2019 United States Army Special Operations Command International Sniper Competition....photo by K. Kassens

A competitor in the United States Army Special Operations Command International Sniper Competition uses a digital range finder on his weapon while engaging long-distance targets at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, March 19, 2019. Twenty-one teams competed in the USASOC International Sniper Competition where instructors from the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School designed a series of events that challenged the two-person teams’ ability to work together, firing range, speed and accuracy in varied types of environments.

This shit ain't shootin' no more.  This is fuckin' science.  I've been monitoring this event and those units don't carry rifles anymore.  They're carrying stuff that's a few pounds away from being a crew served weapon system.

Carlos Hathcock would probably be a bit jealous and disgusted.  Guarantee you ain't belly crawling a mile dodging enemy sentries with the gear they're toting today!

One of his most famous moments came when he was sent to take out a General in the NVA. It was astonishing work by Hathcock as he went four days and three nights without food or sleep in the pursuit of his man.

The sniper often volunteered for missions that he didn’t know anything about because of a natural belief, probably backed up by the stats, that he was better than the rest of his comrades.

Hathcock crawled inch by patient inch to get to a good position in order to hit the target – even ‘worming’ on his side in order to keep his trail thin and avoid being spotted by communist forces.

The sniper got 700 yards away and calmly slotted a bullet through the general’s heart. Hathcock was so good that it took him three days to get back to safety but he managed to do so without being detected once.

Which brings me to a weird point.

Do we have snipers or sharpshooters? 

Snipers are suppose to have a unique skillset beyond being able to hit target. They're supposed to be able to stalk their prey.  They have a secondary role as scouts.

Are we seeing that today or has the shooting aspect taken over to the detriment of all else?  I don't know but I have to wonder.  Are the "snipers" today, the "sharpshooters" of yesteryear?

I really don't have the answer.