One rifle not mentioned yet in this thread that fulfills both the "hunting" and "tactical" requirements is the M14/M1A rifles. It has a decent cartridge that is more than enough for deer/elk, and can even take care of moose with the proper ammunition (.308 hunting ammo), and also has the ability to be quickly reloaded by a detachable high capacity box magazine (typically a 20 rounder). For 1500$ you can find a version that is "National Match" quality in terms of accuracy i.e. it will likely out shoot your capability to shoot it, at least in the offhand or standing position. Sure, it has a WW2 vintage wood stock sans pistol grip, but in terms of capability, it surpasses the AR platform in many regards, such as energy delivered on target, range, and sometimes accuracy.
I think the old "but you can't hunt with it, so why should somebody want it or need it" argument was old 20 years ago. Honestly, the reason why many shooters take "comfort" in owning an AR based rifle is that it is the primary weapon of their nations armed forces and police, and that in a time of some future unforeseeable and unpredictable crisis, said owner will have parts not only available but compatible with their rifle, and magazines and ammunition will be easily available as well. I suppose this also holds true for the present time, due to the fact of the AR platforms popularity there is ample available parts, ammunition, and magazines - times of saber rattling not withstanding and the temporarily empty shelves as a result. I believe this to be true as there is dozens of different "assault" type rifles available to the public in the USA, yet the AR platform outsells all of them put together for a reason, and it isn't quality, cost, or capability as there is many types that are superior to a base/stock-ish AR not in one of those categories, but all of them.
The AK while not being any western nation's primary rifle is still quite popular with the general population, and has a large following due to its lack of expense when compared to an AR, as well as a perceived higher "robustness" than the AR platform rifles by many of its users. There is also many manufacturers of the AK in the USA of note, which build far better rifles in terms of quality and tolerance than their Chinese and Russian counterparts.
