[equalitybeforethelaw]

Overkill. Looks like the belly shooters want something they don’t need. No adult leadership. Shooting 300 win mag will burn the barrels out in around 2,000 to 2,500 rounds. Contrast that to 7.62 boat tail and you are looking at a barrel life of 5 - 6,000 rounds. Most of our shooting is done in urban areas, less than 300 meters. There very few opportunities to identify and engage a target at 1,000 meters. The probabilities of hitting the target at 1,000 is very poor. Big waste of money. By SR-25s and keep the M-24 as is.

[norraad]

"...can't we do both?" , A League of their Own

[Lurker]

Most of our shooting is done in urban areas, less than 300 meters

Not in the 'Stan.

[RC one]

SR-25s cost way more than M-24s even M24s newly chambered in .300 win mag. I’m a fan of the .300 personally. I think the extra range and energy will come in handy and; furthermore, in my own personal experience, the Army cares not a bit about barrel life.

[jonascord]

Barrel wear is a problem for hi-power target shooters, not snipers. In a firefight, they don't even have to pick up their brass. At one thousand meters, a 1/2 minute group is only 5 inches. These days, doping the wind can be done by laser.

As someone else pointed out, in the 'Stan, you can't always count on short range shots. Even if you miss at 1000 meters, you're close enough to startle him, make him duck, prod him to displace.

Besides, now-a-days, you can get a medal for NOT shooting. Soon, if Lord Barak has his way, we won't need a military at all. Unicorns will protect progressives from all those mean ol' right wingers. And all the pink soldiers can clamp their mouths on each other's wedding tackle, and there will be Peace on Earth.

[CodeToad]

“Overkill. Looks like the belly shooters want something they don’t need. No adult leadership. Shooting 300 win mag will burn the barrels out in around 2,000 to 2,500 rounds. Contrast that to 7.62 boat tail and you are looking at a barrel life of 5 - 6,000 rounds. Most of our shooting is done in urban areas, less than 300 meters. There very few opportunities to identify and engage a target at 1,000 meters. The probabilities of hitting the target at 1,000 is very poor. Big waste of money. By SR-25s and keep the M-24 as is.”

Belly shooters? you’re kidding, right?

No 1,000 meter shots? Really? You’ve never been to the sandbox, I guess.

Poor chance at 1,000? Maybe you aren’t so good at shooting, if you shoot at all, but 1,000 minute of man is not uncommon.

Most of our shooting with bolt guns is long range, not urban. You watch too much Discovery channel.