# Did sniper really get shot thru rifle scope? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 21, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-sniper-really-get-shot-thru-rifle-scope/196709 "2003-08-21T16:20:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![alumshubby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5a626/32.png) [@alumshubby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alumshubby)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-sniper-really-get-shot-thru-rifle-scope/196709/1 "2003-08-21T16:20:38Z")
In the movie /Saving Private Ryan/, an American sniper shoots a German sniper so accurately that the American’s bullet goes right through the German’s own rifle scope. And in the movie /Sniper/, the same thing happens again. Has anything like this ever been documented in wartime? ---
**Author:** ![essohbee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71c47a/32.png) [@essohbee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essohbee)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2003, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-sniper-really-get-shot-thru-rifle-scope/196709/2 "2003-08-21T16:47:48Z")
[IMDB](http://www.imdb.com/Trivia?0120815) sez so: > [@](#): > > The idea of a sniper putting a bullet thru another sniper’s scope came from the true story of a Marine sniper in Vietnam called Carlos Hathcock who put a bullet through the scope of a Vietcong sniper who was stalking him. A [google](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=shot+through+scope+carlos+hathcock&lr=) search reveals a few other pages repeating the claim. As far as I can tell, it’s legit. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-sniper-really-get-shot-thru-rifle-scope/196709/3 "2003-08-21T16:52:30Z")
In the book, “93 Confirmed Kills”, about the marine sniper Carlos Hathcock, that same occurance is related. I don’t mean that he shot a German sniper, but that he killed another sniper and upon examining the body discoved that his shot had indeed passed through the fellows scope tube. I used to know someone who was a friend of Carlos and he said the book was accurate. You can read a little about Carlos here: [http://www.angelfire.com/fl4/ultimatesniper/carlos.html](http://www.angelfire.com/fl4/ultimatesniper/carlos.html) ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2003, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-sniper-really-get-shot-thru-rifle-scope/196709/4 "2003-08-21T16:54:00Z")
I need to type faster! ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-sniper-really-get-shot-thru-rifle-scope/196709/5 "2003-08-21T17:16:24Z")
There was a Discovery show about this stating that Hathcock and a Viet Cong sniper were stalking each other and that he saw a flash of light and fired at it. The flash came from the other sniper’s scope, which is what Hathcock hit with his bullet which then went into the guy’s eye. Hathcock later realized that meant the guy was looking at him and was just about to kill him instead. (I didn’t open the article, sorry if it says the same thing.) ---
**Author:** ![MarkyDeSade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@MarkyDeSade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarkyDeSade)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2003, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-sniper-really-get-shot-thru-rifle-scope/196709/6 "2003-08-21T23:15:31Z")
The Discovery show that **lieu** mentioned is part of a series called, “Suicide Missions.” IMHO, the tape about snipers was the best of the series. ---
**Author:** ![CharlesW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/87869e/32.png) [@CharlesW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CharlesW)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-sniper-really-get-shot-thru-rifle-scope/196709/7 "2003-08-22T03:00:53Z")
Just another chiming in about the Hathcock story. Have heard it several places, and read the book. If you haven’t read the book try it. Not too long, and excelent. If I remember the entire title is _Sniper: 93 confirmed kills_.