If you wanna use hunting rifles like you described, you should use suppressor and not fire directly at machine, but set up tethers around it and if you absolutely sure - then connect tethers on the machine. Also they know where shot was made, but not if there’s player. So shoot and sneak away. Smoke grenades may help you.
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Off-topic:
Within Matrix franchise, Zion mainframe is the central computer within Zion (last human city). Zion mainframe can be seen used in the movies, when any of the hovercraft captains are closing in to Zion, where then, they send the code to the Zion mainframe, to deactivate Zion’s automated defenses, so that they can enter they city.
Deus Ex Machina is the central interface of the Machine City (pictured above). We get to see it in the 3rd movie, when Neo makes a truce with the machines.
As far as Matrix’es Deus Ex Machina and Deus Ex game series goes, it’s hard to tell who copied who. 
If there was even any copying taking place.
The Matrix movie came out March 31, 1999 and Deus Ex game was released more than a year later,
June 23, 2000.
However, planning of the Deus Ex game started as early as 1993 and game development started in August 1997. By mid-1998, the game’s title had become Deus Ex, derived from the Latin literary device “deus ex machina” (“god from the machine”). 
The term: “Deus ex machina”, has been used in literature/games/movies many times and here, i don’t think there is correlation between Matrix and Deus Ex franchises.
On-topic:
Overall, .243, .270 and SVD are good for early- to mid-game, until you get your hands on .50 cal. Though, for dedicated gameplay (sneak & snipe), they are great weapons. It just takes some finesse to use them properly. 
We have many different weapons in the game, to suit different play styles. And the experimental ammo expands on the play styles.
E.g with normal .243, you could take sneak shots at machines. But with .243 HEAT ammo, you can damage machine components even further. Or when using 7.62mm, with Tar ammo, you can slow down any advancing machine. Etc.
Shock ammo is multi-purpose; you can either fire directly at the machine to damage it greatly, or you can fire at the ground, to set trip wire traps.
Explosive ammo is also multi-purpose, since it leaves behind small explosives, that explode after some time. This could be used as lure or distraction (haven’t tested it). 
Well, you do have a point here. Also, even earlier I’ve suggested .44 and 12ga, since both are rather novelty than a serious firepower, especially 12ga - heavy slow-burning ammo, that loses to hunting rifles for damage per hit. Revolver ain’t that weak, it has quite high skill bar to be on par with other semi-auto guns. Shotguns are winners in contest of “being caught with pants down on reload” in most skirmishes by wide margin.
Shock rounds on these would be compromise between high power and rate of deploy, high weight (0.016/shot) and dmg+ on components with .44 and shotguns would even get either AP property (slug) or shock-net (buck). Exp 12g would be either clustered shot (slug that scatters “shards” with tethers around) or mess up machines’ routine (“hacked” state for 2s if 2+ machines affected by one shock-net). Or just plain explody electrocutie fleschette that also may or may not EMP c**p out of metal critters.
Me, I want Shock Ammo for 5,56 ammo. It would make the Kvm 89 a force to be reckoned with, with it’s high rate of fire. Though that could make it a bit unbalanced, I suppose.
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Or give it the damage boost it desperately needs?
If 5.56mm would do more damage, i’d be using my KVM 89, since i love it’s firing sounds. But as of now, the damage isn’t just there for 5.56mm, where it being even worse than 9mm handgun and SMG.
It just doesn’t make sense how small 9mm handgun deals more damage per shot than big 5.56mm LMG. But that’s the wacky game logic. 
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Isn’t 9mm bigger than 5.56 mm, and that’s why it deals more damage per shot?
That’s right. 5,56 is essentially a caliber .22 round fit for a carbine. Lighter, and with greater velocity and armor piercing capabilities. 9mm is heavier, delivering more of a raw punch to the target.
But that’s going into off-topic, I think 
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No to the nerf suggestion. The machines can already walk through walls, fire rockets that change direction mid flight and, fire bullets through concrete bunkers. This along with rivals dropping 1* loot when you are in the hardest mode.
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