Typically enemy soldiers were paid anywhere from $8 to $2,000 for taking down an American sniper. Would you like to visit Winchester International? I was quickly brought back to reality when shooting this system. Winchester Model 70 Vietnam era USMC Scout-Sniper A few Model 70 sniper rifles saw service in Korea, particularly during the Chosin Reservoir campaign-under difficult winter conditions that rendered other rifles -like the M-1A carbine -ineffective or inoperable. Hathcock is the subject of a number of books including: Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70 chambered for .30-06 Springfield cartridges, with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. Very nice work. As a sniper of a modern era, I am truly amazed at what the guys were able to do using what they had at the time. Regarding, his tools of trade, Hathcock, normally operated with the Winchester Model 70, 30-06 Caliber rifle along with an 8 power scope. Douglas still produces the same barrel they supplied to the Marines in the early 1940s, which makes easy work of getting one key aspect of this build exactlyright. An unknown number of additional Model 70s were eventually purchased for military use - both standard rifles and the marksman style target rifles. Although suffering from severe burns to his face, trunk, and arms and legs, Staff Sergeant Hathcock assisted the injured Marines in exiting the burning vehicle and moving to a place of relative safety. From the 1970's, illustrating the Monte Carlo style stocks used in this era. RIAC believes that this website is accessible to the widest possible audience pursuant to the guidelines of the Americans with Disability Act. In an eloquent eulogy to Hathcock inThe Washington Post, staff writer Stephen Hunter said it best. A one of a kind rifle! Wow. It had a standard weight barrel as well as a clip guide milled into the receiver bridge so 5-round stripper clips could quickly and easily charge the magazine. I had a chance to take a trip back in time recently and shot the Winchester Model 70 .30-06 using an 8-powerUnertl scope, the same set up that the famous Carlos Hathcock used while he was in Vietnam. As long as you understood the effects wind had on the projectile and understood the ballistic drop, you could do fine. On some occasions, however, he used a different weapon: the M2 Browning machine gun, on which he mounted an 8X Unertl scope, using a bracket made by metalworkers of the SeaBees. Carlos held the record for the longest kill for 35 years. Carlos Hathcock was born on May 20, 1942, in North Little Rock, Arkansas. And it was as a sniper rifle the Model 70 ultimately earned its stripes. Carlos Hathcock | Military Wiki | Fandom Additionally, the simplicity of the model 70 action permitted it to be completely field stripped in a matter of minutes, and the unmatched adjustability of the model 70 triggeralso contributed to the model 70's popularity. These Marines were aware of the impact Hathcock's death would have and took it upon themselves to make themselves targets in order to confuse the counter-snipers. While the causes and conduct of that war remain a subject of great debate, an interesting aspect of the conflict is the use of the Winchester Model 70 as a precision rifle by the US forces, especially by the US Marine Corps snipers. The scope has a fine crosshair reticle and is fitted with screw-on steel lens covers. April 30 marks the 41st anniversary of the fall of Saigon (since renamed Ho Chi Minh City) and the end of American military involvement in that country. Carlos held the record for the longest kill for 35 years. The Model 70 was largely based on the Model 54, and is today still highly regarded by shooters and is often called "The Rifleman's Rifle".In 1999 Shooting Times magazine named the Model 70 the "Bolt-action Rifle of the Century". Confrontations with North Vietnamese snipers, NRA.org/NRA National Shooting Program/ NRA National Trophies/Wimbledon Cup, Navy and Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation, Marine Corps Rifle Expert Marksmanship Badge, Marine Corps Pistol Expert Marksmanship Badge, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, List of historically notable United States Marines, "Marine Corps Sets Sights on More Precise Shooting", "The Story of Legendary Sniper Carlos Hathcock", "Etica ed estetica del cecchino nella narrativa di Nicolai Lilin", "Carlos Hathcock: Famous Marine Corps Sniper", "Ultimate Marine (Hathcock vs Mawhinney)", "Valor Awards for Carlos N. Hathcock, II", "A Quiet Man Uniquely Qualified To Stalk And Kill", "Marine Corps Distinguished Shooters Association Board of Governors", "2015 Marine Corps League Enlisted Awards