This guy is awesome

**colcifer** · #1 08-02-2011, 02:36 PM

85-year-old U.S. Army sniper veteran proves he hasn't lost his skills as he picks off a target at 1,000 yards | Mail Online

He may be 85 years old, but when Army sniper veteran Ted Gundy was given the chance to show off the skills he used in World War Two, he proved he could still keep up with the very best.
That’s because he was invited to try out the Army’s latest technology in a challenge to hit a target a whopping 1,000 yards away.
But the former member of the Missouri honour guard, stepped up to the challenge with an extremely level head.
Scroll down for a video of the veteran's incredible shooting

Hero: 86-year-old veteran sniper Ted Gundy served with the Missouri honor guards in World War Two and fought at the Battle of the Bulge
After all, he had fought in the Battle of the Bulge – considered one of the most defining clashes of U.S. Army history and remains the largest battle ever fought by United States troops.
Before he could get his hands on the modern day equipment, the Army presented him with a 1903 A4 replica sniper – the same he used in the war and had not seen since 1944.
Despite a 66-year gap without using the gun, he had no ease picking off a target at 300 yards, with all three shots hitting the target.

Replica: He is given an exact copy of the 1903 A4 rifle he used in the war, having not handled one since 1944

Perfect hit: The veteran manages a bullseye with the old rifle from 300 yards
It was then that the officers taught him how the Army’s custom made Remington 700 works and explained how a 1,000 yard shot can be achieved.
It involves a second sniper, called a spotter, judging the wind direction and any other conditions that could affect the bullet’s trajectory.
Mr Gundy, who lives in Memphis, Missouri, said before the shot: ‘I couldn’t even dream in a thousand years how you would even see the target, yet alone hit it.

He tried the modern equivalent and manages three head shots less than five inches apart

Mr Gundy is presented with the 1903 A4 replica as a souvenir of his day which he said was 'the nicest thing to ever happen in my life'
‘I hope that I can hit the target but if I was betting money I’d bet nine to one that I don’t. That’s a long, long way.’
But his modesty was greater than his skills and he managed with ease to pick off the target, with three impressive head shots all within five inches of each other.
He said afterwards: ‘I couldn’t believe I could have hit anything that far away.’
SFC Robby Johnson, who taught Mr Gundy how to use the new equipment said: ‘To meet someone that was actually there and was a sniper back then, it’s just a great honour.’
Mr Gundy, holding back the tears, said the experience was ‘one of the nicest things to ever happen in my life.’
‪ImposShotTGundy.wmv‬&rlm; - YouTube

EricF · #2 08-02-2011, 02:40 PM

Cool.

Papa Dangerous · #3 08-02-2011, 02:49 PM

Hats off you Sir Gundy!

Relic · #4 08-02-2011, 02:50 PM

great video, thanks for posting this article!

Crass! · #5 08-02-2011, 03:01 PM

Very, very impressive. I hope I'm that good at _anything_ ever, never mind at his age. His humility is humbling.

jonathan_matos5 · #6 08-02-2011, 03:03 PM

nice!

Carver · #7 08-02-2011, 03:08 PM

Heck yeah! That made my afternoon!

Bongolation · #8 08-02-2011, 03:35 PM

At those ranges, it's the rifle more than the man, but what I couldn't get past was the recoil damage the poor old guy was surely sustaining from blasting away with that Springfield wearing just a light shirt.

Somebody should have known better. Oldsters bruise and break easily and don't heal quickly.

Funky Ghost · #9 08-02-2011, 03:42 PM

That was most excellent !

And it most certainly is not the rifle more than the man. A top flight rifle is wonderful, but it doesn't calculate anything for you. It's a tool that a properly trained marksman utilizes. I've got a darn nice sniper rifle and it doesn't do squat for me at those ranges unless my input is correct.

tastybasslines · #10 08-02-2011, 03:43 PM

It's likely they set it up for him and told him where to aim. However, it still takes steady hands to use a sniper.

I had a buddy in the Army who applied to become an elite, but couldn't hit a target from 1,000 yards away.

EricF · #11 08-02-2011, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tastybasslines

It's likely they set it up for him and told him where to aim. However, it still takes steady hands to use a sniper.

I had a buddy in the Army who applied to become an elite, but couldn't hit a target from 1,000 yards away.

