Hi, this is in some ways down to the rules you operate under; some leagues are ''retro'' and only allow specific rifle types; with specific sights. if you use a ''sporter'' type rifle the power may well destroy the target mechanism, so this is usually taken into account when formatting rules. Some leagues such as the one I shoot on [ Wolverhampton] have a limit of 7ft/lbs so allowing all of the more modern ''10m'' to be accepted, although we have some members using reduced power PCP's. When people discuss accuracy recoiless guns are accepted as being more accurate as a weapon than recoiling ones, but then add in the shooter and that changes dramatically. If you take recoiless guns, from the era of FWB 150; OR 60; Walther LGR etc, their test cards are just as good or even better than some £2000+ guns of today. Given that we are in general talking about a competitive sport, in the main people will generally move with the times and so current guns will be used as the norm. In saying that, on our league and in many surrounding leagues people using the rifles above are still more than capable of equaling [and in my case] beating us PCP users. I only relinquished my FWB 600 because I had a shoulder problem and a pneumatic was too painful to use. Adding even more confusion,I used a FWB 3OOS Match for almost 30 years and got a GB record with it; I only changed to the 600 because, mentally I thought I was not as competitive, and needed a newer type of gun. NO MY AVERAGE AND COMPETENCE DID NOT IMPROVE!!! but I had sold my 300 and there was no going back.
So there is no ''proper or acceptable'' gun, you are governed by the rules you shoot under first and foremost, then you make your choice as to what you will be happy with; certainly in most instances the FWB 600 range is most acceptable and still widely used, as are the Anschutz ones; I think the 601 is the best of the four FWB variants as it has the safety system and [only in my opinion] the better trigger mech. again that is open to discussion and personal preferences. You have so many choices but look around your area and see what is used.
Regards
abellringer