Mission Accomplished!
Finished the Chrome Barrel Operations just last night. Was 11 kills shy and really needed to stop playing and do a few things around the house, but couldn't leave it hanging like that... so played the infamous "just one more match". Fortunately, I had a fantastic game, finished second in scoring on my team and we earned the victory on Warhawk, leaving me at exactly 800 Chrome Barrel kills. Needless to say, I just had to play one more match to try out my new duds.
I learned a lot from the experience. I developed not a love for sniping, but a deep respect for it. I learned I can still play the way I want to play and snipe as well. I never did get to the point where I was comfortable setting up a sniping perch and just picking people off, but who is to say Snipers have to play that way? My style was move to a strategic point, scan for targets, move to the next point, pistol in hand while moving. To be quite honest, it seems to me that this method is the most successful for Snipers, the ones I have seen who post up don't tend to have the best results.
I finished the challenge with a positive K/D on every Sniper I tried, I and I tried them all except for the VKS(well I did try it and liked it, but since no Chrome Barrel attachment had to put it back on the shelf). I surprised myself by discovering I enjoyed the feel of the Bolt Actions the best, the USR in particular. It just has a really good feel to it. The L115 was good as well, it just didn't feel as comfortable to me for some reason. The Maverick-A2 is a decent rifle as well and I was a little too dependent on it at first. Beyond the usefulness of the tracker scope, it really is overall inferior to the USR, L115, and Lynx. The Lynx has a better fire rate from what I could tell and didn't kick as bad.
Some games I felt like a God, others I felt like a complete noob. There were several times I had to ditch sniping and move to an SMG or AR so as to not drag my team down. I have played CoD for a long time now, and I have to say there is no better feeling than using a Sniper Rifle and being on your aim, having games where it seems every single shot finds it's mark. Had quite a few of those matches and it really is an adrenaline rush. Love my ARs, but I have never felt the same sense of accomplishment after a solid outing that I did when I dominated with the Snipers.
It taught me to scan my environment and better identify targets. It taught me how to move about the board while keeping enemies at range. It taught me sight lines and strategic positions. I highly recommend that even the most ardent non-snipers to challenge themselves as well, it is an eye-opening experience and one that will ultimately make you a better player.
Thanks to all for the advice and support, would love to hear your stories if you've undergone this journey as well.