Not a mislabel at all, the AR-15 name has been around longer than the M-16 designation.
Aside from the early rifles that had AR-15 stamped on them colt also sold select fire rifles marked with AR-15 up until the 86 machine gun ban.
Ruger MK series or a Browning buckmark if you want something target styled.
Ruger SR22 or a S&W M&P22 if you would prefer something a little more tactical.
Never said it would be cheap, but from what I have found the M&P works great with the slidefire. If it doesn't I'll sell the stock and call it a lesson learned.
If it does work I'll be having lots of cheap .22 fun.
I'm tall with really long arms, while pumping it I would often elbow my self. That along with the chance to make a couple hundred more than I had in it is why I decided to part ways.
Can't go wrong either way, I really like my M&P and would buy another again.
The biggest advantage for the M&P is the ability to use AR triggers and furniture, I would really like to get a 50 round drum and a slide-fire stock for it.
The debate between Direct Impingement and Piston Systems is something people on both sides get far to strung out about.
Here's an article that explains. http://www.americanrifleman.org/m-articlepage.aspx?id=2297&cid=4
I currently have a piston AR and have built and owned DI guns in the past...
Well .223/5.56 would be out of the question. I don't know about elk but 6.5 and 6.8 would be good choices for deer. If you step up to the AR10 in .308 that would easily cover most anything you could hunt in North America.
I have two, H&K P30 for my plastic gun needs.
And my grandpas S&W .357 28-2 is my overall favorite, something about the heft and function of a wheel gun that can't be beat for me.
I bought my JRC 9mm carbine from them, fantastic prices but their CS and especially ship time (2 weeks) has made me less than enthusiatic about buying from Buds again