Whether you're a hunter, target shooter, own a firearm for self protection or don't own a firearm at all, the National Shooting Sports Foundation asks you to be informed about AR-15-style rifles.

These rifles are often mislabeled "assault rifles" or "assault weapons." They are neither.

Nevertheless, many hunters and shooters and the general public confuse AR-15-style rifles, which are civilian sporting rifles, with military rifles because they look similar to each other.

"Groups wanting to ban AR-15-style rifles have for years purposely spread misinformation about these firearms to aid their cause," said Steve Sanetti, president of NSSF. "We must work harder to help protect the right of hunters and sports shooters to own the firearms of their choice, including semi-automatic rifles, pistols and shotguns, for lawful purposes. Gun owners everywhere can help correct the misinformed, whether it's a friend, fellow hunter, elected official or the media. NSSF is assisting this nationwide campaign by issuing the Modern Sporting Rifle Fact Card as a resource."

Use the fact card for your own reference, pass it on to individuals or groups, or post the information on blogs and Web and social media sites.

The pocket-size fact card is available to read or download as a pdf at www.nssf.org/msr.

Here are the facts:

(Columbus) In 2007, Wallace "Wally" O'Dowd of Powell left a bequest to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife to acquire land for the purpose of wildlife conservation, propagation, and habitat management. The bequest was the single largest donation in the history of the Division of Wildlife.

In September of 2009, O'Dowd's dream became a reality when the Division closed on property along the Athens-Hocking County line. The newly purchased 3,600-acre parcel, which is contiguous to the existing Trimble Wildlife Area, will be combined to create one 6,694-acre site to be known as the Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area. The newly formed wildlife area will be the sixth largest in the state.

Mr. O'Dowd's bequest of more than $4.5 million was combined with an additional $560,326 from the ODNR Division of Wildlife to cover a few extra acres and other costs associated with the acquisition. The land was purchased from the Sunday Creek Coal Company.

As stipulated in the O'Dowd will, the newly purchased land will be open to public hunting, fishing and trapping. Wally had requested that the property acquisition be a contiguous block of land in southeastern Ohio.