Having tried a few at Epsom and spending one game in a sweet LUP but no sniper to take out the Gerries swanning around, I've decided to make the leap and get a bolt action rifle. But which one?
It must be a good quality gun that can be upgraded to 500fps without too much trouble, approx £200-250 that I'm not going to feel is money wasted if I then move onto a more expensive custom ww2 gun. I absolutely loved the LE no.4 (and VSR based K98s) I tried at Epsom but the cost and time to deliver are putting me off e.g. I want it for Alsos.
The only gun I most definitely do not want is a Dboys k98 for reasons I'm sure you all know.
Any suggestions? Tempted by the JG BAR10, TM VSR and CA Remingtons but no prior knowledge of bolters...
You can't go wrong with a wood stocked VSR10/BAR10. Very upgradeable and can be converted into an Enfield/K98/Mosin Nagant when your funds permit.
The BAR10 is the cheapest and can be made to run at about 450fps with no financial outlay and just a bit of work. I'd recommend fitting upgraded trigger and piston sears, plus a good hop rubber to it but that's all you need to begin with. Mags have a good capacity and are dirt cheap as well. Once you get into it and decide that bolt actions are your thing, further upgrades are very easy. Hope this helps.
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
Zero One have the TM real shock version for £144 - what do I need to get the power up to 500fps? I think I've found the gun and upgrade parts but which spring do I need and is there a guide anywhere?
Having taken Yith's comments on board, I've chatted to a couple of regular airsofters on our site and they are now converting guns to run at 330fps. May I suggest that when you get your new boltie, you have a play with it at lower fps before you spend loads of money upgrading to 500fps which is not really suitable for Tuddenham anyway. If you're running at 328 -330 at Alsos you will have no MED and those buildings are really close. IMHO keep it low fps, play Alsos and dont find yourself missing out on close action sneaky play, because your gun is too hot!
If after Alsos you find that you would have done better with 500fps, then upgrade it later.
I've used bolters before and I'm looking for a sniper setup that I can use at other WW2 events but plan to give it a run out at Alsos. As the TM only runs at 280fps, it needs upgrading to hit 330 anyway so I may as well go the whole hog.
BTW if Alsos isn't suited to snipers, someone needs to change the info page 
but maybe I'll stick to the MP40 anyway 
Are you the pleasent German chap with the MG42 we camped next to at Epsom?
Unfortunately no, I couldnt make Epsom as I was running EAG's Worthing site that weekend, and my MG42 is now just a sore point. I'm Jimbo and I'm helping to run Alsos. I visited Tudders recently for a site visit and to meet Josh and those buildings are very close together, 280 would be fine and silent!
Are you the pleasent German chap with the MG42 we camped next to at Epsom?
That would have been me I think! 
Back to the boltie, I would go for a JG-BAR10 They come out the box at around 420fps and as Heide says can be upgraded to over 450fps with just a bit of tweeking and NO additional parts!
“I wanted to come to the Volga at a specific location at a specific city. By chance it carries the name of Stalin himself. So don’t think I marched there for this reason – it could carry another name – but because there is a very important goal... this goal I wanted to take – and you know – we are very modest, we have it already."
Adolf Hitler, November 1942
"Comrades, Red Army men, commanders and political workers, men and women guerrillas! It is on your perseverance, staunchness, fighting skill and readiness to discharge your duty to the country that the defeat of the German-fascist army and the liberation of the Soviet land from the Hitlerite invaders depend! We can and must clear the Soviet land of Hitlerite vermin."
Joseph Stalin, November 1942
Sub 300 fps will be perfectly fine at Tuddenham in the buildings. Heck a sub 200fps gun would be fine there! There are very few areas were a higher than 350fps gun could be used.
I've used bolters before and I'm looking for a sniper setup that I can use at other WW2 events but plan to give it a run out at Alsos. As the TM only runs at 280fps, it needs upgrading to hit 330 anyway so I may as well go the whole hog.
I'd argue that the upgrade to 330fps probably isn't that worth it. Try it low powered and see how you feel.
I actually got quite a few kills at open days with my stock VSR when I first got it and it hadn't been upgraded.
If anything a tighter barrel will be a more sensible upgrade than a bigger spring to start with. 
BTW if Alsos isn't suited to snipers, someone needs to change the info page
That's a good point. Info page has now been updated.
Zero One have the TM real shock version for £144 - what do I need to get the power up to 500fps? I think I've found the gun and upgrade parts but which spring do I need and is there a guide anywhere?
I asked this question a few weeks back
Take a look at the thread named:
http://www.ww2airsoft.org.uk/php/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=8392
I bought a Laylax SP150 spring
Zero One have the TM real shock version for £144 - what do I need to get the power up to 500fps? I think I've found the gun and upgrade parts but which spring do I need and is there a guide anywhere?
I asked this question a few weeks back
Take a look at the thread named:
http://www.ww2airsoft.org.uk/php/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=8392
I bought a Laylax SP150 spring
Thanks - I am currently torn between the VSR and a BAR10 based LE lookalike. I like both but the VSR has the appeal of needing £50 worth of parts less than the BAR10 with its monkey metak sears (according to my rifle men chums at least!) so it's going to be a tough call. Whichever I go for, it will be off the the gunsmith for a new spring at least.
Even the TM VSR sears won't last long if you chuck a big spring in it I'm afraid. Also, the real shock is a waste of money, you want the "pro sniper" version.
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
Zero One have the TM real shock version for £144 - what do I need to get the power up to 500fps? I think I've found the gun and upgrade parts but which spring do I need and is there a guide anywhere?
I asked this question a few weeks back
Take a look at the thread named:
http://www.ww2airsoft.org.uk/php/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=8392
I bought a Laylax SP150 spring
Thanks - I am currently torn between the VSR and a BAR10 based LE lookalike. I like both but the VSR has the appeal of needing £50 worth of parts less than the BAR10 with its monkey metak sears (according to my rifle men chums at least!) so it's going to be a tough call. Whichever I go for, it will be off the the gunsmith for a new spring at least.
TM VSR10 sear are monkey metal too mate! I have been running my JG-BAR10 based K98 at 460fps on the standard sears for over a year now and they show no real sign or wear.
Dont be mistaking the JG-BAR10 with the MP001 springer which WILL break very quickly. Thr BAR10 is pretty well made for a chinese gun.
“I wanted to come to the Volga at a specific location at a specific city. By chance it carries the name of Stalin himself. So don’t think I marched there for this reason – it could carry another name – but because there is a very important goal... this goal I wanted to take – and you know – we are very modest, we have it already."
Adolf Hitler, November 1942
"Comrades, Red Army men, commanders and political workers, men and women guerrillas! It is on your perseverance, staunchness, fighting skill and readiness to discharge your duty to the country that the defeat of the German-fascist army and the liberation of the Soviet land from the Hitlerite invaders depend! We can and must clear the Soviet land of Hitlerite vermin."
Joseph Stalin, November 1942
tanaka k98 it costs double your budget but you won't have to do anything to it . and it will be your first and last bolty i promise.
theres nowt so Permanent as temporary
tanaka k98 it costs double your budget but you won't have to do anything to it . and it will be your first and last bolty i promise.
I do like the Tanakas but am not really a fan of gas rifles at that price 
However I've swapped one of my M14s for a TM VSR and will be converting this to a k98 in due course - then I can use it with all my loadouts as a captured weapon and lend it to my Hun mate!