Announcement", "Review: Springfield Armory's M-25 Whitefeather", "Range complex named after famous Vietnam sniper", Longest confirmed combat sniper-shot kill, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carlos_Hathcock&oldid=1142492093, United States Marine Corps personnel of the Vietnam War, Military personnel from Little Rock, Arkansas, United States Marine Corps non-commissioned officers, Articles with dead external links from November 2016, Articles with permanently dead external links, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from February 2019, Articles with failed verification from February 2019, Articles with self-published sources from December 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Hathcock's duel with Cobra was mentioned in the History Channel, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 18:11. Accurate in every detail, enjoyed reading this. A 1951 U.S. Marine Corps report on the subject categorically rejected the procurement of any new Model 70 sniper rifles: There is no Marine Corps requirement for a special rifle for use by snipers in the Marine Corps. On May 20th, 1959, at 17 years of age, Carlos N. Hathcock II fulfilled his childhood dream by enlisting in the United States Marine Corps. Excellent. We should give February to Chris Kyle's favorite weapon, The Barrett M99 and Carlos Hathcock's Winchester Model 70 Sniper Rifle being as they both went on to the main rally point in February . This is an example of a very rare post-64 "U.S. PROPERTY" marked Winchester model 70 target rifle that was manufactured in 1967, that is fitted with an even rarer "USMC PROPERTY" marked Lyman Super Targetspot rifle scope. Adopting the Winchester Model 70 as the ideal Marine sniper rifle was a concept that had been floated by the Corps tactical marksmanship experts as far back as the early 1940s. The US government eventually purchased additional model 70s andofficially sanctioned them for combat duty. And, yes, I am extremely fortunate to have the most wonderful private range at my disposal. His parents separated so he grew up with his grandmother in Geyer Springs, Pulaski County. The reward was never collected. They are fragile and the external rings may or may not offer as fine adjustments for windage and elevation. A Lyman micrometer sight base is mounted on the left side of the receiver. George H. Hurt of the 3rd Marine Divisions newly formed sniper school at Da Nang, Vietnam, checked the 8X Unertl scope mounted on a Winchester Model 70. There are no internal adjustments to zero these old style Unertls. Rare and Well Documented Winchester Model 70 U.S.M.C. [3], During the Vietnam War, Hathcock had 93 confirmed kills of People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and Viet Cong personnel. NRA Secretary Edward J. "[20] Hathcock said in a book written about his career as a sniper: "I like shooting, and I love hunting. Throughout its life, the Model 70 has been offered in . Land told Hathcock to "put another round in her." Hathcock fired again and her body convulsed. [20] During a volunteer mission days before the end of his first deployment, he crawled over 1,500 yards of field to shoot a PAVN general.[who? We at Winchester Repeating Arms wish to take this opportunity to salute all those who have answered our nations call to serve. Clapp is, of course, an American Rifleman field editor today.To subscribe to the magazine,visit theNRA membership page here and selectAmerican Rifleman as your member magazine. Carlos Hathcock - Wikipedia Again, I would presume the heavy profile (slightly bigger than a varmint profile) was used as a compromise between multiple-round accuracy in the heat and weight, as seen in these pictures. This one is mine. . He purchased a Winchester Model 70 and fitted it with a Unertl 10 power telescopic sight to test his theories. Springfield Armory designed a highly accurized version of their M1A Supermatch rifle with a McMillan Stock and match grade barrel and dubbed it the "M-25 White Feather". A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II joined the Corps in 1959 at age 17. Carlos Hathcock (D. Kevin Elliott) The sun lay low in the Vietnamese sky. Item Number: R30701. Receiver is engraved with likeness of Carlos Hathcock's signature, along with the White Feather logo. You know it's funny how just a simple duplex reticle, like what you find in most scopes can be a real help in ranging and holding. His longest confirmed kill was 2500 yards. You must log in or register to reply here. Nevertheless, Winchester Model 70s teamed with the Unertl scopes were superb sniping arms, certainly better than anything else in the militarys inventory at the time. With