When you say M39 sniper version are you referring to the Soviet M91/30 sniper rifle?
I've watched several of those shows about subsistence hunters in Alaska,many of them do use military bolt rifles in one form or another with good success.Simple,built rugged,accurate enough to get the job done for the game they shoot.Cheap compared to commercial rifles and built to withstand a lot of abuse,which I imagine they get and easy to disassemble and repair with a minimum of tools.
A man with a sword may talk of peace.A man with out a sword may talk of peace,but he must talk very fast indeed.