Myth Meets Fact (World War II Sniper Rifles - how good were they?)

[Desert Dan]

I know this thread concerns the "through the scope shot" era WWII, but add 20 years and USMC Gunny Sgt. Carlos Hathcock and it's a whole new ballgame.
Taken from Wikipedia...

"One of Hathcock's most famous accomplishments was shooting an enemy sniper through the enemy's own scope, hitting him in the eye and killing him. Hathcock and John Roland Burke, his spotter, were stalking the enemy sniper in the jungle near Hill 55, the firebase from which Hathcock was operating. The sniper had already killed several Marines and was believed to have been sent specifically to kill Hathcock. When Hathcock saw a flash of light (light reflecting off the enemy sniper's scope) in the bushes, he fired at it, shooting through the scope and killing the sniper. Surveying the situation, Hathcock concluded that the only feasible way he could have put the bullet straight down the enemy's scope and through his eye would have been if both snipers were zeroing in on each other at the same time and Hathcock fired first, which gave him only a few seconds to act. Given the flight time of rounds at long ranges, both snipers could easily have killed one another."

This was done with a Winchester Model 70, .30-06 caliber rifle with an 8-power Unertl scope; the same caliber and scope as the '03 Springfields modified by the USMC for sniper use during WWII.

Just to throw some fuel on the fire.

Dan
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