can be used for "assault" purposes. The "assault" is in the intent and planning of the individual, not the weapon itself. One can make a pistol an "assault weapon" in tactics and use, so the issues of "assault weapons" are more nomenclature used by firearm opponants to ban a large class of weapons.
The most popular rifle in the US is the Ar-15, which is the semi-auto version of the M-16. Most civilian weapons are derivatives of military weapons, as they are durable, have good ergonomics, and make excellent hunting and target rifles. When hunting hogs, what do we use? Ar-15s and Ar-10s. Incidentally, hogs are the only animal we hunt, as I feed the deer, turkeys, ducks, ect........ When we hunt hogs, we actually "feed" the mountain lions, bobcats, and coyotes by providing them a fresh feast.
I have taken many "gun opponants" out target shooting. After the experience, they no longer hate guns and found the experience entertaining. Target shooting (particularly shooting watermellons, tannerite, pop cans, and pumpkins) is pretty fun and harms no one. Oddly, most of the "gun haters" I have taken out shooting enjoy the "cowboy" single action revolvers and the full auto submachine guns the most.
The AR15 in the 5.56 caliber has been the ordered preferred caribou rifle by thousands of Alaska native caribou hunters for decades. Plenty of power and range yet a small enough round it doesn't damage too much meat.
Bullet construction is what controls damage to tissue. A typical .30-30 round will simply punch a hole like a target arrow unless it hits a bone. I've also seen game explode from getting hit with a small, high speed frangible bullet.
Bullet construction is what controls damage to tissue. A typical .30-30 round will simply punch a hole like a target arrow unless it hits a bone. I've also seen game explode from getting hit with a small, high speed frangible bullet.
If I'm worried about meat I go for a neck shot.
This is why we always hunted rabbits and squirrels with a 22 and not a shotgun. I don't like picking buckshot out of the meat. And if you accidentally hit a rabbit in the body, there is not much left if you are using a shotgun.
The AR15 in the 5.56 caliber has been the ordered preferred caribou rifle by thousands of Alaska native caribou hunters for decades. Plenty of power and range yet a small enough round it doesn't damage too much meat.
The most popular large game hunting calibers are, in order, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game:
30.06
.300 Winchester magnum
.338 Winchester magnum
.375 H&H magnum
7mm Remington magnum
Not anything close to .223
Subsistence hunters use the .223 because it is a great all around rifle, not because it is the best caliber for caribou. When you live off of what you eat, you use what you have. Growing up, I knew a gentleman who hunted squirrels with a 30-30 by "barking" them (shooting the tree next to their head and killing them with concussion). It wasn't because the 30-30 was the best round for hunting squirrels, it was because the 30-30 was the only rifle he had.
A .223 round is barely sufficient for whitetail deer, and anyone who had a choice would not use it on anything larger.
It musty be, or just an ignorant post. The standard .223/5.56 round an AR-15 fires is typically 55 grains to 62 grains in weight. A .30-06, or .308 typical weight is 150 grains to 200 grains. Much heavier, much larger, and more energy transferred to the target. It is the reason our military still uses the M-14 (M1A1). In Afghanistan the Taliban new that the little 5.56 round could not reach them effectively at distances of several hundred yards. The Army got out the M-14's in .308, and suddenly the Taliban were scared as they were getting hit at distances over 600 yards.
That particular post made me spew my coffee. That and the one about the 223 being the preferred cartridge by Native caribou hunters in Alaska. It seem that a great many people have bought off on this tripe that the type of firearm a projectile is fired from makes a difference in terminal ballistics. And oh my! Rounds fired from an AR are converted after the mag is inserted to reactive armor defeating directed energy phase plasma charges that destroy everything they hit like an RPG.
Yes, what M14s were left were brought out of storage for Afghanistan and Iraq use. There aren't that many. The Navy had most of them and gave them to the SEALs. There have been guys over there who spent their own money on new M1As in various configurations. The M16/M4 just doesn't have the punch needed for terrain like the troops are fighting in and there is also a lot of hard cover like old walls and such the M14 will bust up while the M4 round just knocks off chips.
The M16/M4 is a good weapon but it has come under scrutiny due to field complaints about it being underpowered as a battle rifle and doesn't have the range. 400 yards is bout max for the 5.56 and even if a hit is scored at that range it's iffy as to whether the target will go down. I've taken coyotes out at bout that distance with my AR but a 40 pound coyote is not a heavily dressed 200 pound man. I've shot bowling pins with my AR at 50 yards and a 62 grM855 just sails through and the pins never twitched. To be fair though my M1A with 150 gr ball round did the same thing. ZIP, tiny hole front and back.
That is the nature of military ball ammo. If you are limited to ball ammo bigger is better. The 308 is far superior to the 223 as a round for a fighting rifle. As to all these trauma doctors saying people hit by a round from an AR are worse off than ones hit with "standard" rounds that's a major BS call. A "standard" hunting round in 30 06 is a nasty customer. 5.56 ball which is what most folks use in their ARs? The old 06 dwarves it. That post is just dripping with fresh BS. As is the one about hunting caribou in Alaska with an AR in 5.56. Taking the field in Alaska caribou country with less than a 300 Win or at least a heavy loaded 06 is ill advised. And hitting a caribou anywhere other than a perfect close range head shot with a 5.56 is just inhumane. It WON"T put one down.
The projectile will break up on the surface causing painful wounding but little more. Such blatant misinformation as those two posts just ticks me off.
Those articles were written by a political writer not a gun person.
I was interested in what the doctors had to say.
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