Jack Hinson The Civil War's Deadliest Sniper

Jack Hinson was a Civil War sniper. His story is interesting and incredible. Learn that story in this video.

[nateweter]

There is nothing more terrifying than a man with nothing left to lose.

[waynehiers]

The man did what any Good Daddy would have done. God Bless his memory.

[roberthand]

Jack always stated, and rightly so, that he never declared war on the union, but they declared war on him. Rest in peace, brave soul!

[johngalletta]

Amen, 1 man with nothing to loss or has lost everything is the most deadly thing in the world

[cressidas]

Better than anything put out by 95% of the Discovery family of channels these days.

[DWA]

Jack Hinson used a 0.50 caliber rifle made by a Tennessee Gun Builder and NOT the famous British-built Whitworth Rifle of 0.451 caliber with hexagonally rifled bore. Jack's rifle can be properly called a "Country Rifle", although the heavy weight of Jack's 0.50 rifle actually puts it in the middle between a Picket Rifle and a Country Rifle.

Prior to the Civil War, special rifle competitions were held at 220 yards (1/8th mile). In Surveyor's measure 220 yards was "40 Rods". The rifles were called "40 Rod Rifles". These rifles used a Picket Bullet backed by a powder charge of about 1/2 bullet weight for a very high muzzle velocity around 2000 feet per second. A 0.40 caliber rifle would likely be slightly above 2000 ft/sec, while a 0.50 caliber rifle would likely be just under 2000 ft/sec. Due to the high muzzle velocity, the "40 Rod Rifles" were relatively flat shooting, especially for black powder rifles.

Rifles that were scoped with the primitive 4-Power long tube scopes of the day were very accurate and could accurately shoot around 1/2 Minute of Angle at 220 yards by the late 1850's (10 shot group size about 1 inch give or take a 1/4"). The heavy black powder charge was dirty and required cleaning between every shot.

The Picket Bullet was a parabolic shaped bullet, the nose curve about 1.5 diameters, between 1.5 and 2 calibers in length. The Picket nose curve started right at the bullet base, so the bullet had little-to-no straight sides and required very careful seating with the ramrod to make sure the bullet was straight. 40 Rod Picket Rifles used precisely fitted False Muzzles to make sure the bullet and patch were precisely aligned straight with the rifle bore before being pushed into the muzzle with a short starter rod, and then fully seated down on the powder charge with the ramrod. 40 Rod Picket Rifles were very heavy bench rest target rifles of about 35 pounds, give or take 5 pounds roughly. By the late 1850's Picket Bullets were using a flat nose instead of a pointed nose, because the flat-nosed Picket had proven to shoot tighter groups in competition. The flat-nosed picket, probably unknown then, but well realized today, would create a larger diameter wound tunnel in game or man, for very devastating terminal ballistic effects on impact.

The "Country Rifle" developed sometime around 1850, was a hunting rifle of about 10 pounds weight, that fired the Picket Bullet. Using a False Muzzle was not practical in the field, so Country Rifles used a special ramrod head with a hollow conical shape that could seat the Picket Bullet straight on top of the powder charge for excellent accuracy. Jack's 0.50 caliber Rifle was heavy for a Country Rifle at 18 pounds, but about half the weight of a 40 Rod Picket Rifle. Without a False Muzzle, Jack's rifle is clearly a Country Rifle and is loaded as a Country Rifle, but is very heavy for that class rifle. The extra weight would help Jack's rifle achieve superb accuracy at long range.

A 0.50 caliber Country Rifle would use a Picket Bullet of about 0.490" diameter to allow use of a tight weave cloth patch such as denim or light weight canvas. If a paper patch or linen patch were used, the bullet diameter would be in the vicinity of 0.495 inch. A 0.490 Picket Bullet would weight in the range of 300 grains and use a powder charge of about 150 grains of FFFg rifle powder, achieving a muzzle velocity of 2000 fps, give or take about 100 fps. Because Jack's rifle has such a long barrel, I'd guess the MV to be closer to 2100 fps than 2000 fps. At that velocity, a 300 grain Picket from Jack's rifle would arrive at 600 yards in about 3/4 second, well ahead of the sound of the shot. With the devastating wound tunnel created by a flat-nosed Picket Bullet at 600 yards, any solid hit on a human torso would be instantly fatal, no chance of survival.

At 600 yards, a scoped 40 Rod Picket Rifle would be able to keep 10 shots centered on the chest of a human-torso-sized target in a group of 3 to 4 inches. Jack's Country Rifle with a lighter barrel than a Picket Rifle, plus using open sights instead of a scope, would likely have about 1/3rd the accuracy of a scoped Picket Rifle. So Jack could keep his shots in a group of 9 to 12 inches at 600 yards, which would still be on the torso of a human-sized-target at that range.

It is no wonder that Jack Hinson was such a deadly sniper. He had the weapon capable of making the shot, the skills to use that weapon's capability, and the motivation to hit the targets aimed at.

[stephengalindo]

"I was always willing to be reasonable until I had to be unreasonable. Sometimes reasonable men must do unreasonable things."
Marvin Heemeyer

[dustyroads]

Here on the Missouri Kansas border, some 400 "Bushwackers" kept some 40, 000 union troops dedicated to their capture at bay for more than 20 years after Lee surrendered. Ewing even issued the infamous General Order #11, which burned 4 counties along the western Missouri border to ashes in a scorched earth policy to stop that threat. All he accomplished was swelling the Bushwackers ranks with new recruits 😂. Pinkerton himself complained that his agents were target's for "every Missourian with a squirrel rifle".

[spiritofatlantisreaddescri]

And that's how you create an insanely deadly enemy out of a neutral party. Don't mess with people's kids

[tn_bayou-wulf]

My SCV camp sponsored in a Civil War Relic Show a few years ago in Pigeon Forge, TN and the current owner (as mentioned in the video) was present, with Mr. Hinson's rifle. While conversing with him, he offered me the opportunity to HOLD Jack Hinson's rifle, which I did with great pleasure! Looking back, my regret is in not having a picture taken of the event. Thanks for making this great story come to life! Well done!

[josepadua]

My respect to the memory of Jack Hinson

[GTH]

How is this not a movie, 600 yards back than amazing. What a legend.

[JimbobZ]

Anyone who hasn’t needs to read the book. Lt. Col. McKenney USMC done a outstanding job writing it. I read it when it came out and couldn’t put it down.
A movie needs to be made with Sam Elliott or Tom Selleck playing Jack.
Thanks for the video and telling the story and truth about how people of the south was treated by the north.

[awizardalso]

I can't fault him for being a sniper against the Union Soldiers. They killed and decapitated his sons and put their heads on posts. Taking revenge on the Union Soldiers to me seems justified.

[Delta]

I've read the book. Hinson was a fascinating man. He helped Nathan Bedford Forrest take a Union camp during this time. There was a quote about the man in the book by Forrest I believe: “He (Hinson) was not a man to be trifled with”.

[leroymorris]

A man can do amazing things with certain motivation.

[tyrabut]

I love he’s not a huge guy or anything just an average size man with an above average rifle.

[donb]

Incredibly sad how a man who wished to remain neutral, a man who had freed his slaves was dragged into a conflict he had wanted no part of in the most brutal of fashions. What father seeing his sons heads in that manner would not seek vengeance?
A cruel conflict that had brothers fighting brothers and what an awful impact it had on Mr Hinson and his family.

[yogimag]

Lesson to be Learned: Don't push a man to the point that he is out of options.

[dodge]

I’m glad you put up true history instead of the doctored up version that’s been in schools for years. It’s true, the victors WILL write the history.