Think carefully about the intended uses of your prospective purchase, and let us know.  That will help us advise you.
Don't just include your current plans, but also throw in likely future uses.

A couple of other choices to consider. Robinson Arms M96 and Armalite AR 180B. The M96 is a great rifle and uses AR mags but is pretty expensive. The AR 180B is very affordable and uses AR mags and trigger assembly parts.

Do the locales in which you plan to hunt allow the use of the .223 for the game which you intend to hunt?  Some jurisdictions disallow the .223 for some game.
In addition, the .223 is not at all suitable for large/dangerous game.

Well, in Semi-auto .223, I'd say you have a couple of realistic choices:
the Armalite 180b.  Uses ar mags and fire control parts.  Lightweight and inexpensive.
Operating system superior to the AR's.
The AR-15. While more complex, demanding of regular maintainence that the 180b, and relatively more expensive, its saving grace is that it is easily configurable with a vast array of accessories.  One can even buy whole uppers for the gun, so one can have a carbine on Sat morning, and a Match rifle on Sat noon.
If you stick with the big 3 mfrs, Armalite, Bushmaster, Colt, you won't go wrong.
My personal choice for a General Purpose AR would be a 20" bbl A2 configuration.  
Although a flat-top is more versatile, the A2 will allow you to compete in ODCMP service matches which are fairly common, thus allowing you to buy an M1 Garand if you choose.
Buy other uppers later, as your needs become broader and more defined.
Personally, I'd advise against shorter bbls, as they sacrifice range and lethality due to their lesser length.  YMMV.

for hunting small game...rabbits and such i'd look more into a .22. .223 won't leave much to eat after the hit. For varmit hunting it works VERY well.

Consider that the Ar15 was built for warfare. Hunting 2 legged varmits. it can take small deer with GOOD shot placement but is not recommended nor legal in many places.

Keep this in mind what good for hunting may not be good for a SHTF scenario. Weapons are designed for a purpose. Use the right tool for the job.