Jon Wayne Taylor takes The Jerk (courtesy Jon Wayne Taylor)

“In Vermont, New Hampshire and all over this country we have a lot of people who hunt. I support people’s rights to hunt, it’s part of our cultural heritage. But people do not go hunting with assault weapons.” – Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, quoted in Sanders pushes new gun regulations [via cnn.com]

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78 COMMENTS

  1. Here I was thinking of something like the CA legal su16 as a coyote gun. Bernie has made me see the light. Not.

  2. “That’s not having a backbone. We need a President who will stand up to the special interests of the NRA”

    Special interests sounds so awful. We have to make sure to remind people that the NRA is not some secret back room gang of politicians and businessmen or anything sinister like that. The statement above should be re-written to:

    “That’s not having a backbone. We need a President who will stand up to the special interests of five million American citizens and law abiding gun owners”

    Sounds more like what he really wants to do.

      • My point was not that this kind of president is a good idea, but that we need to understand that this is what they really mean when they speak of the ‘special interests of the NRA’, or ‘the gun lobby’, that these terms really mean ‘millions and millions of American citizens’.

        So when the statist says ‘we must fight the gun lobby’ you can understand that they really mean ‘we must fight millions and millions of American citizens’, and yes, this is a bad thing.

        Apologies if this wasn’t clear.

    • Yep, the NRA gets over 90% of its’ money from donations of 200 bucks or less. Gun businesses don’t back the “NRA special interests lobby,” citizens do.

  3. Need someone more historically and linguistically gifted than me to confirm, but as far as I can tell hasn’t there only ever been one ACTUAL assault rifle?

    The StG44 is, as far as I know, the only thing someone can call an assault rifle and actually be correct…

    • He didn’t say ‘assault rifle’ he said ‘assault weapon’, which is defined as anything that scares statist democrats.

    • I suppose that the actual no-kidding full-auto AK could be called an assault rifle. I would ALMOST say that the actual no-kidding select-fire M16 and M4 COULD be called assault rifles, but if I recall from my Army daze in the ’70s and ’80s, the stamp on the side of the lower receiver said “Rifle M16A1,” not “Assault Rifle M16A1.”

    • Well, I like to point out that that was the “original” assault rifle, that it was full-auto and fired a rifle cartridge instead of a pistol round, and that’s how the term came into being. And then go on to emphasize that what the news-media grabbers are pleased to call an “assault weapon” is not really the same thing. Or at least that’s what I would do, if I knew of any educatable grabbers yammering about “assault weapons”.

    • Yeah, but what I’m getting at is the StG is Sturmgewehr – Assault Rifle. Being the only one with “assault rifle” in the name, shouldn’t it really be considered the only true assault rifle?

      • Technically, it translates to “storm rifle.” As in storming the enemy’s defenses. Which of course loosely translates to assaulting the enemy’s defenses. Which goes very well with the Germany offensive strategy of “blitzkrieg” (lightning war). Further, as I understand it, “assault rifle” has a specific US Army definition.

  4. This is the reason I am buying an ar15 for my next hunt. I’m tiered of hearing the “nobody uses” I imagine they will stop when I just slam the picture in thier face.

    • If you wanna speed it up and save some money, there are photo threads in multiple forums. Nothing but hunting pictures of “assault weapons;” saw coyotes taken with AR’s, AK’s, and even a Sig 556. Deer and hogs taken with AK’s and AR-10’s.

      The photos are already out there.

      • “Damn it man” Why would you not encourage a fellow person to not buy more GUNS? That’s the ballistic equivalent to a cock-block.

    • Hell, most of the people in my area that do hunt use an LR308 variant, and this is in a moderate/liberal county in California no less. Most of the hunting is hogs so follow ups and multiple targets are in the equation, and 308 win. is great for taking any other game, as long as you are lucky enough to actually get a tag.

  5. Popular or not he better hope he gets the presidency as he probably just wiped his chances of re-election in VT.

    • What re-election? I think for Sanders it’s the presidency or nothing, he’ll probably retire if he doesn’t win. But if he does, he’ll go all out on gun control. The only reason he was not trying to pass insane gun control legislation in VT is because he knew that if he took that route, he’d never get re-elected. So he was perfectly OK with leaving the gun “issue” alone. But now, if he does get elected for president, he’ll have nothing to lose. One term will be enough for him. It will also be enough time to at least try to enact draconian gun laws. Isn’t this obvious to people? Bernie is a communist and he’ll have to go after Hillary’s voters to win. And she more than anybody will double down on more gun control.

      • His is purely a vanity candidacy. He’s an old man, an aged hippie, who thinks he has everything figured out and demands an audience to listen.

        It’s ok, Grandpa, let me get you a cup of hot cocoa and a blanket, and you can sit in your comfy chair and tell me all about it.

