50/70 bullets

[Don McDowell]

I don't think even the big time creedmoor shooters of the day fired as many rounds as the typical rifle looney does these days. The economy during the post civil war years was just the pits, with one continued recession/depression right after another. The money to shoot the number of rounds we do today just wasn't there. Sharps failed because they couldn't sell enough rifles to stay in business, and that in affect happened before the buffalo hunt was over (1875 the first time). Remington would of been the same route had they not of had those European contracts on the rollers. Winchester was able to dable back and forth with the civilian and military markets, plus they had their own ammunition plant.
Homer Fishers' catalog from 1880 still carried a wide variety of muzzleloaders.
We have it plumb easy compared to what those old dead guys went thru. Times were tough.