Oh I know the Gunny Sir,
Now lets be clear, the model 70 used was NOT a deer rifle (they have varmint barrels, MUCH heavier) nor did The Gunny score a first round hit at 800 yards. It is bull bunk to claim there are many Gunny's out there. He was literally one in a million, all claims to how many scoped 30 oughts there are out there.
Fact is YOU have NO, I say again ZERO idea on how anyone hits a man over 800 yards away with the first round, you would know a modern deer rifle wont do it and there is sooooo much more to it than the gear.
Clueless drivel.
The Marine you should have used was Steve Suttles, he was my Instructor and will quickly tell you he did his shot after much practice when the target wasn't around.
So all the overblown rhetoric about a nation of riflemen, perhaps that is so, but riflemen are not snipers. Hell former military officers opine in gun rags that you need a magnum caliber to hunt game at 200 yards! (My best was 486yards, 308, NOT a deer rifle, buck through his heart, next a coyote at 340 yards but doped the wind wrong and she needed a second round) But I won't claim I can hit a man at 800 yards first round unless conditions are VERY good, and I am no Fudd!
I am first and foremost a realist. YOU may have some Fred Appleseed fantasy about fighting back against a dictator, YOU may think the 'dictators' out there worry about Fudds with 'guns', but that aint happening. The number of men who have a shot, so's to speak, at that 800 yard shot are easy enough to roundup, their names are posted everywhere there is a LR/Bench/F-class/Hipower match.
And if you think a dictator WON'T send his minions to roundup those with the skills and bring the fight TO the People you are crazy. The fight will be against professional soldiers with a lot more firepower than a bolt gun, not snapping off a shot at the dictator all hollywood like.
But makes good ranting for an NRA meeting.... :roll: