imported post
it's certainly legal, assuming your gun is legal too (legal ownership, etc.). However, rifles are much more threatening to the public, so try not to enter any buildings. "Inducing Panic" is something a bunch of open carriers have been accused of by cops, but if you look at the law, some woman thinking you're gonna blow her away just because you have a gun does not fit the definition of "inducing panic". Causing the evacuation of a building, however, is one of the few things that you can do with a gun that falls under the definition of "inducing panic". More on that here:
http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2917.31
Openly carrying rifles, especially those types of rifles that some people consider "assault rifles", has been used by extremist militant political groups in the past and is generally considered much more aggressive and potentially dangerous than carrying a pistol, so stirring up your neighborhood to the point of lunacy may be within reach, depending on where you live. I, personally, would try OC a pistol first to see the reaction before walking around with an AR15 and getting into a world of trouble. Just my opinion though, it's legal, so use your own judgment.
Oh, one more thing: get a sling. Carrying with only your hands could be considered brandishing. Much in the same way that you wouldn't carry a pistol around in your hands, don't carry your rifle around like that.
cheers,
-poddus