Musk is a brilliant man, but obviously he does not know everything.
So let me explain why I have an AR 15.
Why an assault weapon?
First it is not an assault weapon. It is a modern firearm.
Why do I want one?
For half the price of a conventional or old fashioned hunting rifle, I get a rifle that is more accurate.
It is much lighter, shorter and easier to carry. It is especially appreciated when climbing a ladder to a deer blind or walking through dense brush.
The older style rifle is very awkward to handle in a tight area, such as climbing a ladder or removing it from a car.
It is much easier to prevent dropping or scratching due to the pistol grip that gives the gun grabber chills.
Many a conventional rifle has misfired when dropped from a tree stand, some with fatal results.
Many have injured themselves when crawling through or under a fence.
All of the above much more easily and safely done with the AR series rifles.
No one needs a 30 round magazine? No, usually we don't. But it is a clean safe way to carry ammunition. A pocket full of loose ammo gets the ammo dirty, plus it is very uncomfortable.
And for those who hunt wild hogs or any other dangerous game such as bears, lots of ammo is a must. When such game is shot from a blind at a distance and the hunter has the opportunity to rest the rifle so as to get a very careful shot, one shot kills are relatively easy and frequent. It is another story when on foot out in the open and dangerous game is charging. Very few one shot kills take place when dangerous game is charging.
A wounded bear or wild hog presents an extreme danger and hunting ethics require the hunter to track down any game he has shot and that has run away wounded. And that is extremely dangerous if it is a hog or a bear.
The AR series are very easy to clean. Spare parts are low cost, easy to find and very easy to install.
If the hunter or home defender needs lights, bi-pods, special scopes or specially designed sights, the AR series will accommodate them with no special gunsmithing and can be installed in minutes. And there are countless variations of both available over the counter.
In short, the AR is the best general purpose rifle.
As for me, I teased my neighbor when he first showed up with an AR 15 to hunt deer. “Why do you want to hunt with that ugly thing when you have all of those beautiful rifles with walnut stocks….beautiful guns?”
And one day my daughter got me to buy one. A long story as to why, but she got me to buy one.
Now I have three simply because that first one was the best gun I ever owned.
Now my older conventional rifles with the walnut stocks are retired. Just like my neighbor's.
