[epow]

There was a story on the History Channel last year which attempted to debunk the old Adobe Walls shooting story. It quoted several newspaper articles from that period in which reporters who had gone to the scene of the siege, and some writers claimed the location they were shown where the Indian was hit was much closer than 1500 yards to the building where the buffalo hunters were shooting. IIRC there were also statements given to reporters from one or two of the hunters who said that the story was a hoax, Billy Dixon killed an Indian Chief alright but not when he was almost a mile away. Also some of the people who claimed to have witnessed the shot were found to have not been at the battle, and one or two others who were there said they were not there for some unknown reason.

I tend to believe Dixon and the hunters who were with him because a Sharps Big Fifty was certainly capable of making the shot, a man size target is visible to the naked eye at that range, and buffalo hunters had to be expert shots or they didn't last long at the job. But I guess nobody will ever know for certain either way now that all the people involved have been dead for over 3/4 of a century or more. I am going to go on believing Billy Dixon did what he said he did until somebody proves him wrong.

[Vinnie]

I didn’t realize there was a controversy about the incident.
Still want to check the place out.

BTW, I witnessed a very lucky shot one time.
Me and several friends were in the Everglades w/ .22’s.
One friend took a shot at a flying bird, holding the rifle down at his waist. The bird was at least 100yds. away.
He hit it!