The .46 Caliber Semi-Automatic Rifle That Changed the World

Stealhead · 02-23-13, 11:53 PM

We "Won the West" by wiping out the food supply of the Native Americans the Bison(Buffalo) the most popular rifle for hunting where versions of the Sharps rifle differing calibers but all large originally they came in .52-caliber 475-grain many where converted to .45-70 both man and beast droppers.

Hunters would sit near a heard and shoot one Bison at a time one shot one kill until there where none left.If you tried this with a pansy Winchester lever action rifle most of which where sold in much weaker calibers(for killing large game) you would have to shoot each animal several times or be very close both of which would scare away the heard.

With a Sharps on the other hand you could post yourself far enough away that you could kill a buffalo but not startle the rest of the heard allowing you to shot all day long.

The Sharps really helped win the west because the real weapon was not or soldiers but our thirst for buffalo hide.

Ironically at Little Big Horn the US troops had a cavalry version of the Sharps while many of the Sioux that had firearms carried Winchester repeaters the US Army never officially adopted the Winchester though their enemy often did proving that the Winchester did not win the West it actually lost it.Even though pound for pound the Native Americans had much better warriors than the US government did.

02-23-13, 11:53 PM	#7
Stealhead Navy Seal Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kentucky Posts: 5,421 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	We "Won the West" by wiping out the food supply of the Native Americans the Bison(Buffalo) the most popular rifle for hunting where versions of the Sharps rifle differing calibers but all large originally they came in .52-caliber 475-grain many where converted to .45-70 both man and beast droppers. Hunters would sit near a heard and shoot one Bison at a time one shot one kill until there where none left.If you tried this with a pansy Winchester lever action rifle most of which where sold in much weaker calibers(for killing large game) you would have to shoot each animal several times or be very close both of which would scare away the heard. With a Sharps on the other hand you could post yourself far enough away that you could kill a buffalo but not startle the rest of the heard allowing you to shot all day long. The Sharps really helped win the west because the real weapon was not or soldiers but our thirst for buffalo hide. Ironically at Little Big Horn the US troops had a cavalry version of the Sharps while many of the Sioux that had firearms carried Winchester repeaters the US Army never officially adopted the Winchester though their enemy often did proving that the Winchester did not win the West it actually lost it.Even though pound for pound the Native Americans had much better warriors than the US government did.