Being told where to aim helps, sure, but putting 3 shots inside 5" at 1000 yards is impressive no matter the situation.

Funky Ghost · #12 08-02-2011, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricF

Being told where to aim helps, sure, but putting 3 shots inside 5" at 1000 yards is impressive no matter the situation.

+100

**colcifer** · #13 08-02-2011, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crass!

Very, very impressive. I hope I'm that good at _anything_ ever, never mind at his age. His humility is humbling.

Totally. That man has class out the wazoo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bongolation

what I couldn't get past was the recoil damage the poor old guy was surely sustaining from blasting away with that Springfield wearing just a light shirt.

Somebody should have known better. Oldsters bruise and break easily and don't heal quickly.

I thought about that too. I'm thinking they took some precaution that wasn't visible in the video.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Funky Ghost

That was most excellent !

And it most certainly is not the rifle more than the man. A top flight rifle is wonderful, but it doesn't calculate anything for you. It's a tool that a properly trained marksman utilizes. I've got a darn nice sniper rifle and it doesn't do squat for me at those ranges unless my input is correct.

Yup.

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricF

Being told where to aim helps, sure, but putting 3 shots inside 5" at 1000 yards is impressive no matter the situation.

**** yeah. Let's give credit to the spotter too, though; that job takes just as much skill as the shooter's. After all, they are a sniper TEAM.

So: Ted Gundy is the shiz, agreed?

Relic · #14 08-02-2011, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bongolation

At those ranges, it's the rifle more than the man, but what I couldn't get past was the recoil damage the poor old guy was surely sustaining from blasting away with that Springfield wearing just a light shirt.

Somebody should have known better. Oldsters bruise and break easily and don't heal quickly.

That rifle (the Remmy 700) is a precision instrument that allows someone with the proper skill level to reach out and touch something at those ranges. I've been shooting for a while and I honestly don't know that I could do the same as Mr Gundy.

In regards to the M-1903-I've fired Springfields before - holy crap they can kick for sure. Maybe they gave him a lighter load; 125-grain or something along those lines. At any rate, he knows how to properly hold it which makes the difference from leaving the range with a bruise and a smile vs having a cracked shoulder...

Pilgrim · #15 08-02-2011, 05:04 PM

I've done a lot of shooting and I know that I'd be very fortunate to hit anything at 300 yards, especially with the rifle that Mr. Gundy used. As for the 1000 yard shots? THAT is a higher skill level, regardless of the rifle and sights involved.

A tip of the hat from me to Mr. Gundy!

jonathan_matos5 · #16 08-02-2011, 05:11 PM

I tip my hat to the man just for being a WWII vet and surviving Bastogne and The Battle of the Bulge!

and no i couldn't make the 300 yard shot either.

PocketGroove82 · #17 08-03-2011, 08:43 AM

Hooah. Hug a WWII vet today! Or at least listen to their stories!

stratovani · #18 08-03-2011, 08:58 AM

Seeing Mr. Gundy holding that old sniper rifle reminded me of the scene from Saving Private Ryan where the American sniper shoots the German sniper holed up in the bell tower of the church with a shot that went through the German sniper's scope and right through the eye. I know it's Hollywood and all that, but it's still a badass scene!

Relic · #19 08-03-2011, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stratovani

Seeing Mr. Gundy holding that old sniper rifle reminded me of the scene from Saving Private Ryan where the American sniper shoots the German sniper holed up in the bell tower of the church with a shot that went through the German sniper's scope and right through the eye. I know it's Hollywood and all that, but it's still a badass scene!

Supposedly Carlos Hatchcock did just that back in 'Nam.
He also held the record for the longest sniper shot until a Canadian sniper broke his record recently in Afghanistan.

Jim Nazium · #20 08-03-2011, 09:23 AM

I couldn't resist doing a little geometry math on this. How far to the left or right would the barrel have to move for the bullet to miss by more than 5 inches at 1000 yards? If the barrel is 29 inches long, the answer is .004 inches (0.1mm), just slightly more than the width of a human hair (approx. .003 inches / 0.075mm). And that's assuming the bullet flies perfectly straight, which of course it doesn't.

Oh, and one more detail I didn't see mentioned: Mr. Gundy has a prosthetic right leg.

Ted Gundy, I salute you, soldier.