RE: sniper rifle for hunting?
Back in the post-Vietnam 70's understrength infantry platoons were the norm. When I was enlisted, I got out of a rifle platoon (and the M60) and went to the weapons platoon where we had a little better class of grunt.
The M-60 gunner was pretty much whoever was on the PSG's or Platoon Leaders sh*t list. Without an A-gunner, you were spreading out your spare ammo amongst the other platoon members. God forbid if you had to carry a Night Vision Sight. They old Starlights were bulky and heavy.
When I went through OCS and IOBC and got my first platoon, I stopped the practice of making the M-60 gunner a punishment in my platoon. I figured that I wanted my best people controlling 2/3 s of my platoon's firepower. Carried that philosophy with me throughout my career as a Company Commander and instructor.
Sorry, I got off of topic and rambled. Good luck to you fl0at!