I ended up joining the AR club about two years ago. I started hunting coyotes with a .30-06. Not pelt friendly. From what I had heard .223 was the ideal caliber for lethality and reduced pelt damage. My sights were on a Remington VTR and the few that were in town were like $850.00. For a long time I thought I don't need the tacticool commando rifle. I had five years National Guard, then 10 years in the Navy. I had plenty of time with the M16, so it wasn't my dream rifle. Just plain didn't care for it actually. When I finally got some money scraped together to get a new rifle, I thought maybe the Mini-14 would be an inexpensive option for a semi auto. Then I read the reviews on the accuracy of the Mini-14 and scratched it off the list. I decided I might as well go semi auto in an AR. I had seen some used that were priced about the same as the VTR and decided to go for it. I ended up with a new DPMS for 729.00. I canabalized a scope off another rifle and killed a coyote first day out with a bore sight done at the shop. I guess the question is, why would you buy a tired old bolt gun?