    • Absolutely correct. He is from NYC and could not get elected there so he moved to VT. and pretends to be pro 2A . Whenever he speaks I think of Billy Crystal as Miracle Max in Princess Bride.

    • The senile old jackwagon is running nonstop TV and radio commercials out here in Iowa. Including during Limbaugh no less (idiot needs is getting scammed by his ad people). EVERY time I hear his drivel I have the overwhelming urge to yell “TELL US HOW THEY DO THINGS IN MOSCOW”. The moron and his supporters.

  9. These rifles aren’t primarily about hunting, though people do use them sometimes. These rifles are “necessary to the security of a free State”. The Second Ammendment is not about hunting, it is about the “security of a free State”. A free State is the last thing petty tyrants like Bernie want.

  10. What’s the draw for would-be Bernie supporters? Free shit for them at the expense of somebody else?
    All he seems to have going for him is the unfocused angst of an ignorant public.
    Come to think of it that’s all any of the candidates have going for them.

    I don’t think I’ve heard any real thought out start-to-finish plans from these people. Just vague statements and impossible pipe-dreams without any logistics.
    Of course these are the same people who refer to two lunatics shooting up a building as “highly planned” and “sophisticated” so maybe they really believe their vague statements are actually thought out plans?

    Everyday I’m more convinced the world is inundated with retards from the highest offices to the lowest janitors closets and folks like me are just stuck along for the ride however stupid it gets.

    • You mean, it’s similar to the “mastermind” who coordinated, er, “orchestrated” multiple attacks using a cellphone? Yeah, that must’ve been terribly complicated.

  11. Obviously, B-dawg, has never been, or known someone who has been, coyote, prairie dog, or wild piggie hunting.

    I’d bet my third nut more of them are downed with “assualt weapons”, than not.

    Oh, and the 2nd A is not about huntung… Well, animals anyways.

      • Reminds me of an old joke. A visiting English woman is taken to a baseball game. When a batter is “walked” she asks, “Why is he running to first base?” Her host says, “Oh, he got four balls.” She considers this and shouts, “RUN PROUDLY, MATE!”

  13. That’s horsesh!t. I used my AR for short range hunting deer last year. My hog hunting rig is a 300blkout AR. WTF. It’s called modern sporting rifle. It isn’t what your granddaddy used – because granddaddy’s rifle is on the wall.

    I drive the new hotness. (AR15). Old and busted (wall mounted rifle). New Hotness (AR15).
    – Will Smith – men in black II.

  14. I didn’t know we had a “right to hunt”. I thought hunting was a privilege that we pay for. I know firearm ownership to be a right, it says so in the constitution.

    • Well, he’s kind of weasel-wording even on that; note how he says “it’s part of our _cultural heritage_ “. Rather like Bill Clinton’s “national consensus” that Americans have a right to own firearms for hunting. And a “right” based on a “national consensus’ or a “cultural heritage” is pretty much subject to change without notice, not that the Fudds out there will catch on.

  15. I support people’s rights to hunt, it’s part of our cultural heritage. But people do not go hunting with assault weapons.

    Bernie. My 2nd amendment rights aren’t about hunting.

  16. He’s right, you don’t go hunting with an assault weapon you go hunting with a sniper rifle. A rifle that was built with the sole purpose to kill things.

  17. I thought hunters used bernies hunting tactics and bored their prey to death by talking about scary guns and feelings….you know ? Just “drone on” and on and on and on and on.
    Assault Drones!
    Go bernie!…..(not!)

  18. From the very first paragraph of the linked article:

    “…candidate Bernie Sanders called for gun safety legislation.”

    Mr Sanders, please tell us which of the existing laws was insufficient, and why, before you tell us how many more laws we need to add.

  19. Dems are doubling down. Shows they’re all in on gun control and judgement day is near. Vote 2016 should put this issue to rest.

  20. My current deer hunting rig is a .300 BLK CBA upper on an 80% lower. It’s got an Ares Armor NIB BCG and an extended charging handle. The optic is a Bushnell ERS 3.5-21 on a La Rue LT 111. I won’t bore everyone with the other build details.

    I’ve taken that “assault rifle” for the last two seasons because I need a short gun to fit in my Pelican 1720 case. My son uses my LTR .308 that takes up most of the space in that same case. The AR is one of my only rifles that will fit in the case with the .308. I could use my Winchester Trapper .30-30, but it’s far less accurate than my .300 BLK.

    Since I’ve got to fly to WI to hunt deer, any rifles I take need to go into that Pelican 1720 locked hard case as checked baggage. If I get a bigger case, it won’t fit into the trunk of my mother’s Prius C. Of course the ammo needs to go into a separate checked bag. Adding a third checked item / gun case would cost $100. Per trip.

