Of course I know that the term "sniper rifle", when applied to the civilian context is a bit like the phrase "assualt weapon(designed to incite fear and remove the "sporting" type status), but after shooting today I remembered a certain VPC report. http://www.vpc.org/graphics/snipcov2.pdf Appearently certain rifles are too accurate and should not be in civilian hands. Using my Savage 110FP I shot a 12" group at 1,000 yards today, my first little adventure at that range. I had been carrying the 15lb. rifle for the last week hoping to see a bull elk at an "extended range"...... but alas, the most excitement was shooting at 1,000yds. lol Wondering what people on the gun control advocates think of marksman rifles.
Go to the gym for exercise. I'm not interested in harming animals except to eat or for clothing. Leave nature alone. Get a burger. My weapons can only be used at close range for personal defense or home defense. There is no need for the type of weapons you have.
That's a rather arrogant comment, isn't it? I myself believe in the idea of cross training; I do gym-based exercises quite often but I also spend time in the outdoors, not only hiking but cross-country running. Gym workouts have their place but little is as invigorating as getting your exercise outdoors. Sorry, but that's another arrogant comment. Wild game is far healthier fare than eating a processed burger, and wildlife management (of which regulated hunting is a part) actually improves the overall health of animal populations. Though not a hunter myself I certainly enjoy things like the elk steak a friend just gave me in thanks for covering a shift for him at work so he could go hunt; and the elk killed did not suffer being torn apart by a wild predator but instead was killed instantly without ever knowing what had hit it. Most of mine are for the very same purpose. Now you get into the area that really causes me a negative visceral emotional reaction. I don't like anyone telling me what I "need", and I suspect you wouldn't like being told that you don't "need" something you find important either. As for the "need" for long range precision rifles I can only point to three separate things. First, is the hunting aspect. You don't like hunting? Fine, don't engage in it; but don't try to dictate to others on whether they should. Long range precision rifles are perfect for the job of landing a decisive blow and dispatching large game animals humanely. Second is the sporting aspect. Long range rifle sport shooters take a great deal of pleasure and pride out of having the skill to shoot accurately at distances most of us find incredible. Precision rifle competition has a long and glorious history in this country, and skill with a rifle is a skill that has real-world relevance. It certainly has far more real-world application than being able to hit a golf ball. Third, and most important to me, is the liberty/security angle. Many on this forum fiercely ridicule the idea that private citizens could stand up against a modern military in the event the government were to become authoritarian; but the reality is that long range precision rifles are the greatest advantage a revolutionary can have. Precision sniping enables a numerically inferior force to instill fear and uncertainty against their enemy, to undermine their morale, and such is critical to the success of any revolution.
Already done, weight lifting and Jujitsu. So wildlife management is a bad thing? Is it better for herds to starve to death over the winter or fro the Colorado Division of Wildlife to manage the populations through hunting? Ohhhhh....... I bet you think the state has no oversight or reason for hunting right? How is buying a burger any better? Cattle live in close quarters and are brutally slaughtered. Wild game live a normal life up until the moment they are harvested. So how can purchasing hamburger be more humane? Obviously there is a need otherwise I would not spend the time or money on them.
The greatest sniper in history only used iron sights so obviously all rifles are too accurate let alone ones with scopes.
LOL. The "sniper" is in the shooter, not the weapon. I live in Idaho, where grandma is a "sniper", and rifles could be banned tomorrow and we would still have enough to arm every human plus their dogs and cats.
Yeah, there isn't that much a difference between a "marksman rifle" and an "hunting rifle". Thats true too, but my eyes do not allow the use of irons. lol I can't find my glasses, don't like contacts, and am considering Lasik.
I had LASIK done about 12 years ago, and I couldn't have been happier with the results. Went from blind as a bat to 20/15 vision (which has now "degraded" to 20/20 as of a year ago). The only problem I ever encountered was, oddly, that I lost the ability to use very tight aperture peep sights on rifles; for some reason my eye now distorts the aperture. Ghost rings, notch-and-post, and optical sights continue to be readily usable, but small aperture peeps are a thing of the past for me. Ironically, the fact I had LASIK done early in its availability might have helped me. Screening was very involved to make sure someone was a viable candidate. Now, with there being LASIK centers in every strip mall people now are often experiencing long-term problems; probably due to being inadequately screened. So, my advice is to only get it done by a reputable center with a real doctor. YMMV
The idea that a rifle can be "too accurate" seems ridiculous to me. You should hit what you aim at. Bullets flying randomly and not hitting their intended target is dangerous, even in the hands of a well-intentioned shooter. And as posted above, the intention lies with the person shooting, not the weapon. An accurate weapon is, in fact, a safe weapon.
Yeah, I have read some horror stories..... I am not sure what my vision is specifically, but I failed the vision part on my drivers test. Which, being just 22 years old, isn't a good thing. lol Glasses are just a pain, and I get so frustrated with contacts.
I would like to personally thank you for your valuable contribution to the thread. Never before have I seen a rebuttal completely destroy an argument with nothing more than "No, no and no.".
The amusing bit though, is that the issues that the VPC has with firearms could apply to all firearms. Guns are too small. Guns are too large. Guns are too inaccurate. Guns are too accurate. The parameters applied to certain classes of firearms can be applied to all, the VPC is one of the most extreme gun control advocacy groups that I know of.
I guess you prefer for wild animals to be hit by cars, starve or be poisoned than being killed by a hunter, then. I guess you prefer animals that live like slaves. There is also no need for a car that goes more than 70 miles per hour (for a civilian not in Germany), nor for a 52 inch television.
British Forces in Various Middle East Conflicts they have been involved with over last few Years have had Highly Trained Sniper teams using a Modified & Suppressed civilian version of the Ruger semi-automatic 10/22 Rifle ( For almost 50 years the all time favorite first Rifle of American Youngsters) as a harrasment Sniper Rifle.
QUOTE=Wolverine;4641047] Using my Savage 110FP I shot a 12" group at 1,000 yards today, my first little adventure at that range. I had been carrying the 15lb. rifle for the last week hoping to see a bull elk at an "extended range.[/QUOTE] First you say this then you say Yeah, I have read some horror stories..... I am not sure what my vision is specifically, but I failed the vision part on my drivers test. Which, being just 22 years old, isn't a good thing. Lol So I have to call BS, if your eyesight is this bad. .There is absolutely no reason for you, to be shooting at elk at long ranges. I grew up in Wyoming, and have been elk hunting for over 40 yrs. If I could not get closer then a 1000 yds to shoot at a elk. I would quit hunting. Someone with your inexperience and bad eyesight should be shooting at targets a lot closer then 1000 yds.
LOL It is called a Falcon Menace, enhanced mil-dot, 25x power scope. Ever here of them? You are aware of magnifying optics, correct? http://swfa.com/Falcon-Menace-Riflescopes-C3324.aspx
I'm very aware of what optics are,and how they are used. I still think your story is Bull(*)(*)(*)(*).. Just my opinion.
We certainly wouldn't want a private citizen to have a gun that is more accurate than what the government uses. That would give private citizens and unfair advantage if the government ever became overly oppressive.