this rifle, Carlos describes killing 7 more Viet Cong soldiers and shared the 8th VC with McAbee. Most of the Model 70 sniper rifles issued by the Marines to snipers in the early stage of the Vietnam War were pre-war or early WWII production Model 70 .30-06 Standard Rifles purchased during WWII. And thus, with regard to sniper rifles, most of the US military inventory in the mid-1960s consisted of well-worn Model 1903A4 Springfields and M1C and M1D Garands, all of which dated from WWII, or perhaps the Korean War. They were intended primarily as match rifles and were not procured for use as sniper rifles. If I don't get those bastards, then they're gonna kill a lot of these kids dressed up like Marines. An important note about part conditions - pre64win.com While visiting relatives in Mississippi, he took to shooting and hunting at an early age, partly out of necessity to help feed his poor family. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70 .30-06 caliber rifle with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. By his courage, aggressive leadership, and total devotion to duty in the face of extreme personal danger, Staff Sergeant Hathcock reflected great credit upon himself and the Marine Corps and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.[29]. This one is in 308 and came from the AMU. Van Orden would go on to author a report recommending adoption of the Model 70 for sniper use. Agree sandwarrior there was a thread on old old hide many moons ago regarding this. Carlos Hathcock - Interesting stories about famous people, biographies The owner had provided us with the stock already featuring a nicely aged appearance, which we maintained in the build. Winchester Model 70 - Internet Movie Firearms Database - imfdb I was out yesterday trying to test a few loads at 400 yards but the wind quickly picked up to about 30 gusting 40mph and it was quickly becoming a waste of powder. Bolt Action Sniper Rifle with Unertl Telescopic Sight Manufacturer: Winchester Model: 70 Type: Rifle Gauge: 30-06 Barrel: 24 inch round Finish: blue Grip: Stock: walnut checkered Item Views: 13427 My Daily Kona: The Military Model 70 - Blogger In two tours in the 1960s, he wandered through the big bad bush in the Republic of South Vietnam, and with a rifle made by Winchester, a heart made by God and a discipline made by the Marine Corps, he stalked and killed 93 of his countrys enemies.. The rifle retains nearly 95% of the original blue finish with very minor handling wear. Learn more about Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II and the Winchester Model 70s service in Vietnam in these two American Rifleman articles:The Military Model 70. The Army's most accomplished Vietnam War sniper, Sgt. . Unofficially and by his own estimates, Hathcock believed he killed between 300 and 400. When the need arose for more Model 70s the rifles procured by Brig. Click here for more information. The matte black LR/T weighs 19.5 ounces and is 13.5 inches in overall length. The second lot of rifles used by Land and his teams in Vietnam were also Winchester Model 70 target guns in .30-06 Sprg. In one of his more renowned stories, Carlos Hathcock killed an enemy sniper through the enemy's own rifle scope. The U.S. Army fielded some World War II-vintage M1903A4 bolt-actions but relied primarily on the semi-automatic M1C Garand. This US Sniper Crawled for 3 Days of Open Field, Killed NVA General Eventually, there were likely thousands of model 70s in military service, with the exact number unknown. During trips to Mississippi, he started developing an interest in hunting and long-range shooting. Praesidus brings homage to the military watch tradition. The M40 (wood stock R700 & Redfield) was around but he was VERY familiar with the M70 target rifle as part of the USMC Rifle Team. It might be possible it's real as it came from a Marine officer who served back then, but I don't know how you could ever prove/authenticate one unless you had a document with the serial number on it. Btn., 7th Marines, under young Marine Capt. The optics are clear. Gun Review: Springfield Armory's M-25 Whitefeather - Gun Digest But it's a total rebuild. His ability as a marksman was soon recognized by the instructors on the rifle range at Camp Pendleton where he was undergoing recruit training. Your rifle is seriously motivating me to start a new project build .metal and wood just feel so nice together. How did Carlos Norman Hathcock die? - TeachersCollegesj Winchester 70 300 WIn Mag 3+1 26" Vortex Crossfire II 6-24x50 70 In 2016, an armorer with the Pennsylvania National Guard contacted us regarding a .308 target rifle used by their competitive match shooters.