First of all, thanks to all of you for your kindness. I was expecting MUCH more vitriol from every one of Gunny Hathcock's fans.
I for one, was rather disturbed about the outcome. It certainly was NOT my intention to upset every precision marksman on the planet. I don't know that I would have signed on to assist had I realized how many pages this issue would generate just an hour after airing!
Still, I, too, am a real FAN -- of the Gunny, as well -- so I share this with you with the utmost of respect.
For the record, Gunny Hathcock is a personal hero of mine, and this myth was NEVER intended to discredit his account. In fact, as conducted, I don't believe it disputes his account at all.
So you know, as the experiment developed, it originaly had nothing to do with the Hathcock incident. The experiment was originally spawned from the movies: Sniper, Sniper II and Sniper III -- and that nearly impossibly-angled scene from Saving Private Ryan.
I didn't even realize Hathcock's incident was being investigated until the day of the shoot, since I DON'T work with MB full-time. After all, I am a REAL police officer -- I don't just play one on TV.
They didn't hire me for the research -- they have researchers for that -- and the production often evolves/mutates faster than we can manage it. Still, I brought the guns, and did the best to adapt, improvise and overcome the variables we confronted the day of the event.
Prior to the event, a good friend of mine, a retired (and confirmed) Commander from SeAL Team One, assured me that this experiment was a "no-brainer." HE told me that WWII snipers were trained to detect scope glint as a general area target indicator. You can imagine my dismay, when things didn't work out the way we expected.
Gunny Hathcock spent the latter portion of his life training Police Snipers, for whom he had the utmost respect. Gunny Hathcock is quoted as stating, "A military sniper is an area shooter, and there are 36 inches from a man's collar to his belt buckle. Police snipers must be nearly surgical to accomplish their mission."
As for me, I am of the belief that if Gunny Hathcock said it happened -- I believe his account, regardless. The odds may have been outlandish, but someone also wins the Lotto, too. I'm just not one of them.
Men who win the Silver Star and sustain burns all over their bodies to rescue their brothers are not inclined to embellish their acts. They don't need to.
So you know, per Charles Henderson's book, Marine Sniper, AKA Gunny Hathcock's biography, Gunny Hathcock used a Winchester Model 70 with a 10x Unertl scope, firing 173 grain Lake City Match FMJ ammunition chambered in .30-06 Springfield. See page three of the pictures, located between pages 254 and 255 of Henderson's book as a reference. I have better things to do than blow smoke up someone's backside.
The rifle used in tonight's show was a Remington 700 Lightweight Tactical Rifle chambered in .308 Winchester. The scope is a Leupold 4.5-14 x 50 with Mil-Dot reticle. We fired 168 grain Boat Tail Hollow Point Match bullets, mostly because they are the most accurate load we had on hand. They consistently print sub MOA groups. It's what I had in the safe. If I had been told to acquire a pre-64 Model 70 Winchester -- I have plenty of friends who have them -- I WOULD HAVE -- but I confess that I was confident this was a "no brainer," since I trust my friends. After all, if the Gunny said that happened, why would I not have faith in a man with 93 confirmed?
Prior to the event, I also tested and evaluated some .308 168 grain ballistic tips and 165-grain glass breaker soft points, but they consistently performed just above 1 MOA prior to the event. As such, it was my choice to use the 168 BTHP match.
Since the shot was taken from 100 yards (simple math for MOA, etc.), accuracy was more critical to us that day. We didn't have more than a day to evaluate the myth, and I didn't expect a controversy.
As mentioned, I was overconfident, since a vetted SeAL friend assured me we could accomplish this without much difficulty, given his 20+ years of anecdotal experience.
For those of us who HAVE read Henderson's book, the enemy's rifle was a Mosin Nagant 7.62 x 54 with a Russian PU 91/30 fixed 3.5 x 22 scope.
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So here's my question to all of you: Why do you think I know this? My friend Bryan (AKA Uglygun) will hear this question loud and clear. Copy?
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Do as you will, but sometimes we make mistakes. That's why the MythBusters (and I, too) cop out to them, and revisit all manner of myths.
Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.
Of course, one has to watch to see what happens next...
Be safe, have fun, and shoot straight!
Sgt. Alan Normandy