I've carried a No 1 Mk IV SMLE Enfield out hunting, and no one thought a thing about it. It (the model, if not that specimen) was a military issued rifle in both World Wars. I've carried an '03 Springfield a bunch, but that hardly counts, as it was sporterized. Nobody would've thought a thing about it if it had been in full military trim, though.
And why would no eyes have been batted at my hunting with these two military rifles? Because they were bolt guns. I suppose that the assumption is that a semi-auto rifle demands that you spray your rounds indiscriminantly at your game. Hm. That sounds suspiciously like the Brady Bunch logic that the rifle has an evil spirit all its own that will cause you to do evil things.
It's how you use it, y'all.
I've offered my SKS beater truck rifle, with soft point ammo out as a loaner to a happenstance hunter who had a license but no rifle and would have had a 50 yard max shot where he wanted to sit for an afternoon. He turned it down, and wouldn't have hunted, if the rancher hadn't driven back and gotten his old beater Sears brand .30-30 rifle for him (We hadn't known for sure if the rancher had his beater rifle with him, and it was imposition to have him go get it while my SKS was right there.) The man was actually willing to risk missing hunting (he only had one afternoon) on private land in a deer-rich area, rather than hunt with a semi-auto rifle with a non-detachable 10-round magazine! Look, it wouldn't have been my first choice, but rather than skip hunting, I'd use it in a heartbeat.
Maybe it's the number of rounds accessable that gives some the jitters. Okay-- getcha a 5-round shorty magazine. They're less bulky, anyway. I don't see loading more than ten in the rifle, anyway. (Funny thing, though: while hunting with that Enfield, I did load 10. Might as well carry all my ammo together...)
:banghead: 
