Born 1942 in Little Rock, Arkansas, Carlos N. Hathcock was a capable hunter by age 10. At age 17, he enlisted in the Marines and was qualified as an expert marksman. He joined the Hawaii Marines rifle team. Hathcock won the 1000 yard Wimbledon Cup Match in 1965 at the age of 23.

During his two tours of duty in Vietnam, Hathcock used a Winchester Model 70 Target rifle. Before his assignment as a sniper, Hathcock made 14 unconfirmed kills.

On one operation, he trapped an entire company of Viet Cong. He first shot a soldier at the front of the column, then shot a soldier at the back of the column. The Viet Cong, not knowing where the sniper fire was coming from were forced to remain in their position for several days, during which Hathcock killed them all. Other feats performed by Hathcock include killing a man at 2.5 kilometers with a heavy machine gun fitted with an optical sight, making it the longest such kill. On another operation, he had to crawl accross an open field for three days in order to kill a general. Although he was only a half-mile away from an entire North Vietnamese Army division, he went undetected by patrols that came as close as twenty feet!

Hathcock was known to the North Vietnamese as "White Feather", and at one point, they placed a bounty on his head equal to nearly $30,000.

In 1969, during his second tour, a vehicle he was a passenger in struck a 500-pound land mine. Without regard for his own safety, he saved the lives of seven marines by dragging them from the inferno. As a result, he suffered third-degree burns to nearly two-fifths of his body. This brought an end to his career as a sniper. In 1975, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and was later unable to serve and had to retire two months before eligibility for a full pension. Later he trained police snipers.

During his career, Hathcock had made 93 confirmed kills as well as countless other unconfirmed kills (some figures claim upto 340 confirmed and unconfirmed kills!) He holds the record on the Marine "A" Course with a score of 248 points out of 250. The Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II Award is presented once a year to a Marine who has made an important contribution to marksmanship and training. In 1998 he established the Carlos N. Hathcock II Sniper Competition which draws the best snipers in the country to compete.

On February 23, 1999, Carlos N. Hathcock II died after his long stuggle with MS.

Other notable snipers include:

Erwin König

Simo Hayha