Posted on 11/30/2004 2:32:35 AM PST by iso
"When I finally spotted them along a tree line, I realized how far they were but it was surprising how easy it was," said Sandoval.
Easy?
At that range there are a lot of factors to consider – not only bullet drop, but probably at least two different wind patterns, temperature differentials, heck – maybe even the Earth’s rotation! By my calculations (SWAG), the target would have moved a considerable distance just due to rotation – something artillery tables have long accounted for – and he did it in his head
Even then the french were pond scum boot lickin slugs.
Self ping for later comment.
ping
great post.
i love reading about our sniper accomplishments.
Do not
Trifle
With Marine
With rifle
FALLUJAH SHAVE
Leni
The greatest sniper in modern warfare was a Finnish farmer named Simo Häyhä who fought in the three month Winter War and recorded 505 kills.
On November 30, 1939, the Russian communist dictator Stalin ordered a massive invasion of Finland with 1,500,000 troops in what became known by the Finns as The Winter War. The Russians lost 1,000,000 men, while the Finns lost 25,000 men. Their fighting skill and excellent marksmanship decimated their enemy, as the Finnish soldier killed 40 Russians for every Finn who died on the battlefield.
A Russian general was quoted as saying, “We gained 22,000 miles of new territory. Just enough to bury our dead.”
Included in this telling of the tough Finnish fighters is Häyhä who was a member of the “suojeluskunta,” the Finnish equivalent of the National Guard or Militia, established for the country’s protection after Finland had gained independence from Russia on Dec. 6th, 1917.
After the Russians invaded, Häyhä signed on as a sniper.
Working in temperatures between -20 to -40 Celsius, and dressed completely in a white camouflage suit, Häyhä killed at least 505 Red Army soldiers by sniping them one by one.
Häyhä plied his deadly trade and marksmanship with iron sights, at ranges in excess of 600 yards.
Häyhä used a Mosin-Nagant M28 rifle because it suited his small frame (5 ft). He preferred to use iron sights rather than telescopic sights to present less of a target (sun reflecting from lenses gave the position away, and the sniper must raise their head higher with telescopic sights).
Häyhä's equipment for a day in the field was his warm winter uniform, white snowsuit, large mitts, 50 to 60 rounds of ammo, rifle, knife, a few hand-grenades, and some dry food and sugar cubes.
Besides his sniper kills, Häyhä is known to have made well over two hundred kills with a machine gun, a weapon he was very fond of. All Häyhä's kills were accomplished within three months, prior to his injuries caused by an enemy bullet.
Häyhä, at age 93 in 1999, when asked how he had become such a good shot, gave a short answer: “Practice.”
You switched to the M-14 from the M-1 in 1963? Was this in a military application? I'm too young to have first hand knowledge of this, so I'm just curious. I thought all of the M-1's were replaced in the mid-50's, but that was just a hunch.
Why not being shipped to the CMP for sales to qualified civilians?
"Qualified" being a relative term, mind you.
"Texas proud" of this Marine.
Hey, that's my line!!!
So nice when a man enjoys his work. He saved many troops that day, and I'm sure they'd love to buy him a beer, if they knew what he did for them.
Running Man?
Indeed it is!
Someone tell me if I'm wrong, but it looks like the Dragunov that soldier's carrying doesn't have a front sight on it. What's up with that?
What, no headshots?
These are great stories. 950 yds. "I was surprised at how easy it was." OOOf'nrah!
Modern day Sgt. York.
The right way to handle terrorists.
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