Most people buying full auto M16s (assuming this is a U.S. centric question) are doing so because those are collectors items. They cost upwards of $20k (edit: just checked and the cheapest one I can find is $31k, yeesh) and appreciate in value.
People buying non-NFA semiauto ARs do so for a multitude of reasons. If someone says it is for defense, then while the chance of using it as such is slim, if it does happen it is a lot more practical than using a bow and arrow.
For hunting, there are a lot of variables. For the most part intermediate cartridges aren’t ideal for hunting, and in a lot of places they are banned for that purpose (at least for deer which are the most commonly hunted animal). You’d legally be required to use a full power cartridge much of the time. Bow and arrow hunting of deer is not something most people can pull off and it would lead to a lot more wounded deer running away.
I do think it’s fairly common to use intermediate rounds on wild hogs, but at that point it’s more about culling masses of them much of the time.
Most people buying full auto M16s (assuming this is a U.S. centric question) are doing so because those are collectors items. They cost upwards of $20k (edit: just checked and the cheapest one I can find is $31k, yeesh) and appreciate in value.
People buying non-NFA semiauto ARs do so for a multitude of reasons. If someone says it is for defense, then while the chance of using it as such is slim, if it does happen it is a lot more practical than using a bow and arrow.
For hunting, there are a lot of variables. For the most part intermediate cartridges aren’t ideal for hunting, and in a lot of places they are banned for that purpose (at least for deer which are the most commonly hunted animal). You’d legally be required to use a full power cartridge much of the time. Bow and arrow hunting of deer is not something most people can pull off and it would lead to a lot more wounded deer running away.
I do think it’s fairly common to use intermediate rounds on wild hogs, but at that point it’s more about culling masses of them much of the time.