Sharpshooting North & South: The Genesis Of Sniping

There has always been quite a difference in shooting between the North and South of the United States. The Northern army actually used a type of rifle-musket for the majority of the Civil War as it proved to be very effective while on the other hand, the South used a type of rifle which had a longer range.

Key Takeaways:

• As witnessed in the Crimea (August 2016, p. 56), having a rifle capable of accurate shooting in excess of 500 yds. was of little use if the men using them had not been properly trained.
• Berdan’s men routinely shot at ranges of 500 yds. and beyond, and, given good conditions, 1,000-yd. shooting was not uncommon.
• The belief that the Southern states were unable to field sharpshooters of the same standard as the Federal army is an erroneous one, although shortages of rifles and training initially hindered their development.

“As witnessed in the Crimea (August 2016, p. 56), having a rifle capable of accurate shooting in excess of 500 yds. was of little use if the men using them had not been properly trained, and the tactics on the Civil War battlefields remained unchanged from those of Napoleon.”

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