Hathcock used mirage to estimate cross wind velocities at various ranges to the target. He would focus the scope at a particular distance and watch the mirage. He said that the velocity of the wind would be one half the value of the angle of the mirage waves from vertical. For example, a 22 mph crosswind at 9 or 3 o'clock would have mirage waves angled at 44 degrees.
I read that the latest mile and a half kill, the one in Mosul with the .408 CheyTac, took approximately three seconds for the bullet to reach the target. That's staggering when you consider the bullet's BC of .949 and the MV of 2,850 fps.
A good friend once had a neighbor who was a WWII veteran. He had killed a German sniper in a tree who had his unit pinned down. He had been told to flank the sniper out of sight and then come in from the rear and try to find him before he got shot by him. He did so, and killed him with a M2 carbine at close range just as the sniper saw him. When he fell out of the tree, the sniper's rifle fell so hard that it broke the scope's claw mounts off. G.I. brought the rifle home with two cartridges, 9.3 x 74 !!! It was not a standard military issue Mauser, but was sporterized and the stock had been hand carved with oak leaves and acorns.
SRH
