Doc, do you have some mental image of some nimrod, drawing down on a deer with an AR platform rifle and unleashing multiple rounds at said game animal? I will assure you it is not an accurate image most of the time. Usually you don't put any more holes in your table fare than is necessary for a clean and humane kill.
If a quick follow up shot or even two is necessary for a quick and humane kill then by all means do so, and I have. But as for "spraying and praying", no, that is not the norm. I am not saying there might not be idiots out there that would do that, but it is severely frowned upon by sportsmen and most DNR's. In fact many states have magazine limits for hunting rifles. 5 rounds is common. Our state is pretty liberal with a 10 round limitation, but that was in effect so the old .303 British rifle that held 10 rounds could be used for deer hunting.
I appreciate having a quick follow up shot on tap to anchor a game animal if the first one was not placed good enough for a quick humane kill. While I have never shot a deer (or a Deere for that matter
) with an AR platform rifle, I have shot some with my Remington 7400 semi-auto rifle whose operation is the same as any other AR semi-auto rifle.
The main reason I like the AR better is that the Remington is a pain in the butt to clean and maintain as compared to the AR. Both guns are black, as if that matters. Both are semi-auto. Both propel bullets out the bore of their respective barrels. As for which one is more deadly, I guess that is up to the operator.
The point of my dissertation here is that a firearm is just a tool and is under control of the operator of that firearm. If you want to be an idiot with a firearm you can be an idiot with a firearm no matter its action or features. If you want to be a sportsman with a firearm, you will be a sportsman with a firearm no matter its action or features. I hope I have broadened your outlook on firearms a bit.
