Neither feature is needed on a hunting rifle. Which the 2nd Amendment has nothing to do with. I'm told that many prefer it for vertical pistol grip rifles and

Neither feature is needed on a hunting rifle. Which the 2nd Amendment has nothing to do with. I'm told that many prefer it for vertical pistol grip rifles and carbines in close quarters combat, the combination is more ergonomic (I'm too used to the classic horizontal grip, and that's what my Scout rifle has, so I'm very unlikely to even try it). Barrel shrouds are to keep yourself from getting burned if you have to fire a lot in a firefight, which again hits on the self-defense and offence purposes behind the 2nd Amendment.