The Sharps is a breech loader, but it is still a black powder rifle. During the 1874 Creedmore Match, the US and Irish marksmen were regularly hitting the bullseye at 1,000 yards (the furthest target available at the match), with one American scoring thirty-six bullseyes and nine centers with his forty-five shots for an amazing 171 out of 180 points possible.
I understand that, but what I was getting at is I thought that a cartridge allowed the black powder to be packed tighter, thereby allowing less room for the gases to expand before pushing the sabot down the barrel and achieving a higher muzzle velocity, and consequently a longer range, which seems to be evidenced by the accuracy of the Sharps.
Was I wrong in thinking this?