Seeing History … Through A Spotting Scope

[David Buffington]

Hi Folks!

It is a rare pleasure to acquire a gun with a history.

It is simply extraordinary to acquire a scope – in this case, a spotting scope – that has quite literally seen some of the best shots ever taken.

And today, I was pleased and proud to become its custodian …



The scope is an Unertl Team Spotting Scope, a beast of a 100 mm scope especially made for long-range shooting matches. (For technical details, see http://unertl.alexweb.net/100team.htm)

The scope was sold to me by Mike Dunia, an accomplished marksman who served with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit and represented San Francisco’s famed Olympic Club in competitions around the world, for example, winning the British Columbia Target Rifle Championship in 2002 and the California Palma Championship in 2003.

The scope was owned by Dunia’s friend, Larry Wilkins, who also served in the U.S. Army, was also an accomplished marksman and also represented San Francisco’s famed Olympic Club.

Here is just a bit of their history …



Although I do plan to use the scope, I feel an obligation to preserve as much of its history as I can, including, most importantly, the stories of the shooters who used it before it came to me.

If you have any personal knowledge of Dunia, Wilkins or anyone associated with their shooting exploits, please feel free to post it here or to contact me directly.

Thanks!
Dave

P.S. I should also mention that Wilkins served with the famous “Task Force Smith” at the start of the Korean War. If you’re not familiar with that horrific story of courage, do look it up.

 

[caihlen]

Wow. That is so cool. What’s even cooler is the respect you have for the history of the item and your commitment to preservation. Respect.

 

[Sandstorm]

Thats just too cool.

 

[Forum Boss]

Great story Dave. Thank you. Please check your PM (conversation) folder.

 

[David Buffington]

UPDATE: I've picked up this information from The Olympic Club's Hall of Fame:

MICHEL DUNIA
Sport: Shooting
Inducted to Hall of Fame in: 20l5

Michel Dunia (1938 -) is a California-native, who has built an impressive 50-year career as a long-range marksman. He began his career at Stanford University, where he was captain of the rifle team and part of their ROTC program. After college, Dunia served in the U.S. Army Marksmanship unit at Ft. Benning, like fellow OC Hall of Famer Gary Anderson. He was awarded the Army's Distinguished Rifleman badge and qualified to wear the President's Hundred Tab.

After the Army, Dunia moved to San Francisco for work, where he was recruited to join The Olympic Club. With the guidance and training from his fellow OC members, including Clint Dahlstrom and Larry Wilkins, he has been a star for the rifle team ever since.

Among his many awards and accolades, there are several standout performances. In 1992, he took sixth place in a field of 400+ marksman from around the world in the first official World Championship of long-range shooting. In 1995, he took third in the individual 800m event at the World Long Range Championships, and was a member of the 16-person U.S. team that finished second in the team competition.

In 2002, Dunia became the first American in 116 years to capture the distinguished British Columbia Target Rifle Championship. He won a pressure-packed shootout – five shots at 600 meters – to break a three-way tie for first. When he won, his teammates and competitors carried
him across the field in the winner's chair.

In 2003, he won California's Palma Rifle Championship, in which competitors shoot, without using a scope, at 800, 900 and 1,000 yards. At the 2003 World Championships in England. after three days of difficult rain and wind, he took home three individual medals and placed sixth overall out of 450 shooters (the second highest American). Finally, he won the California state individual long range championship and was awarded the “Distinguished Rifleman” badge. A banner year!

He continues to compete for the Club throughout the world. But his contributions to Olympia go beyond personal achievement. He served nine years as Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner of Rifle, and mentors his fellow members, imparting advice that comes from 50+ years of marksmanship competition and training.

 

[David Buffington]

How popular was the Unertl Team scope? Very ...


This image was found at http://looserounds.com/2020/04/24/some-rare-unertl-history/

 

[hpshooter]

How popular was the Unertl Team scope? Very ...

View attachment 1229593
This image was found at http://looserounds.com/2020/04/24/some-rare-unertl-history/

Amazing how many groundhogs you can see in the berm in front of the targets at Perry with these, at least it was that way before a lot of recontouring was done years back. Great instruments.

 

[David Buffington]

Hi Folks!

What might this line of monsters have cost back in the day? Well, I've tracked down an Unertl price list from sometime after 1963 -- we know that because it has a ZIP code in the address -- and the price then was listed as $450, but another price list, dated 1994, puts the price at $2,200.

Of course, that's $2,200 in 1994 dollars. That would be $3,842 in today's money, according to usinflationcalculator.com. So the seven Team scopes seen here would cost $26,894.

Enjoy!
Dave

 

[JMayo]

I'd like to know if it can see 6mm bullet holes at 1k.
Use it for what it was intended to, imo

 

[David Buffington]

I'd like to know if it can see 6mm bullet holes at 1k.
Use it for what it was intended to, imo

Absolutely. I hope to get it up to the 1000 yard range near Lewistown sometime after the weather breaks.

Enjoy!
Dave

 

[Alan Warner]

Nice picture. Probably taken by Johnnie Franklin.
Want names of those in the pic?

 

[David Buffington]

Nice picture. Probably taken by Johnnie Franklin.
Want names of those in the pic?

Oh, yes, definitely. Thanks!
Dave

 

[Alan Warner]

Oh, yes, definitely. Thanks!
Dave

Tomorrow when I have a better image on a desk top.

 

[Alan Warner]

How popular was the Unertl Team scope? Very ...

View attachment 1229593
This image was found at http://looserounds.com/2020/04/24/some-rare-unertl-history/

Names
far left, white shirt and hat, squatting is Burt Rallins. Prone -close left with small scope is me. Standing in team jacket is Ken Erdman. next in backround is Mike Dunia. coach , sitting is Bob Jensen. next coach is Eric St. John. Can't make out the other coach or shooters. last coach is Bill Meek.

 

[expiper]

Skip Otto made a set of Bi-noculars out of two of these big spotting scopes,,,he reminised that they were developed for the army for use during WW II,,,I only looked thru them at 200 yds ,but they were clear as a bell,,,Roger

 

[David Buffington]

Names
far left, white shirt and hat, squatting is Burt Rallins. Prone -close left with small scope is me. Standing in team jacket is Ken Erdman. next in backround is Mike Dunia. coach , sitting is Bob Jensen. next coach is Eric St. John. Can't make out the other coach or shooters. last coach is Bill Meek.

Thanks! Is this caption correct?
Dave

 

[Dave Marshall]

I'd like to know if it can see 6mm bullet holes at 1k.
Use it for what it was intended to, imo

You won’t be able to see any bullet holes past 300yds with those scopes. They usually used a fixed 25x eyepiece. I don’t think there is a scope in existence today that can see bullet holes at 1000yds. I can almost make out what looks like bullet holes at 600yds with my NF spotter, but conditions have to be perfect for viewing.

The main reason those scopes were used was for better ability to read mirage and the larger objective made it possible to see bullet trace at longer ranges. Once the trace leaves the field of view due to steep trajectory, you can’t see it when it comes back down into the field of view.

 

[Alan Warner]

View attachment 1230006

Thanks! Is this caption correct?
Dave

Yes

 

[David Buffington]

Yes

Thanks!
Dave

 

[snert]

LOVE THIS! It is cool to see history.