    So the compact size and versatility of the AR-15 makes and ideal hunting weapon for me. I’ve shot 3 deer in 2 seasons with that AR. My son, who is in Army ROTC, has practiced with that same AR. He shot a deer with it as well. I showed him the value of hunting with the same rifle that you may use to defend your life. And that AR is similar to the M4 which he made need to defend this nation.

    My buddy’s hunting rig is a 16″ POF .308 with a Leupold VXR Patrol scope. He’s taken whitetail, mule deer and elk with that .308. Hundreds of thousands of sportsmen have used AR-15s and AR-10s as their hunting rifles.

    I guess it’s just in the Democrat DNA to try and ban things that people love.

    • I am pretty sure that you can keep the ammo in the same locked case, as long as it is in a container designed for shipping (e.g., the original packaging or a plastic ammo box)–that is assuming it fits.

  21. When I got home from Afghanistan I did a lot of pig hunting. I needed a rifle that would shoot them faster, and quieter than my Winchester 94 in .30-30. Hence my first AR15. I’ve bought quite a few since then, and they are my primary hunting tools. Especially with an adjustable stock, as that allows my kids to use the same guns as well.

  22. A lot of poor Southeast Asian immigrants in my part of the country used milsurp SKS rifles, which could be bought for @ $130, to hunt and help put meat on the table. Given that the SKS occasionally finds its way onto someone’s “assault weapons” list, what I want to know is, why does Bernie hate Vietnamese immigrants?

  23. I really wish everyone would just realize that they want to ban all guns. Or at least get us to the British model. They just can’t get there yet. Mass killers (not the gang bamger type) have managed to use any kind of avalible firearms. First they will ban semi automatic rifles. Then they will go after handguns. Then they will go after pump and lever action. Then bolt guns that can hold more than 3 rounds.
    Magazines are just a start. It is the lowest hanging fruit.

  24. I only hunt with an “assault weapon”…

    What I would like to tell bernie is that I dont need a .308 Win to take down an Axis in texas. My AR in .300 BLK is just fine.

      • The Barnes Vortex 300 blk does an amazing job on whitetail deer, didn’t know I would be looking for anything different. LeHigh Defense makes awesome loads too, if I was hunting suppressed I would use their expanding subsonic.

      • I run the barnes 110gr also. Havent had a deer or axis move more than 20-30 yards after the hit. Of course shot placement means something, but it does great for me out to 125 yards or so.

      • I really don’t understand the commotion about .300 BLK. I use my Norinco SKS with a Tapco Woodsman stock for dear with Hornady 7.62X39 123 gr SST® Steel Case. 2350/1508 virtually identical to .300 BLK.

        • Uh… because we already have ARs… In my case I had 2. I have 30-40 mags already, spare parts, spare bolts, extra charging handles and furniture lying around….

          AND then I can snap a different upper with a 300 barrel on my existing lower and BAM. I have a 30 cal rifle I dont mind hunting deer with (out to 125yds maybe 150 max).

          Could I buy an SKS or some more traditional rifle? sure. But I know the AR. I grew up in the .MIL with its legitimate weapon of war, brother the M16 and later the M4. I can tell you exactly what is broke and how to fix it when the weapon fails. I dont even have to look at the gun and can run it, tell you its status, strip it, clean it and put it back together pretty much by touch…

          So… Why would I not want a 300 AR. That is what most people dont get. They think that guys running the 300 are all into the round… Not really. There are plenty of like rounds (as you just pointed out). No. We are into ARs and have the ability to easily hunt with it, and run actual subsonic suppressed rounds without fail.

          Before the 300, people would scoff at you hunting more than varmints with the AR. now… If they dont like the 300 blk its because they arent AR guys to begin with.

  25. All we need is ONE reporter from ONE media outlet who goes to press conferences and has the stones to stand up and ask, “What’s an assault weapon?”

    • Take your pick
      1 a weapon that was desinged for one purpose, to kill people.
      2 a weapon paterned directly off a military weapon.
      3 a milliatry grade firearm
      What do you expect them to say, a legal definition that can change anytime they want to.

  26. Do an Internet Search on “hunting with ‘assault rifles’ ” and you’ll find plenty of reading material for a rainy afternoon. Plenty of controversy amongst Fudds, but the fact is many people DO hunt with AR-15’s and variants since you have to meet some legal requirements and classic .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO are not appropriate for larger game. Also SKS’s are used at ranges up to 75 yards and .308 Winchester up to 250 yards from M1-A’s also with 5 round magazines. I have met people at Shooting Ranges in California who hunt Deer with SKS’s using 7.62X39 with 125 gr PSP bullets, but they say 75 to 100 yards is max for a “clean kill”. (I also met a couple of guys who hunt Elk at 1000 yards using Barrett Light 50’s.They were MD’s. Go figure.)

