Well, here we go again, "the AR is always going to be the more accurate platform" Well, only a SMALL number of us are going to the national matches, BUT a Large number of us got a free set of clothes, and a free rifle for several years, (though we had to give it back) Now These are the folks who will be doing the remembering, not a much smaller number of target shooters.
The 03, M1, M14icon are heavy? Why do you think the people who got to carry them ranged from 18 to mid 20's? Sure they are "heavy" now, but they didn't feel heavy when they were issued. While the AR may punch nice tight holes in paper today, the other rifles were punching holes in people, and in the end, that's exactly what a military rifle is supposed to do.