Hey guys,
Well it's getting hot in here. I thought I might interject a little with my 2cents {don't worry I promise the information is factual and checked}
I guess I don't know where to begin, it seems this debate is not as equal weighted as it could be. I think you guys might be trying to debate a retorical question.
Which is better this or that??
Is AI or Sako better. Dose the M40-A3 outshoot brand X. Dose this ammo give you better results?? ect. ect. ect.
The truth is everyone has somthing to offer this, this is true in all things.The truth is no one has made the perfect rifle yet. We just can't seem to beat gravity and mother nature. Thats were skill enters. This is what I love about this web site. I've been coming here since I think 1998
MEL. curiously when did you start this web site?
Some rifles are better suited for different situations. I love TBA rifles and own a few. I also own 2 AI's, 1 Sako TRG and umpteen other sniper/target rifles in various calibers.Some I've built from componets and parts some right off the shelf. I have at least 20 or more remington 700's in one form or another.Yes I'm a collector
Reputation in this industry is everything. Mike Lau from TBA has a reputation that many budding gunsmiths would never acheive. But Mike has established himself as not only a quality producer of a great product and backs it, but as an accomplied author as well.His book "The Military and Police Sniper is very well written. He talks the talk and walks the walk.
This is why he has exclusive contracts with so many police agencys around the world. But hey, so dose Tactical Operations, another producer of a great rifle with a well deserved reputation.
We can agree to disagree guys. I'm not the biggest fan of a 338 lapua mag. I do own one {my sako} but I love my 408 chey tac. I find the 408chey tac to be a better cartridge than the 338 lap mag. I get far better balistics from my 408 and better reach. But my gunsmith loves all his 300 Win. Mags
The M-40 series of rifles have been great and served the U.S.M.C very well. Then again so has the US Army's M24. They have built their training schools around them. Are they the best sniper rilfes out there??? I'm not saying yes,but dose the soilder on the buisness end of an M24 really care when he gets hit and dosen't know where the bullet came from??
Now about the M40's being cheap.I often think somtimes the military pays more than you or I do for firearms
When a military wants somthing built they give the exact spec's of what they want to prospective companys. These companys in turn bid on the contract. The military awards the bid to the LOWEST bidder. If it's not done right the first time it's done over again at the companies expense. yes they do get a price break but it's not 50%.
They bid as low as they can but factor in materials cost,labour, inflation and trying to make a business grow. The golry of your product being used by the military is more of a great honnor rather than a goal. Truth be told there is not a ton of money in government contracts, you just get undercut to death.
Now just because the rifle is built from the ground up as a sniper weapon, so what?? really, I know it's a great selling feature{hey I own a few}
but so what. AI makes a great rilfe don't get me wrong I love my 338.
but just because it can shoot 1/4 groups, don't mean I can shoot 1/4 groups.
I guess what I'm aluring to is that there is no clear cut best. Some rifles are better suited for other jobs and most will work in all situations. It all comes down to the shooter.
I was on a gig last summer on a curse ship. The security officer on the ship was an ex-royal marine sniper/retired from liverpool. {For those of you that don't know I'm an ex-Canadian sniper that trained in CFB Gagetown in N.B and then went onto JTF2 I left after a few years.}
A great guy and a wonderful person. Well we were playing pool everynight in the officers bar and having a great time {by the way don't play pool with british snipers for drinks on a cruse ship that rocks back and forth. your bar bill at the end of the week will be higher than the eiffle tower.No I'm dead serious, the brits invented pool.}
We would talk every night about sniping and our experiences one night the converstion turned to rifles. We talked about the ones we were issued,what we owned and the finer points of each others firearms. He made a comment about how if his rifle shot .5MOA that was great. He always concentrated more on the field craft of sniping than anything else. It was that skill that kept him alive to make more shots.
It made me think of every young and budding sniper I've met. The young guys want to talk guns and the latest toys, the old ones want to talk field craft and JD {judge distance}.
The rifle dose not make you a better shooter. Practice will!
Yes, you need a good quality precision insturment. But once you get to a certain point say .50-.25 MOA all things being equal where can you go. really??
I know police departments that have almost stock rifles to hot custom jobs in their battery while some department have a rifle from their confiscated inventory for marksmen work. Works for them.
Hey just my 2cents and somthing to think about
Can't we all just get along '
'
Cheers,
Kenshin
