In fact us Joule Challenged snipers have to work around other things.
More range is certainly an advantage on paper, but is it on the field?
Are people really popping shots from 80/85/90 metres all the time? I seriously doubt it. Most of the engagements happen between 20 and 50/60 metres, 1J guns are totally capable of reaching up to those distances, plus there is no MED to take into account which makes things easier for the sniper, as he isn't forced to draw a sidearm for those close up shots.
Everyone works to achieve mad J readings, we instead work on making our guns as quiet and consistent as possible, because while it's true that the enemy has the same range with their AEGs, it is also true that
they can't hit us if they can't pinpoint us because they can't hear where the shot came from 
consistency is king and you'll be looking at removing any variable anyway (air leaks, inconsistent hop pressure, good quality heavy-ish bbs)
https://www.snipermechanics.com/vsr10-1j-build-simple-but-effective/
Dan made a pretty good guide on 1J VSRs.
One good thing about 1J guns is that you don't have to replace every single internal part to make it work
90° sears are miles ahead of 45° ones, but the latter, due to the limited energy output, will last long enough for you to save money for a nice 90° trigger box and piston.
TM barrels are good quality, no need to change it right off the bat unless going for a specific build. Just clean them every once in a while and they'll serve you well.
The single most important upgrade one can do to his bolty is a TDC, and it costs pennies at the hardware store. the 2nd most important one is fixing the air leaks, ptfe around the rubber and silicone spray to lube all the o-rings, pennies again. And let's not forget about a ML rubber (€9, 11 if going for a MR-Hop) and tensioner (€5), not exactly the most expensive parts either.
I honestly feel like everyone got sucked into this "sniper builds must cost thousands" bullshit.
Also yeah
@Noddy45 if you happen to have a mate with a VSR (or any bolt action really), ask if you can run it for a couple of games and see if you get on with it.
EDIT: half of the parts in FoxGreen's build are unnecessary on a 1J build. He states the gun is built to run at 1.8J for when he's in the UK or US, and that would make sense, because at 1.8J there is way more stress on the mechanical and seal components. But if you're only going to play in Ireland (I assume that's where you are) you will easily get away with the stock gun + new hop rubber, so that you can boast your "upgraded" 417
