Lewis672 said:
M4A1 with a grenade launcher, and i happen to know Robert Rodriquez and the US army agree http://media.photobucket.com/image/planet+terror/desmer_2008/s5hekh.jpg. Plus a CheyTac Intervention, its not cowardice if you kill 'em from 2 miles away, its just common sense.
You're only guaranteed a hit if their chest is more than 12" wide, you're a master level sharpshooter, and your target is 1.56 miles away with little to no wind. Beyond that, there's too much deviation due to gravity, the bullet itself, heat rising from the ground, wind, the rotation of the planet, etc. so on and so forth to be sure of getting a solid hit.
Also, they have to be facing you.
I'm going to go with... Probably a Remington 700 or similar bolt action rifle. Preferably in a full-powered load (.30-06 and up), boat tail soft-points (to provide the best expansion), with some black tips or Raufus to provide with a little anti-armor. Not that body armor will stop a 165 grain .30-06 from close-to-mid range, but why take chances?
If not that, then a CTAR-21. That's the shorter barreled version of the Isreali TAR-21 assault rifle, also known as the 'commander' version. From everything I've seen, they're extremely robust and reliable, and if you put hunting or frangible rounds through it instead of FMJs, you stop having to worry about the 5.56's lack of 'stopping power'.
With a 1911, preferably Operator from Springfield Armory as a main side-arm (they fit me very nicely), with a Beretta Cheetah as back up. They too close to shoot? That's bullshit. I don't care if you're standing on my toes with a knife burried in my ribs. That just makes it harder to MISS!