Northern California New Member

[dart368]

I have been on other gun forums before but not too much this one. I recently acquired a bolt action rifle. I have been shooting AR15's for several years now and of course pistols but haven't shot a bolt action in a long time. So, here is what I got:

Marlin M77 VLE in .308 caliber
Shepherd 310P2 3-10x scope
Ruger scope mount rings

I read that this rifle was designed for Law Enforcement Sniping but have read mixed reviews about it. The same has been read about the Shepherd scope that came with it. Some people love it and some people don't. I hope it is okay to ask my first question right here. If not, I apologize...here goes:

What is this rifle/scope combo good for? Is it mostly intended for target...hunting...competition...sniping or is it just made to sit in a cabinet to look pretty? I noticed it is a little on the heavy side and one person told me it would not be ideal for hunting because of that. I would think that if I did use it for hunting, I would sling it until I was ready to set up either for a shot or to post up to wait for game. But I am a novice to hunting. I would like to do some target shooting and possibly some competitions. Any help would be awesome. Thanks.