Read about GySgt. Carlos Hathcock, USMC Ret, and what he did along a river in Vietnam with an M14 with starlight (junk!), scope, and a USMC Major who was his spotter. Wow!!!
Hadn't know Hathcock used an M14. Wouldn't that be unusual to have an officer spotter for an NCO sniper?
I would imagine most on ET have never shot an M14. It was adopted to be "lighter with a bigger magazine" than the M1 Garand (which is basically a 30.06) clip. The M14's effective range was a bit less than the M1, but the lighter weight was supposed to make up for it. Eventually, after realizing most firefights occur within 300 yards, the military adopted the M16... lighter still and the soldier can carry more rounds.