We think of a “machine gun” as an area fire weapon. However they are rifles as well (a long, rifled, barrel, not smoothbore).
Big, heavy, rifles capable of automatic fire, and usually needing a couple of people to lug around all the associated crap (tripod, T&E, ammo, spare barrel, etc...)
But, assuming the barrel has not warped, that first round can be very accurate. Assuming the gunner knows the fundamentals of marksmanship.
True enough. What makes the M2 a useful “rifle” compared to most other crew served light, medium and heavy MGs is that the M2 fires from a closed breech configuration. The M60, M 240 M 249, MG 30/40 series and the RPKs etc all fire from an open bolt-
(Open bolt- meaning the bolt strips a round from the feed tray assembly, feeds into the chamber and fires when the trigger is depressed, whereas a closed bolt system the operator manually strips, feeds and chambers a round, closing the bolt locking the round in the chamber and then fires the round when the trigger is pressed, the self loading system repeats as long as the trigger is depressed and ammo is available. The former is good for heat control, reducing cooked off rounds and reliability, the latter for accuracy and safety).
In the single shot mode, the bolt has to be manually release before each round is chambered, then fired using the trigger spade.
A mile shot is notable, but way back when , Carlos Hathcock, Gunnery Sgt ret ( deceased) used this weapon and a Unertl 16x scope in a custom mount to kill in Vietnam at 2460 yds.....a record standing until 2003 ish when a Canadian sniper exceeded that range with a similar setup. Now, Bolt action single man portable weapons in more efficient calibers exceed these ranges considerably. Good for us!