ar 15

Question
i was just wondering how well an ar 15 would work as a deer rifle.  i've heard both sides and always wondered which is accurate.  figured best bet was to ask someone who actually knew what they were talking about.  if not then why

Answer
The AR-15 can be chambered in a number of different cartridges. If it was chambered in something like the new .450 Bushmaster, it would be a suitable close-range deer rifle. If chambered in 7.62 NATO (.308) it could be effective at longer ranges. But if you mean in the original 5.56 NATO cartridge, I would never use that cartridge for deer sized animals.

The reason is that the odds of a quick clean kill are slim. The cartridge is tiny and anemic. It may be suitable for a close-range anti-personnel round, but if you follow the reports coming back from the field, you'll see that even on personnel (which are less robust than deer) they seldom will deliver a decisive kill.

Many states will not allow the use of the 5.56 NATO for deer because of how weak the cartridge is. In many states the .243 Winchester is the absolute caliber floor.

Consider that many deer hunters themselves would consider the .30-30 rifle the absolute minimum they would ever use on deer. Consider that the Russian 7.62x39 (which the AK chambers) is slightly LESS powerful than the .30-30. Then consider that the 5.56 NATO has about 80% the energy (in ft/lbs) of the 7.62x39 and a significantly smaller and lighter projectile, and it's evident that the cartridge is suitable for prairie dogs and groundhogs, but not deer.