    Bernie Sanders ought to do some Internet Research and get informed, but he’s not interested in reality, just what will stir hysteria in his wimp-minded supporters.

    I do not hunt, so I am only relating what I found on the Internet and what I’ve been told over the years by Shooters/Hunters I have conversed with at Shooting Ranges, so I must caution the reader to advert to the possible “prevarication factor” in what folks have told me.

  28. Sorry Bernie, but you are wrong and ignorant. My hunting rifle is an AR in 300blk with a 16″ barrel and a Nikon P 300blk scope. It weighs a hair under 7lbs. It feels ridiculously light for a scope rifle. Much lighter than mt Remington 760 Gamemaster in .30-06.

  29. I really hate this particular argument. Mostly because, whenever anyone says “you can’t hunt with [insert weapon here]”, you automatically get a bunch of responses saying, “Well, I hunt with that!”

    That’s just playing into their hand. It’s reinforcing the ridiculous notion that the 2A is about hunting. The right answer is, “So what? I have a right to own it whether I hunt with it or not.” You’re not going to convince people like Sanders that ARs and AKs are just fine by posting pictures of them used on hunting trips. They don’t care. They’re trying to shift the focus, trying to make people forget that pesky “tree of liberty irrigation” part of why the founders enshrined the 2A in the constitution.

    There’s no mention of hunting in the constitution. The 2A doesn’t say “A well-prepared steak, being necessary to the security of a balanced diet, the right of the people to keep and bear arms only for hunting shall not be infringed.”

  30. Progressives often try to define things in a way that helps them with there areguments. Exampel – Obamacare is called the Affordable Care Act even though most businees minded people predicted prices would go up and time has proven those predictions to be true.

    So here is my thought-

    Maybe its time we stop allowing the antis to control the language used in this debate.

    Assualt Rifle is already out there. The antis use this term to imply that the weapon only has military uses.

    Lets define Assualt rifle as a rifle that can go fully automatic. Why? Well there really are not alot of hunting uses for full auto. Antis like to say citizens only need rifles which are for hunting. Lets play to that.

    Lets define Modern Sporting Rifle ( another term thats out there) as a semi automatic rifle that is used for hunting which is patterned off assualt rifles beacuse of flexibily of hunting calibers, ability to maintain, and relibilty of the gerneral design. Why? Antis keep “saying” they are not after hunting rifles. We know Many people use AR and AK patterned rifles for hunting.

    I do not think this will change the mind of any hard core anti gunner. It might force them to admit there real goal is confication. Where it could help is in educating those who are sitting on the fence. We know there are alot of new gun owners and I suscpect alot more looking to purchase because of recent events.

    Its just a thought.

    Before I get Flamed …. Yes the NFA sucks and there should be no reason someone should not be able to own a fully automatic rifle if they want one.

  31. I support people’s right to hunt… sigh, I guess it’s too much to expect a politician to understand the purpose of the 2nd.

  32. And I wanted to reach through the interwebz and strangle the lunatics praising old Bernie for being “pro-gun” on TTAG. Or anyone with a D or I in brackets behind their name…

  33. Not everyone can afford to spend thousands of dollars to put meat on the table. Many a meal has been served thanks to a $75 Mosin-Nagant and $0.20/round ammo.

  35. Dear Bernie,
    Stop copying Ronald Reagan! We had enough of his crap decades ago and we don’t want any more.

    Sincerely,
    HK Fanboys of America

  36. If you use an “assault” weapon while hunting, doesn’t it by definition become a hunting weapon? You are, after all, hunting with it.

    • Along the same line of thinking….

      Bernie says no one uses assault weapons to hunt. Some hunters use AR’s & AK’s to hunt. Therefore logic dictates AR’s & AK’s are not assault weapons.

      But then we the people of the gun already knew that, didn’t we?

  37. So, he is saying that an AR-15 (5.56mm) is bad, but an AR-10 (7.62mm) is okay because you can hunt a wider variety of animals. Liberal fascist are freaking clueless.

  38. I’m not a hunter, so Bernie (and all you other Fudds out there), quit pissing all over my rights and telling me it’s OK because I can still hunt.

    Folks here at TTAG understand this issue a zillion times better than any goddamned Fudd ever will.

  39. Just show screen shots from Yukon Men, at least 2 of the regulars carry an AR on most of their hunting trips.

  40. To the TTAG Bernie Sanders supporters whos supportive comments I have read on this web site regarding senator sanders. This statement and others by senator sanders is why I call people like you fake libertarians.
    Anyone who calls himself a democrat socialist is anti civil rights when it comes to firearms.

    He will give you free stuff and take away my freedom. If you want to talk about guns that’s fine. As a gun owner 2.0, I might learn something. But behind that I can tell you like shiny things that go bang. But you don’t like liberty.

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