Snipers

[Josey Whales]

I know they used snipers during the war but what equipment were they using? Did they have access to rifles with rifled barrels? And what caliber were they? How far out were they accurate, rifled versus smooth bore?

 

[Seduzal]

Thanks for this question. If you go to the Blue bar at the top of the page you will see a Search tab. Tap on it enter into what you want to search for. snipers. Hit the search and you will a number of answers for your questions.

 

[captaindrew]

Actually I would search sharpshooters. I'm away from home and only have my phone or I would post some links. By the middle of the war most soldiers on both sides were armed with rifles muskets.

 

[UCVRelics]

We have had many Great threads on this topic and as @Seduzal stated using the search feature at the top of the page will help you a find them. In the mean time here is a thread with a great video on the subject.
https://civilwartalk.com/threads/sharpshooter-weapons-vol-iv-episode-6.157765/#post-2049428

 

[redbob]

Keep in mind that the term "sniper" didn't come into use until well after the Civil War and if you see references to scouts, skirmishers and especially sharpshooters, these terms were often interchangeable. Also, Confederates seemed to prefer the P56 Enfield (the two band or Sergeant's model) for their skirmishers due to it's shorter length without the loss of accuracy.