Assault Rifles for Hunters? (Zumbo goes mad)

Remington Country website ^ | 16 FEB 2007 | Jim Zumbo

[xsrdx]

As I write this, I'm hunting coyotes in southeastern Wyoming with Eddie Stevenson, PR Manager for Remington Arms, Greg Dennison, who is senior research engineer for Remington, and several writers. We're testing Remington's brand new .17 cal Spitfire bullet on coyotes.

I must be living in a vacuum. The guides on our hunt tell me that the use of AR and AK rifles have a rapidly growing following among hunters, especially prairie dog hunters. I had no clue. Only once in my life have I ever seen anyone using one of these firearms.

I call them "assault" rifles, which may upset some people. Excuse me, maybe I'm a traditionalist, but I see no place for these weapons among our hunting fraternity. I'll go so far as to call them "terrorist" rifles. They tell me that some companies are producing assault rifles that are "tackdrivers."

Sorry, folks, in my humble opinion, these things have no place in hunting. We don't need to be lumped into the group of people who terrorize the world with them, which is an obvious concern. I've always been comfortable with the statement that hunters don't use assault rifles. We've always been proud of our "sporting firearms."

This really has me concerned. As hunters, we don't need the image of walking around the woods carrying one of these weapons. To most of the public, an assault rifle is a terrifying thing. Let's divorce ourselves from them. I say game departments should ban them from the praries and woods.

[SkyDancer]

My dad bought me a small pistol (.32 Berretta Tomcat) for my 21st. birthday. I went to a gun show with him and bought a .30 M1 carbine. I've had more fun with that gun. So, is that considered an assault rifle? You can assualt anyone with a rifle ... right? So what's the difference? Any semi-automatic rifle can be classified as an assault rifle .... I just think it makes it more convenient ......IMHO ....

[JudgemAll]

Hunters should be careful, in Europe they are seen as wackier than the "wackiest" illegal gun owner for personal protection. Gun control does not stop there.

Why demoralize people who like to do sports, hunts or practices of self defense their own way?

Self righteous know it all stuck ups are the reason we lose the war on terror.

[xsrdx]

but to hear this a**hole is working for Remington as well...well,

Actually hearsay, unconfirmed. Some of the replies on his blog page referred to a relationship with Remington, and Remington advertising is all over the blog.

He does not appear to be featured on their website though.

[BenLurkin]

"To most of the public, an assault rifle is a terrifying thing."

Where?

On planet Limpwristicon?

[Tarpon]

30 carbine is a war relic, behind the front line defense gun. I have one, it's a hoot to shoot. The wife likes it as well. With the right ammo it's a good close in deer or hog gun. We used to hunt in the dense swamp and a long shot was 25 feet. The handy little 30 carbine made it easy to climb up to the stand. The deer and hogs in Florida are quite small.

The last AW ban put the 30 carbine clips in the ban column.

[ExSoldier]

The guy is a joke. Does he really think that if he get's his way, the Brady bunch won't instantly go after those traditional hunting rifles as long range ultra accurate sniper rifles? What a maroon.

[xsrdx]

His website Hunting is Spoken Here does reflect a pretty tight relationship with Remington.

[353FMG]

What in the world is an "assault rifle"? My AR-15 looks menacing but I have to pull a trigger every time I want to hear "bang". I don't think that there is a GI in the world who would trade his rifle for mine.

[Condor51]

I must be living in a vacuum. The guides on our hunt tell me that the use of AR and AK rifles have a rapidly growing following among hunters, especially prairie dog hunters. I had no clue.

Hey, Jim Zumbo
Maybe that's because...

/s

[Dutch Boy]

Agreed.

[Doctor Raoul]

Sorry, folks, in my humble opinion, these things have no place in hunting. We don't need to be lumped into the group of people who terrorize the world with them, which is an obvious concern. I've always been comfortable with the statement that hunters don't use assault rifles. We've always been proud of our "sporting firearms."

Yep, appearances trump reality, feelings over rule logic. This guy's a liberal.

[jws3sticks]

Where are those Morning Doves....

[mountn man]

The only rational idea (I said rational not necessarily good) concerning AR's would be to limit the magazine capacity for all hunting rifles, as is done with shotguns for waterfowl.

