ok part of this is my fault for not being clear enough. first off when i say "sniper rifle" im being sarcastic. let me clear things up. i know the difference between a target rifle and a sniper rifle. let me clear things up. what i am thinking about when i say "sniper rifle" is a rem 700 26" barrel mcmillian stock bipods extremely high powered scope etc etc. hb420 i own a 22-250 break action w/ bull barrel. I am not necessarily knocking these additions/modifications individually but merely saying all these different things are not necessary most of the time on the same rifle. And yes rhan i agree with u about a heavier guns takes away recoil, and that is a great idea for a young hunter, but the gun itself should be heavy enough if thats what you want. adding a bigger scope, bipods, etc is not the way to go to reduce recoil. i know thats not what u meant just saying the extra bulk isnt necessary and is just plain detrimental to your chances of killing a deer, bear, hog or whatever