A sniper is a trained sharpshooter who operates alone, in a pair, or with a sniper team to maintain close visual contact with a target and engage the targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the detection capabilities of enemy personnel.
Military snipers Some notable military snipers include:
NameLivedActive Notes Confirmedsniper killsNationality Noah Adamia 1919–1942 1938–1942 A Soviet Georgian naval infantryman who is credited with over 200 kills and several tanks knocked out. Trained another 80 snipers within a couple of months during the Second World War. 200+ Herman Davis 1888–1923 1918 An American sniper of the First World War, awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Croix de Guerre with palm, the Croix de Guerre with Gilt Star and the Médaille Militaire awards from the American and French governments.Pegler, Martin (June 2017), "The Allies Strike Back: The Genesis of Sniping, Part 5", American Rifleman, 60–63; 63. 60 Lucky Bisht 1988– 2003–2024 Indian secret service agent who has had several books published about his life.139 India Fedir Dyachenko 1917–1995 1932–1946 A Soviet Ukrainian sniper during World War II, credited with as many as 425 kills and awarded with the Hero of the Soviet Union.Указ Президиума Верховного Совета СССР «О присвоении звания Героя Советского Союза офицерскому, сержантскому и рядовому составу Красной Армии» от 21 февраля 1944 года // Ведомости Верховного Совета Союза Советских Социалистических Республик : газета. — 1944. — 29 февраля (№ 12 (272)). — С. 2 425 Rob Furlong 1976– 1996–2003 A Canadian Army sniper who held the record for the kill from the greatest distance during Operation Anaconda, War in Afghanistan. 1+ Gary Gordon 1960–1993 1978–1993 A Delta Force sniper who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for protecting the injured crew of a downed helicopter during the Battle of Mogadishu. N/A Craig Harrison 1974- 1990–2014 A British Army sniper who achieved the fourth longest confirmed kill shot in history (2,475 m) using the Accuracy International L115A3 Long Range Rifle. N/A Carlos Hathcock 1942–1999 1959–1979 A renowned United States Marine Corps sniper who is credited with 93 confirmed kills. 93 Dejan Berić1974-2014–presentSimply known as Deki (Деки) is a Serbian volunteer in the forces of the Donetsk People's Republic with the rank of Major, who is fighting as a sniper in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War.N/A Simo Häyhä 1905–2002 1939–1940 A Finnish sniper during the 1939–40 Winter War known as the "White Death" from his habit of lying in the snow wearing snow camouflage and a white face mask, waiting for a target to appear. Antti Rantamaa, who served as a field chaplain in Häyhä's regiment, credited him with 259 confirmed kills by sniper rifle and equal number of kills by light machine gun and submachine gun during the war. All of Häyhä's kills were made over the course of fewer than 100 days, before he was seriously wounded—an average of just over 5 per day, with the highest daily count numbering 45 kills—at a time of year with few daylight hours.Tapio A.M. Saarelainen: Sankarikorpraali Simo Häyhä (2006) 542 Matthäus Hetzenauer 1924–2004 1943–1945 An Austrian sniper on the Eastern Front during World War II who was credited with 345 kills between 1943 and 1945. 345 Abukhadzhi Idrisov 1918–1983 1939–1944 A Soviet Chechen sniper credited with 349+ kills during World War II. He was reported to have killed 100 soldiers in only 10 days of fighting. Awarded multiple of the highest state orders of the Soviet Union. 349+ Nikolai Ilyin 1925–1943 1941–1943 A Soviet sniper with 494 kills, who fought in the 50th Guards Rifle Division during the Battle of Stalingrad, World War II. 494 Nicholas Irving 1986– 2004–2010 A sniper nicknamed "The Reaper" with the 3rd Ranger Battalion deployed in Afghanistan in 2009, with 33 confirmed kills. 33 Juba N/A 2005–2007 Juba (Arabic: جوبا) (also called "Joba") is the pseudonym of an alleged sniper involved in the Iraq War's insurgency. He participated in Iraqi Civil War as well as the 2003 Invasion of Iraq.سِفر الأبطال: الجزء الثالث - صفحة 78books.google.iq › books سعد عبد القادر ماهر - 2019 -Baghdad Sniper: Myth or Menace? ABC News, February 10, 200663 (confirmed) 700+ (alleged) Ivan Kulbertinov 1917–1993 1941–1945 A Russian Soviet sniper credited with 252, or alternatively 487 kills using a Mosin-Nagant 1891 rifle during the Second World War. 252 Vasil Kvachantiradze 1907–1950 1941–1945 A Soviet Georgian sniper who is credited with 534 kills during World War II, one of the highest Soviet kill counts. Known for almost single-handedly thwarting a German assault on Shumilino in Belarus. 534 Chris Kyle 1974–2013 1999–2009 A US Navy SEAL credited with 160 confirmed kills by the Pentagon, but who allegedly killed 255. 160 (confirmed)255 (alleged) Marie Ljalková 1920–2011 1942–1953 A Czech sniper fighting in the Soviet Army during World War II who was credited with at least 30 confirmed kills. 30+ Chuck Mawhinney 1949–2024 1967–1970 A United States Marine Corps sniper who holds the record for most confirmed kills by a US Marine (103 kills), with an additional 216 "probable kills". 103 - 319 Timothy Murphy 1751–1818 1775–1780 An American Revolutionary War sniper credited with killing British General Simon Fraser during the Battle of Saratoga. 