The Old West's Greatest Sniper

Billy Dixon (1850–1913) was one of the most remarkable figures of the American frontier—a buffalo hunter, scout, and frontier survivor whose name became etched in Western lore through acts of endurance and deadly marksmanship.

Dixon was born on September 25, 1850, in Ohio County, West Virginia, to poor farmers of modest means. Orphaned at a young age, he grew up in poverty in Missouri, where he learned to hunt and live off the land. By the time he was a teenager, the call of the frontier drew him westward. He hired on as a teamster, ox driver, and occasional woodcutter, gradually moving into buffalo hunting—a trade that would define his early adult years.

The 1870s saw Dixon among the ranks of professional buffalo hunters, men who supplied hides and meat to booming markets and U.S. military posts across the plains. These hunts were dangerous work, not only for the rugged conditions but because they brought hunters into direct conflict with Native tribes who relied on the bison for survival. Dixon quickly gained a reputation as a steady, skilled shot and a man who could be relied upon when danger came.

His fame was cemented in two major frontier clashes. The first was the Battle of Adobe Walls in June 1874, during the Red River War. Dixon and around two dozen buffalo hunters were attacked by a large force of Comanche, Kiowa, and Cheyenne warriors. Outnumbered by nearly forty to one, the hunters held their ground inside the old trading post. During the siege, Dixon fired a shot later called the “Shot of the Century”—a near-mythical long-range rifle hit that dropped a Native rider at an estimated distance of over 1,500 yards. Though Dixon himself dismissed it as a lucky shot, the event became part of Western legend, symbolizing both his skill and the ruthless realities of the Plains Wars.

Just months later, Dixon found himself at the Battle of Buffalo Wallow in September 1874. While scouting with a small party, he and several companions were surrounded by Comanche and Kiowa warriors. Wounded in the fight, Dixon helped drag his fellow soldiers and scouts into a buffalo wallow—an animal-dug depression in the earth—where they held off repeated attacks. Dixon’s coolness and marksmanship allowed the party to survive until rescue arrived. For his actions, Dixon, along with several others, was later awarded the Medal of Honor, one of the few civilian scouts ever to receive the decoration.

After the Red River War, Dixon gradually left the buffalo trade as the herds vanished. He worked as a scout for the U.S. Army, guiding troops through the Panhandle and Indian Territory. Eventually, he turned to ranching and settled down, marrying Olive King in 1883. Together they raised a family and built a quieter life in Adobe Walls, Texas, and later in Oklahoma. Though often in ill health due to old wounds and the hardships of his frontier years, Dixon lived into the early 20th century, passing away in 1913 at the age of 62.

Billy Dixon embodied both the grit and controversy of the frontier era—praised for bravery and survival, but also remembered as part of the destructive tide that swept away the buffalo and Native lifeways. His life story remains a vivid thread in the larger tapestry of the Old West.

To learn the full story of Dixon’s miraculous shot at The Second Battle Of Adobe Walls, check out the HOKC episode linked below!