It is too small a caliber for most large game and you don't need a thirty round clip for rabbit. The stock gets slick in the rain and the barrel is too short. It is great for quick shots but not that comfortable for slow aimed shots. It is a civilian version of one of the best assault rifles ever mass produced. I loved my M16 and it was fun to shoot but I can shoot a much tighter pattern with my dad's 7mm bolt action than I could with the M16 and it will drop a whitetail from much further away. The is a reason snipers in Vietnam used the 30-06.
The AR15 is serviceable hunting weapon but a poor choice at the price range and anyone telling you otherwise is either trying to fool you our have fooled themselves.
