Ok guys here is the lowdown. In sniper rifles you are paying for fractions of a moa difference in accuracy, shootability and ability to shoot to the same POI hot or cold barrel, dirty or clean, regardless.
You can get a starter gun like the Savage tactical, the Rem 700PSS and learn alot and do some good shooting.
You can go more $$ and get something nicer but more accuratte? who knows till you shoot it.
Or you can go with a real world sniper rifle. The USMC build their own guns from commercial parts. If you find a former match armorer that builds them you can get a fabulous rifle. But they are pricey. I would say one like mine sans scope would cost about 3000-3500 now adays.
1/2 moa accuracy is the bare minimum I would consider acceptable. Most of these guns will shoot 1/3 moa or better at 300 yds with a skilled shooter.
Scopes are a tough choice, The older Mark 4s are decent, the USMC Unertel is a great one and are now or were last year anyways available, and the nightforce scopes have a great product and hold up well. I know the USMC adopted the new Schmidt Bender,I dont know alot about the scope, but I do know alot about what it takes to get one adopted. No doubt it is probably about the best there is.
One note to you guys. Everyone shoots .223 or 308 these days. They are accurate and allow a guy to learn alot. If you are only gonna shoot 600 yds and on paper (not real world) get a 223, if you want a real rifle capable of putting down real targets get a 308, it is easy to shoot well to 800 yds with one.
If I were to get a new rifle for 1000 yd plus shooting I would get a 300 win mag or 300 ultra mag. You can shoot better with a less accurate rifle (within reason) due to the flatness of trajectory, less drift, and decreased angle of target entry. Bottom line, 1000 yds is doable but tough with a 308, pretty darn easy with a 30 magnum. My rifle would be in the M40A1 config exactly except for a little longer barrel. Most of the rifles on the market now have barrels that are to light for real sniper work. Only a few scopes are really worthy of consideration. the Nightforce, the Mark 4, the Schimdt Bender and the Unertel. All the rest are just so much junk in this application.
This is a big subject and one that there are many opinions on. I have mine and for good reasons. You guys know me. I am not a very patient fellow and call them as I see them.
