I have no doubt in my mind that each and every rifle listed here is a good choice for that particular person. My choice would be my customized, accurized 4 groove 03A3 Springfield and here are the reasons why.
1. It said ''sniper rifle" not assault rifle therefore accuracy should be paramount, not rate of fire.
2. If the world has gone to that provebial "hot place" in a handbasket 30-06 ammo is still much easier to get ones hands on than any other besides possibly .22 rimfire or shotgun shells. Being 30-06 in caliber there is an assortment of specialty ammo avalible, such as Caliber 30 M2 Ball, Caliber 30 M2 AP, Caliber 30 API M14, and lastly (for a sniper, God forbid, it traces BOTH ways) Caliber 30 Tracer M25 or M1.
3. Being a caliber 30 it has some "punch" when being used at extremely long ranges, and less affected by wind drift than any thing that can be cooked up in 5.56MM. (a 22 is still a 22)
4. If I find some .308 (7.62 NATO) and have some 06 brass I can with pliers and a nail or ice pick (don't try this at home
) make 06 ammo. It may not be the most powerful or accurate but it damn sure will shoot! ( I have also seen 7.62 ball fired SUCESSFULY in a M1 Garand, the cases come out looking like a 45-70 case
, and accuracy was horrible but it did shoot.............no I did have the moxie to shoot it........I just watched from a safe distance
)
5. This particular rifle will shoot into 1/2" to 3/4" all day long with either Sierra 168 grain International or 190 grain Match kings or US .30 caliber match M72 ammo.
6. The Springfield is "overbuilt" and not likely to break, it has very few "small parts" and lastly if any parts did break most of this breakage would still not stop it from being able to be fired, and repairs would most likely be simple.
If it were a sniper rifle that was being refered to in a "normal" and not survival type of suituation then a Remington M-700 in .308 with a parkerized finish, with a 3-9 Redfield scope will suffice nicely, after all it did pretty damn good service for the USMC Snipers in the Nam.
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Carlyle
[This message has been edited by Southla1 (edited April 02, 2000).]
[This message has been edited by Southla1 (edited April 02, 2000).]