Long Branch Louie Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I was watching an on-line video last night and an historian in Texas stated that it was unlikely that Billy Dixon ever made his famous shot at Adobe Walls, then I was doing some reading from other sources, some reported the distance as 1538 yards, others as 1200 and 1028 yards. I'm just curious, has anybody researched this enough to learn if it was likely the shot was real, or is it western folklore? One thing that is fact is that Billy Dixon later became one of only a few civilians in history to be awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroics in a later battle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfgang, SASS #53480 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Since the distance was paced off . . . . extimates of how far it actually was might varry a bit. Shooting a bullet that far out of a Sharps rifle is no problem. Has been duplicated by a few folks. Important ellements that are usually not mentioned in these accounts . . . it was not his first shot, . . he was shooting a a group of indians . . . and he said himself that it was a "scratch shot" ( ie. a lucky one ). Drop enough bullets into a group of indians out thur,.... and the chances of getting one get better the more bullets ya drop into the group. Lets collect a group of indians . . . set up a Sharps rifle . . . start shooting . . . and find out .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Old Man Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 The Indians might not appreciate that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Sandor, SASS #74075 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Check out Shooting Buffalo Rifles of the Old West, by Mike Venturino, for his take on the shot - and a bunch of other really interesting information as well. CS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badlands Beady Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 There's a term for aiming at a target you don't have that great a chance of hitting. What is it, again? Oh, yeah. It's called "a long shot." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noz Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 If something happens and you did not think you could do it, it's luck. If what happened is what you intended to happen then it ain't luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoken D Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 No problem for me ta hit a target with great-grandpa's 1884 Trapdoor out back with the sights set at 1375 yards. I can only guess the distance because that is what the Buffington sights are set on when I hit the target. Ifen you look at my photo on the left, the other side of the lake is where the target is set. Back of the cove would be 1 mile and I pull a few shots there when I can see something that far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 John Boy has some pretty cool pics of some of his long range prowess. Maybe he will chime in and repost. Locally we have a club that has a Billy Dixon shoot (BP only) on life size indians on horseback at a measured 1538 yards and the guys who shoot there hit the targets pretty regular. Regards Gateway Kid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Long Branch Louie Posted February 16, 2012 Author Share Posted February 16, 2012 John Boy has some pretty cool pics of some of his long range prowess. Maybe he will chime in and repost. Locally we have a club that has a Billy Dixon shoot (BP only) on life size indians on horseback at a measured 1538 yards and the guys who shoot there hit the targets pretty regular. Regards Gateway Kid Yep, I don't doubt that he coulda done it, just wonderin' about the different accounts. Guess I'll get the book mentioned and read up a little.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 The Indians might not appreciate that. I know some who would shoot back...and they're better than I am. Ain't that so, Daniel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Reb, SASS #54804 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I know some who would shoot back...and they're better than I am. Ain't that so, Daniel? so lets use polititians instead of indians Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 so lets use polititians instead of indians ..... now there's a thought ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooting Bull Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 so lets use polititians instead of indians Where do I sign up for THAT match? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Along that line of thinkin'... Back in our club's infancy our targets were all home-made, cut out of plate in Hank's shop. Among the usual squares and circles and such were silhouettes of Indian heads, complete with feathers. Some time later, some wag decided Gee! These are SO politically incorect - we just CAN'T have such a thing here! and proceeded to cut off the feathers, leaving shapes similar to Curly Howard's profile. Well dang... these were downright boring - 'til somone decided "Hey! We lost the Indians, but darned if we didn't get a whole stack o' Lawyer targets!" Them "Lawyers" got a lot of abuse... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smuteye John SASS#24774 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I was watching an on-line video last night and an historian in Texas stated that it was unlikely that Billy Dixon ever made his famous shot at Adobe Walls, then I was doing some reading from other sources, some reported the distance as 1538 yards, others as 1200 and 1028 yards. I'm just curious, has anybody researched this enough to learn if it was likely the shot was real, or is it western folklore? One thing that is fact is that Billy Dixon later became one of only a few civilians in history to be awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroics in a later battle. According to the book, ADOBE WALLS THE HISTORY AND ARCHEOLOGY OF THE 1874 TRADING POST by T. Lindsay Baker and Billy R. Harrison (pages 66-68), a group of approximately 15 Indians gathered on the side of the bluff to the east of the trading post on the 3rd day of the siege and several hunters in the saloon fired at them. One of the Indians was hit and fell from his horse dead and the rest scattered. It was unknown whether Dixon made the shot or not since he and around a half dozen others were shooting at the group. Dixon never claimed to have made the shot (he said he'd shot at an Indian that far away but didn't know if he even hit him- much less killed him) and said, if he was the one that hit the Indian in question, it was a 'scratch shot' or a lucky shot. He didn't get credit for making it until his wife, Olive, published his biography in 1914. The different ranges come from different sources. The distance of 1028 yards was from a surveyor 's measurements after the battle. The first edition Dixon biography published in 1914 claimed 1200 yards and the second edition, published in 1927, said it was 1538. (From the book listed above pages 67&68). The problem is all the measurements were made long after the fact and nobody really knows where the Indians were located when the shot was made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 As to whether he did it or not, I have no idea. As to whether it was possible, it certainly was. http://www.researchpress.co.uk/longrange/sandyhook.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quick Draw Granpaw #48525 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I've read that the Military surveying in the area 4 years later measured the distance and that one of the solders was actually at Adobe Wells when the shot was made. The range I don't remember, but I'm going to look for the article. Happy trails QDG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-BAR #18287 Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 one more article on the subject: http://powderburns.tripod.com/sharps.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oklahomabound Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 so lets use polititians instead of indians +3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oklahomabound Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Have also been at the NRA Whittington Center and shot at the White Buffalo: For those trying to visualize shooting that far: White Buffalo THE WHITE BUFFALO IS 6 BY 10 FT. & A 16 IN. AIMING PT. RANGE IS - 1025 METERS 1123 YARDS. Took several trys but got there. And some of my pards got there really quick-3 shots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffield, SASS #23454 Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I was last at the Adobe Walls site in 2006 and met a couple of indians who were also visiting the site. They seemed quite certain of where the indians were all during the battle, and of where the indian was that Billy Dixon supposedly shot off his horse. Billy is burried there, with a nice stone decorated with the square and compases of a master mason. The indians have erected a monument there, telling their side of the story. The site is off the beaten path, but well worth the visit. Duffield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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