Freedom means different things to different people. Janice Joplin once said, “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” There is some truth in that statement but to me and many others freedom means the ability to choose. One of the choices that has been very individualized from the start of this country is the firearm that we use to hunt and protect ourselves and our Family with.

Throughout the history of the United States there has been a preference by veterans as well as the general public to adopt the military firearms of the era for use in hunting as well as personal protection. This was seen after the revolutionary war with muskets and then later rifled muskets up to the time of the Civil War.

These firearms were fundamental in providing food for the table and protection for families from 4 legged and 2 legged predators alike.

The American population grew in the time period after the Civil War as more people moved into the western United States. The country saw the adoption of the lever action repeating rifles and single action pistols using black powder cartridges.

Today these firearms are often associated with western movies and TV shows that were prevalent in the 1950’s and 1960’s. The lever action and single action firearms of the 1860’s-1880’s were decedents of the lever action Henry repeating rifles used by the Army at the end of the Civil War.

In the 1880’s and 1890’s the United States military moved to bolt action rifles and double action revolvers using the smokeless or white powder. The invention of white smokeless powder allowed firearms manufactures to develop cartridges and firearms that had the ability to handle much higher pressures than the black powder firearms from the post-civil war period.

At the turn of the 20th century after the Spanish-American war, bolt action rifles begin to be the preferred rifle of hunters who families often counted on them to supply game to feed their family.
Bolt action rifles are to this day a top choice of hunters and military snipers. The bolt action design has proven to be a highly accurate and robust design still popular today.

In the years prior to World War I, semi-automatic firearms were introduced in the United States military. It would not be until the 1940’s that semi-automatic rifles would become the standard military rifle and dominate the battle fields of World War II.

After the First World War, semi- automatic firearms especially those design by John Browning became a popular choice by the American public. John Browning’s 1911 pistol is still one of the most popular firearms in the world. The trend of seeing civilian versions of firearms first introduced in the military continued on post World War Two. Once again the civilian population following the lead of the military and began adopting semi- automatic firearms as hunting and personal protection tools.

 

Throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s the popularity of semi-automatic rifles like the Remington 742 Woods Master, and Browning BAR continued to grow. In the 1970s and 1980s if you were fortunate enough to own a Remington Woodmaster or Browning BAR you felt like the Taranta Saurus Rex of the deer words.

In current day America the military rifle that has been used longer than any other in United States history is the AR platform rifle. It was invented in the 1950’s and first adopted by the United States Air Force and later used by all branches of the United States Military. The basic platform of the AR rifle is still the militaries primary service rifle.

Many people question whether or not the AR rifle has a place in the hands of civilians for self-defense and hunting. In my opinion the adoption of this rifle that been in service for over 50 years follows the long tradition of choosing the rifle that millions of veterans became familiar with during their tour of duty. There are many variations of the AR rifle that make it excellent for hunting as well as a personal defense tool. Let’s take a look at many of the current variations of the AR rifle that are available for hunters today.

There are two primary platforms of the AR rifle that are currently being used for hunting and personal protection. The original AR 10 platform that is the origin of the first AR rifles and the AR 15 platform. The AR 15 rifle in 5.56 mm or 223 caliber is the classic military caliber primarily used from the 1960’s until today.

This rifle can be used with appropriate bullets for medium size games such as deer. The low recoil and quick follow-up shots make this a choice for many as a first hunting rifle for deer size game. The 5.56 or 223 cartridge certainly is not an ideal deer cartridge and there are many other choices available for this rifle.

With the AR rifle you can change calibers by simply pushing out two pins and removing the upper receiver and barrel just like on a single barrel shotgun. Reinstalling a new upper receiver and barrel to change to a new caliber takes less than one minute and provides the owner with the opportunity to be able to use the same rifle for many different purposes. Other popular calibers for the AR 15 platform are:
.300 blackout
6.8 SPC
6.5 Grendel
458 socom
224 Valkyrie

Each one of these have different characteristics that a hunter might want to take a vantage of. The 6.8 SPC and a 300 blackout are medium range cartridges that allow the use of bullets in the 110 250 grain range. The 6.5 Grendel Is considered to be long range cartridge with accuracy out the 800 yards. The 458 socom is capable of taking all North American game with bullets that range from 300 grains to 600 grains. The 224 Valkyrie can be effective to 1000 yards.

The AR 10 platform is a little heavier to carry on a long hike but it also allows for a heavier cartridge. Some of the popular AR. 10 cartridges are 308 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.0 Creedmoor and 338 Federal. All of these make good choices for deer size game and would be at home in the words of Arkansas, Tennessee or Missouri as a Remington Woods Master or Browning BAR.

It’s evident that although some may not understand the utility of the AR rifle platform in both hunting and personal protection, this firearm just as the bolt action rifle, lever action rifle and semi-automatic rifles that preceded it, is a natural choice for Americans that is why it is the most popular rifle in the United States.