1+ Semyon Nomokonov 1900–1973 1941–1945 A Soviet Russian World War II sniper with 367 logged kills. 367 Henry Norwest 1884–1918 1915–1918 A sniper in the 50th Battalion (Calgary), CEF during the First World War. He had 115 confirmed kills and was killed by a German sniper on 18 August 1918. 115 Fyodor Okhlopkov 1908–1968 1941–1945 A Russian Soviet sniper credited with 423 confirmed kills during World War II. 423 Johnson Paudash 1875–1959 1914–1918 A member of the 21st Battalion (Eastern Ontario), CEF during World War One who made 88 confirmed kills. 88 Lyudmila Pavlichenko 1916–1974 1941–1953 The most successful female sniper of all time, during World War II she served in the Soviet army and had 309 confirmed kills. Pavlichenko was called "Lady Death" for her ability with a sniper rifle. She served in the Red Army during the siege of Odesa and the siege of Sevastopol. She was awarded Hero of the Soviet Union 309 Vladimir Pchelintsev 1919–2001 1941–1945 A Soviet sniper credited with 152 kills using a Mosin-Nagant 1891 rifle during the Second World War. 152 Francis Pegahmagabow 1891–1952 1914–1919 An Ojibwe sniper in World War I who is credited with 378 kills, and an unknown number of unconfirmed kills. 378 Friedrich Pein 1915–1975 1943–1945 An Austrian fighting in the German Army credited with over 200 kills on the Eastern Front between 1943 and 1945 during the Second World War. 200+ Stepan Petrenko 1922–1984 1941–1945 A Soviet sniper during the Second World War with 422 confirmed kills, awarded the HSU (Hero of the Soviet Union). 422 Ranjith Premasiri Madalana (Nero) 1969–2009 2000–2009 A sniper in the Sri Lanka Army during the country's civil war alias "Nero". The Sri Lankan LTTE war ended on 18 May 2009 just 20 days after Corporal Premasiri's death. At the time of his death, he had served 18 years in the Sri Lanka Army and 9 years of it as a sniper with 217 confirmed kills of Tamil Tigers.Let us remember Nero: the Phussadeva of our time, the archer who never missed his mark lankanewspapers.com - April 28, 2010 217 Graham Ragsdale 1969– 1988–2003 A former Canadian Army sniper who fought in Afghanistan in 2002 and 2005–2014 as a designated defensive marksman with private military companies. 56 Ben Roberts-Smith 1978– 1996–2015 A sniper with the Australian Special Air Service Regiment who was awarded the Medal of Gallantry for his actions in 2006 during Operation Perth in the Chora Valley of Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan. Subsequently, awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia in 2011. N/A Roza Shanina 1924–1945 1943–1945 A Russian Soviet sniper during the Second World War, credited with 60 kills, including 12 soldiers during the Battle of Vilnius in 1944. 60 Ivan Sidorenko 1919–1994 1939–1945 A Soviet sniper credited with over 500 kills during the Second World War. 500+ Billy Sing 1886–1943 1914–1918 An Australian First World War sniper credited with over 150 confirmed kills. Contemporary evidence puts his tally at close to 300 kills. 150+ Mikhail Surkov 1921–1953 1941–1945 A Soviet sniper in World War II. Official documents indicate a tally around 236 kills, although newspapers inflated his tally to over 700 kills. 236 Bruno Sutkus 1924–2003 1944–1945 A Lithuanian sniper fighting in the German Army during the Second World War. He was credited with 209 kills on the Eastern Front between 1944 and 1945."Respublika", Nr. 284(1694). Gražina Ašembergiene. "209 kartus gyvas". December 4, 1995 (Lithuanian newspaper) 209 Abu Tahsin al-Salhi 1953–2017 1973–2017 A sniper who fought in the Yom Kippur War, Iran–Iraq War, invasion of Kuwait, Gulf War, as well as the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. However, his kills in other wars other than against ISIS are unaccounted for and unknown. 341+ (against ISIS only) (Alleged) Alvin York 1887–1964 1917–1918 An expert sharpshooter with the 82nd Infantry Division who used an M1917 Enfield rifle during the Meuse–Argonne offensive near Chatel-Chéhéry, France, 1918 in World War I. Medal of Honor recipient for leading an assault on machine gun positions.New York Times: Sergeant York, War Hero, Dies", September 3, 1964, accessed September 20, 2010 28 Vasily Zaytsev 1915–1991 1937–1945 A Soviet sniper who fought at the Battle of Stalingrad. Zaytsev is credited with 242 kills (including 11 snipers). 242 Zhang Taofang 1931–2007 1953–1985 A Chinese sniper who fought in the Korean War with 214 confirmed kills over 32 days. 214 Ibragim Suleymanov1911 – 19431941–1943A Kazakh sniper in the Red Army during World War II who killed an estimated 289 enemy soldiers. He was nominated for the title Hero of the Soviet Union on 9 July 1943, but was initially awarded only the Order of Lenin. In 2022 he was posthumously awarded the title Hero of Kazakhstan, the highest state honor of Kazakhstan.289
Police and federal snipers NameLived Notes KillsNationality Lon Horiuchi 1954– A Federal Bureau of Investigation sniper who shot Randy Weaver and shot and killed Vicki Weaver at Ruby Ridge. 1 Thomas "Tom" Horn Jr. 1860–1903 An American Old West lawman, scout, and hired gunman, known for shooting cattle rustlers and sheepherders at long range with a Sharps rifle. 17 (believed)
Civilian snipers Not all snipers are highly trained professional soldiers. The term is sometimes ambiguously used to describe criminals firing from cover at long range with a rifle. Some civilian snipers include: