“...But many that can equal his performance with the ‘03A4. A nation of deer hunters.....”
I used an O3A3 for deer hunting as a kid growing up in the backwoods of Maine.
My dad was a WWII USMC BAR guy and swore by the 30-06. How he came to having that 03, I never did find out, but glad it was in “the family”.
It kicked like a mule, but golly, it was accurate as all get out. It had my 30-30 beat in everything but weight and recoil. Popped many a whitetail with that thing over the years using old-style 165gr Remington CoreLoks. None at a 1000 yards though. But a whole bunch at 200-300yds on power line right of ways.
I knew an old guy that claimed to have taken down a dive bomber with a BAR. I’m inclined to believe him.