Did some quick research, using an "average" since exact load doesn't come up anywhere I looked, I check the ballistics for 650 gr. bullet at 1375 fps: (using the 1580 distance) he would have had to hold 122 ft., at a mile it would have been 188.

This makes it all the more plausible that the Indian was hit by a ricochet.



That or he has a stroke and just fell off his horse

The original story was told many times before it was put in the form of the printed words on paper. From my own experience, what I remember about a particular incident or battle, will not always be the same that my RTO or another soldier saw and heard.

There is a phrase for this but I can't remember what it's called

1.47° of elevation for the 1580 yard shot.
26.1 Mil, 88 1/4 MOA

2.04° of elevation for the 1760 yard shot.
36.3 Mil, 122 1/2 MOA

Yep. My older brother is a long range enthusiast and spends a lot of time at Best of the West in Liberty Hill. He will routinely shoot clay pigeons at 1,000 yds. (as do several other shooters). I have also seen him take a golf ball off the top of the 1,000 yd. target stand on his second shot (after doping for the wind). And I mean hit the ball, not the stand.

He was invited out to a property (outside of Austin) to shoot with a few other guys at a 4' X 6' plywood target at 1 mile. He hit it his 3rd shot about a foot in from the edge and two feet up from the bottom. And considered that LUCKY.

6.5 Creedmoor, Ruger Precison Rifle with custom barrel, Nightforce scope.

To think that anyone could do the same thing with open (even vernier) sights with a projectile having a BC approximating that of a brick, seems doubtful at best. I'll buy it...if the distance was actually more like 800-1000 yds.

Great thread!

Agreed....thanks for posting

I finally stumbled across the Doppler radar article about the testing done in 1992 with a 50-90 Sharps written by Mike Venturino.

http://powderburns.tripod.com/sharps.html

Good read. crazy that its still traveling that fast at that distance.

Adobe walls is just about 50-60 miles from me. I have read lots of history, lots of accounts of that battle. The distance on that shot was verified.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned in this discussion yet is the fact that the cliff that Coyote ***** was shot on was a cliff that some of the shooters that visited the trading post did shoot at from time to time. It is quite possible that Billy had taken shots at targets on that that cliff before during some of those impromptu range sessions. I'm not saying that he had the dope dialed in. But probably it was a much more calculated shot than just the wild guess that many claim.

I wish I could remember where I read that information, but I can't.

Of course, even Billy said it was a lucky shot. Truly, anything with those sights at that distance with that cartridge would have to be. But possible, yes.

Also remember that even Chris Kyle stated that his own personal longest shot on record was pure luck.

We stopped at Adobe Walls a few years ago, you have to make a point of going there it is off the beaten path and the middle of nowhere. A pair of monuments mark the site of the trading post. At the time we were there a large white "sign" where the Indians stood. I had a rifle with iron sights so I got it out to see what it looks like. It is way far and tiny. Didn't shoot.

A side note, at the site there is a gate preventing further travel. On the gate posts where cameras, they may have moved.
Creepy.

M

Lucky shot and was admitted to the fact, lets face it Tonto was going to fall off his horse, get struck by lightning or have heart attack or something along those lines of unlucky that day before a lucky shot took him out! When it's you time it just is and he became history instead of just another dead blanket weaver. Sux to be him that day pretty much covers his day. I have been up there to the site years ago and was interesting break from day of chasing pheasants up on the rim. Lots of game driving down through the Turkey Track Ranch, is beautiful country with river bottom when there is snow covering the area.

One of the scientist there had a laptop computer and he did a bunch of tapping with the data accumulated so far and said, “Elevate the muzzle to 4 1/2 to five degrees and you’ll get a Billy Dixon shot. That was done with the same load and the bullet landed at 1,517 yards. I’d say that scientist was on the ball. Incidentally, five degrees of muzzle elevation can easily be gotten with only the rear barrel sight on a Shiloh Sharps. -

Those big slow moving bullets can be amazingly accurate from a good rifle and reputation is the Sharps were very good.

I like the old Single Shots and thought many times about getting one of the Shilo Sharps but never have. Instead I have a Browning 1885 PBCR rifle in 45-70 and a Little Sharps Lil Reliable in 38-55 which is one of my favorite guns to shoot and hunt with.

As to Mr Dixons historic shot it is legend long after the men that saw it were gone and will be after I am gone. With all due respect Great shot Mr. Dixon. I know I have made some shots that I can only describe as luck as most of us have if we are honest/

I grew up at Borger , just a few miles from Dixon Creek,

I've read several articles about the battle , one had pictures of the site and the
bluff in the distance where the Indian fell. The distance has been verified more than once.



Mo