[Cutty72]

As a strictly hunting rifle, I like the bolt, .308 or .270 is nice mid range.

As for people not using the AR for a hunting rifle, I beg to differ.
It is THE most common varmint rifle I come across, and some also use it for larger game (white tail deer). I occasionally use mine for that, and it works.

As for ranges, my personal experiences 75% of my shots are sub 100 yards, the rest are in the 250-300 range. Personal best is 435 yards on a white tail buck. That was with a Remington model 700 30-06 and Leupold 3-9X40 scope.