Quote Originally Posted by NorthwestUteFan View Post
An interesting aspect of that round is the combination of speed, accuracy, and the fact that physics cause it to tumble as it strikes flesh, but punches straight through doors and armor as Diehard said. It does as much damage to a target as a hollow point bullet, which are illegal in warfare.

The same international law that requires full metal jackets on bullets precludes the use of hollow point or fragmenting bullets. So the .223 bullet in a way is a method to bypass the law and get the same outcome. The larger 7.62 mm round (30-06) in FMJ hits with far more energy, but will typically pass through flesh in a more stable manner and won't tumble the way a .223 will.

So in effect the round used by the AR-15 and M-4 (military version with the semiauto/tri-burst/full auto switch) is extremely easy to fire, is foolproof, and is extremely accurate. And the bullet tumbles through a target which incapacitates the target, allowing the shooter to pick off all the target's buddies when they come to save him.

The gun is not useful for hunting because of the tumbling bullet. It is only good for killing large numbers of people, punching holes in paper targets, and for plinking non-game animals. But that first purpose is pretty glaring at this point.
The important assumption here is that people are hunting for the meat. I know that isn't always the case. One of the most popular hunting experiences in Texas is hanging out of a helicopter with your AR-15 and chasing pigs. There doesn't seem much concern about preserving the meat.