The ownership and use of the Modern Sporting Rifle (MSR) — often referred to by gun grabbers and the uninformed as an “assault rifle” — has been growing like weeds in recent years. In our world, this is common knowledge. The availability of MSRs in a wide variety of calibers suitable for hunting both big and small game, the improvements in manufacturing that has created very accurate rifles, and their usefulness both in the field and for self-defense, among many other reasons, has made them extremely attractive to a wide swath of the hunting and shooting public.
The primary argument against MSR ownership by an uninformed general public has always been that civilians don’t have any need for “weapons of war,” and who needs a semiautomatic military-style rifle with 20-shot clip to hunt deer? Their misinterpretation of the Second Amendment and foolishness of such arguments notwithstanding, I have been wondering just how popular MSRs really are with the hunting public. Is their use growing? Are they more popular than traditional bolt-action rifles? What is their primary attraction for hunting?
A 2022 survey entitled “Proliferation of Hunting With AR-Platform/Modern Sporting Rifles,” conducted by Responsive Management for the Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation, sheds some light on the topic. You can view the entire survey at, www.outdoorstewards.org, but in a nutshell, here are some of its key findings.
At the top of the list, the analyses of data from this study in context with other studies released by Responsive Management and the National Shooting Sports Foundation suggests that 41% of hunters have used an AR-platform/Modern Sporting Rifle for hunting at some time, up from 27% in 2014. Overall, today traditional (bolt-action) rifles are used by 49% of hunters, with shotguns next at 26%, and MSRs sitting at 17%. When asked what types of firearms they primarily hunt with if not a MSR, respondents answered traditional rifles (76%) and shotguns (75%.) Interestingly, only 4% said they hunt with a muzzleloader, and just 2% hunt with a handgun.
The trendline, however, is skewing toward more people using MSRs for hunting. This is reflected by the fact that survey respondents showed that fully 80% of those who have hunted with an MSR have done so for 10 years or less — and 57% of those have done so for five years or less. The numbers breakdown between use in 2014 and 2023 is: five years or less, 48-57%; 6-10 years, 18-23%; over 10 years, 31-19%. When it comes to what types of game are hunted with a MSR, in 2023, 81% said large game, like deer or elk, and 31% said small game. Back in 2014, respondents said 57% hunted large game, and 31% small game.
Ease of shooting (36%) and accuracy (31%) are the top reasons that hunters responding to the survey gave for using MSRs for hunting, with reliability (17%) and light weight (11%) also given as reasons for MSR use. In 2014, only 19% said ease of shooting was their primary reason for MSR use, with 28% listing accuracy and 20% listing reliability as their main reasons. Also, just over half the hunters surveyed (51%) said they were very likely (23%) or somewhat likely (28%) to hunt with a MSR, if it were legal to do so in their state.
In terms of demographics, traditional rifles are prevalent among older, established hunters and hunters who reside in a rural area, with 62% of these respondents having hunted more than 25 years, are 45 years of age or older (57%) or 35-44 years of age (53%), and 55% living in a rural area. An interesting finding is that, when it comes to hunting varmints like coyotes or wild hogs, a higher percentage of minority hunters (black or African American, 55%) and Hispanic-Latino (48%) have used a MSR than white/Caucasian hunters (47%.)
There’s more in the survey, and it’s worth your time to check it out. What it says to me is that the MSR has been increasingly being accepted by the general hunting public as a viable, effective, and legitimate tool for hunting both large and small game. In my own experience traveling the country hunting every year, as well as hanging with groups of serious shooters who demand uncompromising reliability and accuracy, the MSR platform has become a rifle whose popularity is growing. The ability to easily customize MSRs, add a suppressor to a short barrel that doesn’t make the rifle long and unwieldy, chamber it for one of the latest short-action and highly-accurate cartridges that are growing in popularity as well as more traditional .223 Rem. and .308 Win., and top it with a top-of-the-line riflescope with turret system that produces pinpoint accuracy at long range, all while keeping the overall package weight reasonable, is highly attractive. And when not set up for hunting, simply replacing the upper with one built for home defense is a practical way to get more bang for your buck.
No doubt about it, the MSR as a hunting rifle is here to stay. I enjoy hunting with one from time to time, and will continue to do so in the coming years. Will it replace the traditional bolt-action rifle? Not in the near term, to be sure, simply because there are so many bolt-action hunting rifles in use today, and because a very accurate bolt gun can be purchased for less money than a quality MSR.
What’s your take? Are your customers fans of hunting with MSRs? Is their use increasing in your area? Drop me a note at editor@grandviewoutdoors.com and let me know. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
