What did Wild Bill shoot?

[Fly]

We all know Wild Bill carried two .36 navy Colts.He served the north as a scout & other duty's.
We also know the military issued conical bullets instead of ball, if I,m correct.I wonder if
Wild Bill shot bullets are balls.

I can't find any info on this.This man I can't read enough about.He was truly a colorfull gun fighter.

Fly:coffeecom

[Hanshi]

Very interesting question, FLy. I always simply assumed he shot ball but maybe that's incorrect. Conicals certainly would have hit harder even at the expense of velocity. He carried derringers, as well. Surely this information is out there somewhere.

[Mike Brooks]

He used at least one converted navy at the time of his death in 38LC. before that I ASSUME .36 navy using RB. I've spent some time with .36 navies and RB at 75 yards and they shoot extremely well.

[uscra112]

Buffalo, indians, antelope, elk, the occasional bad-guy . . . . . .[smilie=1:

[fouronesix]

From what I've read about Hickok, by the more reputable sources, he was a very good shot, kept a cool head under pressure, was a very fast draw but was not a dedicated target shooter as we would think of one today. He would occasionally shoot demo stuff so as to convince bad guys and wannabe "young guns" to think twice before pushing him. Every account I've read of him shooting his M51 Colts refers to "ball"-- but that may or may not mean anything since it was common language at that time to refer to the projectile from this type gun as a "ball". In one duel type shoot out, he shot and killed his adversary at 75 yards with a single "ball" from one of his M51 Colts. In most other accounts of such shoot outs, I think the ranges were much shorter. It's also interesting to note he carried his M51 Colts fairly high and in "cross draw" config., but by most accounts he usually didn't cross draw.... he simply turned his hands inward, grabbed the revolvers, turned and cocked them during the draw then fired. As to the original question- I would guess and it's purely a guess, he loaded with round balls. But as with much of this type history- who knows for certain.

[labradigger1]

Buffalo's, lots and lots of buffalo's

[drhall762]

From what I have read, the ball was prefered over the military issue conical bullet. Based upon that alone, I would believe he shot balls.

[bob208]

he also used a trapdoor in .50-70.

as stated all projectiles back then were called ball.

ry to track down if he usd lose ball and powder or ready made catrages. lose woud have been rb and readymade would have been bullets. but then the coults were shipped with a mold that made both. and so around we go.

one thing i do know trying to cast with that brass mold you need leather hands.

[Hellgate]

Another little mentioned duty of the town marshall was to shoot stray dogs which were an impediment to commerce by spooking horses causing tangles of freight teams, buckings off, etc.

[Hanshi]

Even today the military refers to all small arms ammo as "ball". Hickok had the perfect combination of ice water in his veins instead of blood and a natural talent for shooting. A deadly combo.

[BruceB]

Actually, the military term "ball" refers to garden-variety non-specialized ammunition. Tracer, armor-piercing, incendiary, explosive..... and BALL, using a lead or steel core under a jacket of some description. Nothing fancy, nothing specialized in its function... just plain ordinary jacketed ammo.

It is well illustrated in the markings on cans of belted machine-gun ammunition ...... "1 tracer, 4 ball".

[Good Cheer]

I'll bet he shot lead. And how much bigger it was in length versus its diameter is like arguing over why The Beatles put what they did in their lyrics and on their album covers. He did what worked for him.

[OverMax]

I really don't think at the time it made much difference to those fellows. Concerning ball or conical. They were the Best at what they did. Otherwise if they weren't. Like so many others who lived during that time there would be no historical record of their existence either.

O/M

[Good Cheer]

Yeah, no kiddin'! They got in the history books because they kept breathing.

[bob208]

i know for sure he shot real black powder.

[725]

Somewhere in my foggy past I seem to remember a quote attributed to WBH on the subject of gunfighting:
"Fast is fine.
Slow is fatal.
You have to learn to be slow in a hurry."
As odd as it is, it made sense to me.

[Fly]

Somewhere in my foggy past I seem to remember a quote attributed to WBH on the subject of gunfighting:
"Fast is fine.
Slow is fatal.
You have to learn to be slow in a hurry."
As odd as it is, it made sense to me.

Ya I have read quite a bit on him.There was gun fighters faster, but he was accrate.
He was very calm, & I can see why that would play into being good & not just fast.
No one ever hit him during a gun fight.

He was truly one bad fellow to go up against.
Fly

[pietro]

.

FWIW, it's been documented that Hickock first became proficient with his Civil War Navy (.36 Colt 1851) revolvers, then in 1869 began carrying the two blued & engraved .36 Colt 1851's presented to him by Sen. Henry Wilson (MA) for serving as his scout on a hunting trip. (This pair was worn/used so much that the worn bluing looked like they were plated guns)

In 1875, though, Hickock replaced that pair for carry with a pair of Mason-Richards converted .38 Colt 1851 RF or CF revolvers.

At the time of his death, Hickock owned numerous guns, including a .44 Model 1860 Colt Richard's Type 1 conversion revolver and a pair of .44 S&W American revolvers presented to him by Buffalo Bill Cody & Texas Jack in March 1874.



.

[Hellgate]

Fly mentioned: "No one ever hit him during a gun fight." He came close.
WBH had more than roughed up a soldier while arresting him. Later 3 or 4 other soldiers jumped him in a bar and during the wrestle/melee one of them put a revolver to his ear and touched it off. A lucky misfire which gave WB enough time to get his own gun out and shoot his opponent at virtually contact distance. Whatever happened allowed him to escape with his life. I think his job as town lawman was terminated after that incident but don't quote me on this.

[Fly]

I think you are right on on that, for I remember reading that.WB was 6'3 to 6'4, a very tall man during that time.
Not a man very many men wanted to take on, one on one.

Fly

[Hanshi]

Actually, the military term "ball" refers to garden-variety non-specialized ammunition. Tracer, armor-piercing, incendiary, explosive..... and BALL, using a lead or steel core under a jacket of some description. Nothing fancy, nothing specialized in its function... just plain ordinary jacketed ammo.

It is well illustrated in the markings on cans of belted machine-gun ammunition ...... "1 tracer, 4 ball".



I'm familiar with the various designations since I was in the army over 45 years ago. I just find it interesting the term "ball" has hung on.

[Hanshi]

Somewhere in my foggy past I seem to remember a quote attributed to WBH on the subject of gunfighting:
"Fast is fine.
Slow is fatal.
You have to learn to be slow in a hurry."
As odd as it is, it made sense to me.



I have Bill Jordan's book, "No Second Place Winner". In the book he speaks of a rookie asking him which was more important: being as fast a possible (speed) or taking time to be as accurate as possible. Bill answered him by saying, "take your time real fast".

[Battis]

I got pretty close to Hickok's guns last summer at the Buffalo Bill museum in Cody, WY.
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m217/pohill/DSCF4043.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/pohill/media/DSCF4043.jpg.html)

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m217/pohill/DSCF4069.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/pohill/media/DSCF4069.jpg.html)
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m217/pohill/DSCF4044.jpg (http://s105.photobucket.com/user/pohill/media/DSCF4044.jpg.html)

[Fly]

Wow,but I guess they had none of his bullets, right?

Fly

[Battis]

Joseph Rosa wrote several books on Hickok.
Here's one example:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wild-bill-hickok-joseph-g-rosa/1000650394
From what I've read (or remember reading), Hickok fired roundballs.

[Fly]

Thanks Battis, I just ordered that book.
Fly