Whitworth Rifle / Sharpshooters

[John Gross]

The most recent issue of THE GUN REPORT magazine (April, 2009), has an article of mine titled "The Myth of Confederate Sharpshooters and the
Whitworth Rifle."

The purpose of the article is to give a critical review as to the long range
accuracy of sharpshooters and the .451 Whitworth, and to "bring them back from the outer limits of reality."

Included in the article is a discussion of mean radial deviation, a 19th
century method for determining accuracy which is misunderstood by modern shooters. A comparison of battlefield conditions versus those of a target range when quoting accuracy figures. A computer ballistics program from Sierra Bullets to show downrange performance of the projectile, such as bullet drop, wind drift, time of flight, etc. Discussion of the accuracy and ballistic similarities between the 45-70 "Trapdoor" Springfield and the .451 Whitworth, yet how the 45-70 is considered by many people to be a poor choice for anything much beyond a few hundred yards, whereas these same individuals believe the Whitworth can easily hit a man at a mile distance (1,760 yards).

I also touch upon the Davidson telescope, anecdotes by Confederate
sharpshooters which have helped to perpetuate the myth of the Whitworth
rifle, and other information related to long range shooting from the Civil
War era. And of course, the article is fully footnoted.

For those who have an interest in this subject you may wish to acquire a
copy of the magazine. THE GUN REPORT is not on the internet, but can be
reached at contactus@thegunreport.com or 309-582-5311. I am not trying to sell magazines nor do I make any money off of such sales. But with the charts, tables and photographs that accompany the article it would be best for you to have a hard copy.

John Gross

[Gary/CO]

John,

I enjoyed the article and agree that a lot of the statements asserted by the ex-Confederates must be taken with a grain of salt. Years ago I discussed it with Bill Edwards ("Civil War Guns") who was probably the first to dispute the myth of the mile shot (the so called shot made by George Metcalf on a Confederate General who never existed). He did believe that some hits were made at a mile's distance but as you pointed out, were they at the targeted man or the chap next to him? That type of stuff we'll never know.

Non-snipers point out that the one-shot, one kill ignores that not all shots are meant to kill. For one thing, suppressive fire is layed down to allow a member of the team to move into a position to kill the enemy. Thus, that single, killing shot may be supported by a fusilade designed to make that shot possible. Another thing for those long distance shots is that they have an inherent psychological value of unnerving the enemy. Wyman White did it at a mile's distance against a Confederate working party. He didn't hit them, but he did drive them away.

I love your point about the "romance" of being killed by a sharpshooter. I've said the same in my presentations on the blackpowder sharpshooter. There's a sinister element to have a marksman pick off the gallant officer who is bravely leading his men, only to fall at the point of victory. That element is missing when Elmer Fudd is the shooter.

If you get a chance, pick up The Gettysburg Magazine issue #39. It has my article on the blackpowder sharpshooter. The introduction is perhaps the most important part of that entire 14,000 word article. Editor Andy Turner really did me a favor when he suggested that I write an introduction.

All the best,

Gary

The Civil War story about the one-mile sniper shot has been well researched to it's origin in a FICTIONAL (and humorous) story. Over the years it filtered down as being pseudo factual, but never actually had any basis in reality.

Similar story- The Angels of Mons. Supposedly first-hand accounts from British veterans of the Battle of Mons (Belgium) in the First World War, which related that ghosts of English longbowman arose from the mist and helped fight the Germans. Even supposed accounts of German bodies found on the field with arrows in them. But it all started with an entirely fictional minor short story published by a British author.

[hobbler]

People that shoot at places other than a firing range make memorable shots. A whole country-full of shooters going at it in the 1860's no doubt produced a whole bunch of witnessed shots worthy of legend.
Concerning the 45-70 as an analog to the Whitworth...my brother shoots an 1885 high wall. He swages and paper patches his own. His heavy hunting load with unpleasantly punishing recoil groups two-tens of an inch at one hundred yards. He knows his piece, feeds it what it likes...and is liable to give himself shaken baby syndrome.
My point is only this: don't presume to know what the best of them were seen to do, especially when they had a good day.