Originally posted by PacMan777:

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I am neither a hotshot nor an old marksman, just been around guns for a while.

I'll give you a link which should keep you busy for a few hours.
http://world.guns.ru/main-e.htm

Choice of firearms can be set by organization standards, such as military and law enforcement. Civilians are where the big differences in opinions come in. Take for instance a sniper rifle. If you want to kill a tank, use a 50 caliber; smaller targets usually call for something like the 308 (close to 7.62 NATO, headspace spec slightly different, though 308 and 7.62 can be interchanged if specs are close enough). 308 is a favored caliber by the US military and law enforcement for sniper rifles. The Remington 700 has long been a favored gun in those circles. The Russian Dragunov and Walther sniper rifles are a also fine weapons. I'll say it again, choose the right weapon for the job and the circumstances. For instance, a long range shooter might opt for a 300 magnum over the 308.

Handguns, up close and personal, it's hard to beat a 45 auto. High velocity rounds have a tendency to bore through before expanding. Check into gel tests, if you can find them. 10mm pistols may sound romantic but it's little brother the S&W 40 is a much more useful and common caliber. The 40 is a cut down 10mm. A hot round with less recoil and does less damage over time to the frame. I can vouch for the caliber, I own an HK USP in 40. HK makes a full line of firearms, some with tactical setups with the barrels already threaded. Most of the big firearms makers supply good firearms for police and military use. Some have online sites (just Google). I own and have owned Berettas, Smiths, Colts, Remingtons, HKs, Winchesters, Rugers, Mausers, Walthers (and others I've forgotten), and have found most to be good guns with need for only a few improvements (usually just polishing a rough edge). Of course I've owned a few stinkers. Some were simply cheaper guns built with looser tolerances. Often you get what you pay for.

Revolvers... sure dependability and sometimes heavier firepower, but outguned by the auto's capacity. I've got an 8 shot 357 wheel gun, but you don't see many of those. Mine is an expensive custom set up for comptetion shooting. I think Taurus has one at a reasonable price (without the honed action of course). If you want to see heavy caliber handguns, visit the Smith and Wesson site. They've got a big fifty, but there's some slightly smaller rounds that deliver better velocities. Put a stock on some and you'd have a nice little rifle. ;) For the uninitiated, many high velocity rounds go a long distance, but have less knockdown when they reach the target. Though a 17 HMR will do a job on a prairie dog, it isn't considered a good military caliber. Larger calibers have the knockdown, but over longer ranges their trajectory has a much greater curve. You can make a larger caliber bullet go faster with more powder, but then you get into heavier recoil. Caliber, bullet weight, and load determine velocity, range, and trajectory. You need to keep that in mind for both handguns and rifles.

The main factor in being a good marksman is the shooter himself. This is where all the variables for a shot are processed. Then a high quality firearm and ammo come into play. You can't keep the rounds in a tight pattern if you don't have a well machined bore with tight tolerances. Most cheap guns need not apply. Occasionally you'll come across an exceptionally accurate gun from the bargain bin, but it's more a rarity than the rule. When someone says he has an old beater that shoots rings around the top guns, have him prove it. Trigger mechanism and furniture also come into play. The ammo has to be good quality. Bullets that vary in weight, along with inconsistent powder charge, can effect how tight the pattern will be.

I've heard 22s are dangerous and can see why. Frying pans in the wrong hands are also deadly. LOL Don't forget the link at the beginning of my reply. LOL That's where the real info is. ;)

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Originally posted by ZoSoIV:

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what guy? if you mean Neph yes he is

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Originally posted by PacMan777:

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From what I've seen, some of the fictional guns in FO3 can't exist in the real world. Why worry about calibers, cyclic rates, chamber pressures, and spring and gas recoil systems? Use the max specs allowed in the game and hope your fictional hero can carry the load. :p

If you want to talk real guns, ask some specific questions and someone will probably answer your question. There's a few old timey marksmen around. I'm sure Creaky knows a lot about long range shooting and what makes the bullet go bang and the prairie dog fall down.

Good luck with the game. Beware, they can become addictive. LOL

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