BasilZero said:
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The reason people buy AK-47s is because they are the cheapest, most reliable military style carbines available. They are inexpensive to manufacture and are easily manufactured using older machinery unlike more modern polymer frame or alloy frame weapons. 7.62x39 ammo is also the cheapest among centerfire rifle cartridges.
Military style carbines/rifles are popular for the same reason why military and police use them; they utilize quickly changed magazines that hold 20-30 rounds on average and are designed for quick handling (ie. combat, meaning situations where your target is firing back at you). Naturally, these features are not required or even favorable for sport hunting, or even subsistence hunting despite what anyone would have anyone else believe. They are adequate weapons at best for any type of practical hunting. As far as hunting goes, if it takes you more than one shot, you're doing it poorly.
"Armour piercing" is a term most often thrown around by people who don't know the difference between regular ball ammo and armour piercing ammo. Armor piercing ammo is rating according to its ability to penetrate armour, as in hardened steel plate, not the normal building materials used in automobiles, windows, houses, whatever.
Unless you're driving around in a military armoured vehicle or wearing military grade Class 4 body armour; armour piercing/non-armour piercing ammo is the same thing. Tungsten carbide or hardened steel carbide (light armour piercing) vs lead core doesn't make a bit of difference. Either bullet is equally lethal.
"Sniper rifles," another term typically thrown by what NRA types like to call "gun grabbers" are by definition, any highly accurate rifle (typically with optics/scope) with long range capabilities (centerfire cartridge). Even the long range definition can be thrown out as police sharp shooting (hostage situation, armed criminal stand off, etc) is typically done at distances of under 100m. So by that definition, any accurate rifle (meaning any rifle that is well engineered and manufactured to precision standards, or any rifle worth paying decent money for to put it simply) is a "sniper rifle" to which I have to say wrong. No debate; no argument necessary. Any hunting rifle with optics is a "sniper rifle" in the mind of the ignorant or individual pushing an anti-firearm agenda. Indeed, most military and police "sniper rifles" are bolt action rifles, many of which are built upon civilian models originally designed for hunting.
While I'll be the first to say anyone is entitled to an opinion, even if it's about something they know little or nothing about, in the age of the internet/google/wikipedia, about the only kind of ignorance that is explainable is the type of deliberate ignorance some choose to use to excuse or explain their POVs.
