Security ... think about it!
If three people are coming around a corner 10 feet from you and all you have is a bolt-action rifle, you are in trouble. I prefer a semiautomatic pistol, a .45 — you can fire three shots in three seconds, and it’s light on your body. Some guys wear it on their torso, but I like it strapped to my upper thigh. You’ll want a silencer, too. That way you don’t have to grab anybody and knife them. The last thing a sniper needs is to have his hide site compromised by a pack of feral dogs or a nosy bad guy or two.