And what is the rational purpose of limiting capacity? Hit less ducks? The purpose is to hit ducks. If you want to hunt with a 20 round semi auto shotgun, who's to say YOU'RE not be sporting? Every body hunts in different ways and for different reasons. What I call sporting might not be your definition of it. So then which one of us would be right?

There is only one reason to limit capacity. And it ain't got nuttin ta do wit huntin.

[holymoly]

I call them "assault" rifles, which may upset some people.

And you're either dishonest, or a slack-jawed idiot (or both).

By definition, an assault rifle is a selective fire, weapon chambered for an intermediate cartridge. Civilian (semi-automatic only) versions of the AK & AR-15 are NOT selective fire, and so, do not meet the definition of "assault rifle".

---

Assault Rifle

Military firearm that is chambered for ammunition of reduced size or propellant charge and that has the capacity to switch between semiautomatic and fully automatic fire.

- Encyclopedia Britannica

---

FYI Mr. Zumbo, assault rifles are not defined by appearance.

[Revelation 911]

hey Jim - my mini30 is chambered in the same round and Ive taken many deer with it

[kittycatonline.com]

This really has me concerned. As hunters, we don't need the image of walking around the woods carrying one of these weapons. To most of the public, an assault rifle is a terrifying thing. Let's divorce ourselves from them. I say game departments should ban them from the praries and woods.

I think he might be right. I believe I heard of an old Alaskan tale where a hunter with an AK-47 once simply brandished it in the sight of a large sow grizzly. The she-bear saw that nylon pistol grip collapsable stock, 30-round magazine, the matte-black finish, and milled flash supressor, and gave up the ghost on sight, without firing a single shot. The mere appearance of that AK was more than the bruin could contain. Within her tiny bear brain, all she saw was "Terrorist!", "Columbine!" and "Gun Nut!" and it was more than her heart could take.

The hunter, being taken aback by this, switched from the AK to an old-school elephant gun firing .500 Nitro Express, and somehow this made everything better...

[SampleMan]

And what is the rational purpose of limiting capacity? Hit less ducks?

Yes. That's the rationale. Waterfowl are limited take for the season and/or day. The rationale behind the limitation is to make obeying that limit easier, on the premise that you need time to retrieve and identify what you just shot.

That's rational. Rational and right are two different things. Often there are rational ideas that do not pan out. This is opposed to irrational ideas, such as "You must shoot left handed, but can have a full magazine."

Limiting magazine capacity for hunting would have little effect on AR owners. Simply have two different sized magazines, or slip in a limiter, as is done in shotguns.

I'm not advocating a limitation, I don't see a reason for it. Neither do I see a reason to be sporting. No animal that has ever crossed in front of my rifle had a sporting chance. Sporting to me equates to "less lethal", which is less humane.

[El Laton Caliente]

This is on every gun board on the internet. And that is saying something. If you check his blog he is getting negitive comments several times a minute. By tomorrow the will be many thousand.

There is also an e-mail circulating from a Remington Arms V.P. stating they have no direct relationship with John Zumbo. The letter ends with "I will take care of this!" /large&evil grin...

I'm not sure Outdoor Life is going to have any national advertizers by tomorrow night at the rate of e-mails.

Amazing what a piece of self-destruction this is...

[midway1]

I wonder what Mr Dumbo will say when they refer to his scoped rifle as a "high powered sniper rifle" ?

[ExSoldier]

The deer and hogs in Florida are quite small.

Pint sized hogs, huh? Tell that to the daughter of a buddy of mine, another NRA Instructor. On her 16th birthday she waded hip deep into a swamp and busted loose with four shots from a Model 629 44 and dropped one of those tiny hogs. It later fed over thirty of her friends at her sweet sixteen. That tusker went over 400 pounds before being dressed. A local restaurant in a pretty upscale hotel here in the suburb of Miami known as Coral Gables cooked it up for us. I was stuffed for days on that pig. Damn it was good. So if a 400 pound pig is small, can you tell me what size ranks as medium or large? Wild hogs are ranked as dangerous game, btw. They regularly tear hunters up with those wicked tusks. They'll rip you from ankle to crotch in a heartbeat.