the possum
New member
This son is in to the AR platform. Where we usually hunt it's very rugged northern Idaho so lots of hiking, so a light weight gun would be best.
I have not spent a lot of time afield with an AR, so maybe others can chime in here with their experiences. But just from what little I've done, the AR does not strike me as a fun gun to walk around with. It's nothing like the traditional hunting guns I grew up with. The receiver is so wide ya can't just hold it in one hand at the balance point. The pistol grip means ya can't carry it over your shoulder, across the body with the muzzle up, or butt resting on yer hip/thigh, 'cause ya can't cock yer wrist that far to hang onto it. Likewise the scope and protrusions make it hard to rest on the shoulder. 'Bout the only ways I've found to comfortably carry an AR is slung on the shoulder or diagonally across the body with the muzzle down. And that gets old pretty quick when ya can't move it around to other positions.
That said, the AR-15 is generally gonna be a lot easier to find in a lightweight configuration. If ya decide to go the AR-10 route, take a look at the S&W M&P-10. It's lighter than most others at 7.63 pounds, but because of the skinny barrel beyond the gas block it feels much lighter and better balanced in-hand. That's the whole reason I got mine. http://gunblast.com/SW-MP10.htm