Simo Hayha with his hunting guns collection

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Responsible_Slip3491@reddit

Rifle, Shotgun, Rifle, Rifle

>looks again

SHOTGUN?

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RedSonja_@reddit

Funny detail, none of rifles have scopes installed (for a reason)

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Samiel_Fronsac@reddit

Without the handicap it wouldn't be sporting to him?

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Hulkbuster08@reddit

Believe me not having as scope was not a handicap for him.

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I mean, the man was known as White Death without scope, 500+ bodies piled up. But wasn't that a deliberate choice for keep a low profile when shooting? I don't think he ever said that he wouldn't stack more bodies with a scope.

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RedSonja_@reddit

Yes, being low profile was his reason, but he also were so accurate with iron sights alone that he really did not need optics to hit the target.

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TRX302@reddit

Hayha was an old-school sniper. He would make a hide, cover up, and wait until the enemy got close before shooting. Then he would depend on his concealment until the enemy moved away.

Remember, about half of his kills were "up close and personal" with a submachine gun, not a rifle.

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WulfeHound@reddit

The number of kills attributed to him with a Mosin is wildly overstated, with the highest official total being about 200 confirmed (meaning a witness or spotter to verify), and 219 being listed when he was gifted a scoped Mosin on 17 February 1940. 2 weeks later he was shot and in hospital, and the war was over in early March.

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RedSonja_@reddit

You forgot that 200+ kills with Suomi KP when he was a group leader. So I don't think it's overstated at all. Also Häyhä's own memos state kills 542 and I don't think that guy was a liar.

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WulfeHound@reddit

The 500+ claim is generally stated to have been done with just the Mosin, but yes his total with the KP/31 is around 200 as well.

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RedSonja_@reddit

No it's not, you have been misinformed if you believe so.

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Hulkbuster08@reddit

He was also given a rifle with a scope as part of an award ceremony but didn’t use it as his main weapon to kill sowjets as he often spotted enemy snipers by the glint that the front glass of their scopes gave of when hit by sunlight.

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RedSonja_@reddit

Yep, that gift rifle is still some museum in Finland if remember correct.

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PdoffAmericanPatriot@reddit

And he was more deadly with those, than half the " operators" with their Gucci guns we see on here....lol

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Edwardteech@reddit

Tbf there weren't nv or thermals looking back at him making his life difficult.

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PdoffAmericanPatriot@reddit

Believe it or not both the Germans and Allies had developed and we using active infrared and image intensifier technologies. The Wehrmacht had the ZG 1229 Vampir, while the Allies had the AN/PVS system by Perry or Ford , however the Allies primarily used these on vehicles.

And they did "drop" a building on the guy which had to be a little inconvenient...lol

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IlluminatedPickle@reddit

.. He was fighting Soviets mate.

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PdoffAmericanPatriot@reddit

Agreed, However all of my statements remain factual. The Soviet Union also had IR technology but it was mostly experimental and proved to be of limited use due to harsh conditions.

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Brandon_awarea@reddit

As someone who has 0th gen ir nv I wouldn’t want to be using it for anything more than driving a truck or something. You aren’t going around clearing houses with them I’ll tell you that.

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Elo-than@reddit

I have the impression that Soviet house clearing consists of clearing the entire house away from the foundations.

"Comrade, they cannot hide in a house that is gone".

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MazalTovCocktail1@reddit

Nice cover. Consider the following: 152mm

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PdoffAmericanPatriot@reddit

I laughed way too hard at this!

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ColonelCubbage@reddit

With old surplus active IR optics, you gotta keep in mind that you won't be getting as-new performance out of them due to the tubes growing increasingly degraded over the past 30/40/50/60 years. WWII-era Gen.0 definitely proved its worth in combat in a few late-war engagements like Okinawa.

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