I prefer a minimum barrel length of 18" for an AR that I might ever decide to hunt with. The 14.5" and 16" barrels are nice but I find them too loud to shoot without hearing protection and I never wear that when I hunt. For a fighting rifle the 14.5" (with a pinned F/S)is an excellent choice.
Get a Walker's Game Ear. You won't go back. The contractors I worked with in Iraq figured that out PDQ, at least the ones who can still hear did.
