How Accurate Were Guns in the Wild West?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the accuracy of guns used during the Wild West era, exploring various firearms and their effectiveness. Participants touch on historical context, personal anecdotes, and humorous exchanges regarding hunting and wildlife.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that guns are not inherently accurate, but rather the skill of the shooter plays a significant role.
  • There are claims that Colt's Single Action Army pistols and Winchester lever-actions were notably accurate for their time.
  • One participant humorously asserts that guns were more accurate in the past, referencing the ability to hit specific birds from a distance, though this is met with skepticism and jokes about extinction.
  • Several exchanges involve humor about hunting regulations and the consequences of hunting endangered species, with participants sharing personal anecdotes and legal implications.
  • There is a light-hearted debate about the implications of being labeled a "hippy" and personal experiences related to hair length and societal perceptions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion features multiple competing views regarding the accuracy of guns and the role of the shooter. Humor and personal anecdotes create a light-hearted atmosphere, but no consensus is reached on the accuracy of firearms or the validity of claims made.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various firearms and personal experiences, but the discussion lacks rigorous historical or technical analysis. Some claims are made in jest, and the accuracy of statements regarding wildlife and hunting regulations is not verified.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in historical firearms, hunting regulations, or cultural discussions surrounding the Wild West may find this thread engaging.

  • #31
Danger said:
How far south? And when? I was 2 miles north of Ruthven, 5 miles out of Leamington, 35 miles SE of Windsor/Detroit. I was there from '65 to '78, and the hair thing (meaning high-school days) occurred from '70 to '74.

Wellll. I was in Niagara. But I have lived in Windsor before... for a bout a year...

My hair thing was high school days, although it's long again now too.. but I wasn't even born until 82' LOL! So it wasn't -that- big of a deal for me.
 
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  • #32
encorp said:
I wasn't even born until 82' LOL!

Bloody 'ell, lad! I'm wearing socks that are older than you!

edit: And before some smartass chirps up... I washed them last month.
 
  • #33
Danger said:
:confused:

I went for a weekend trip through S.Ontario a few years back.
When I left my hotel to seek a movie, a local said "Movie theatre?? Sure, I think there's one off Windsor way about an hour..."

Anyway, in the course of an hour of dropping in on a half dozen corner variety stores, I saw more racks of latex rubber gloves than I have ever seen in my entire life. Every single store had at least one giant shelf, ten nooks broad and five high, filled with every variety of latex rubber gloves.

Not hardware stores, mind. convenience stores. The kind that are open all night.

My wife and I spent very little time speculating as to why so many Leamingtonians needed late night access to the perfect size, quality and grip of a pair of latex rubber gloves.

We hightailed it back to civilization faster than http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068473/" ...
 
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  • #34
DaveC426913 said:
My wife and I spent very little time speculating as to why so many Leamingtonians needed late night access to the perfect size, quality and grip of a pair of latex rubber gloves.

Okay... Leamington had one convenience store when I left. There was an A&P, an old-folk's home, a funeral parlour, (briefly) the factory where I worked (Speedbelt Canada), and the main plant of Heinz Canada. If you had seen the number of tipped-over wagons of rotten tomatoes being skip-shoveled out of the ditch to be sent back on their way back to the plant, you would never eat ketchup again. :eek:
Believe it or not, I've never seen "Deliverance" and have no interest in doing so.
 
  • #35
Danger said:
How far south? And when? I was 2 miles north of Ruthven, 5 miles out of Leamington, 35 miles SE of Windsor/Detroit. I was there from '65 to '78, and the hair thing (meaning high-school days) occurred from '70 to '74.

Amazing, Leamington is just 6 miles from me.
 
  • #36
wolram said:
Amazing, Leamington is just 6 miles from me.

Small world :smile:.

And apparently, one with a shortage of place names.
 
  • #37
wolram said:
Amazing, Leamington is just 6 miles from me.

Well, what the hell are you waiting for, man? Grab a tomater and meet me at the Devonshire Mall.
 
  • #38
Danger said:
Believe it or not, I've never seen "Deliverance" and have no interest in doing so.
It's actually a very good film. Good like Jaws.

Danger said:
Well, what the hell are you waiting for, man? Grab a tomater and meet me at the Devonshire Mall.
Was that there back then?
I just drove past that last week. (Went to Windsor). I thought Devonshire Mall was recent.
 
  • #39
DaveC426913 said:
It's actually a very good film. Good like Jaws.


Was that there back then?
I just drove past that last week. (Went to Windsor). I thought Devonshire Mall was recent.

Yeah, I thought that Jaws sucked.
I will have you know that the Devonshire was built when I was in first year high-school Grade 9 ('70). I had the singular pleasure of causing chaos in that realm. All of we kids carried rolled up posters that we bought in one of the local shops. So one day I brought my own pre-purchased poster... filled with laundry detergent. I casually tipped its contents into the central fountain and lingered to watch as the centre of the mall filled with foam. :devil:
 
  • #40
Danger said:
Yeah, I thought that Jaws sucked.
Get off my planet.
 
  • #41
DaveC426913 said:
Get off my planet.

Even though you appear to be solar-powered (based upon your hairline), my roots run deep. My planet is not up for grabs without a scrap.
 
  • #42
Guns to hairlines in 41 posts, must be a pf record.
 
  • #43
wolram said:
Guns to hairlines in 41 posts, must be a pf record.

Which way - that long, or that fast?
 
  • #44
wolram said:
Guns to hairlines in 41 posts, must be a pf record.

Of course, hairlines to guns can occur much faster.
 
  • #45
stevenb said:
Of course, hairlines to guns can occur much faster.

YEEEAAAAAAHHHHH!

flowbee.jpg
 
  • #46
Borek said:
Which way - that long, or that fast?

That fast.
 

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