"The reason people normally ordered the straight stock and crescent butt in the 1800's was because it was the standard and they couldn't afford a pricy shotgun butt with a pistol grip."

True but it may have been more of a pragmatic approach at least with the Hide hunters since the sharps was a "Tool" and not a toy.

"If you don't object to a .416 Rigby or a .458 Lott, most of the Sharps rifles are pretty mild by comparison. If you're able to tolerate 20 rounds per day from the .416 or .458 or .470 then go ahead and get any Sharps in any calibre you like. Remember most Sharps shooters DO NOT shoot an elephant blaster. Their "heavy" rifle is usually the Sharps."

Personaly I don't object to the 458 winchester magmun or the 50cal barrett or a 45/70 gatling gun not much on the recoil but lots of fun

. I have not fired a 416 or a 458 lott so I don't know how they compair.

You are correct thet most Sharps shooters don't fire the elephant blasters in fact most sharps shooters use Black Powder only. Personaly I'm a nitro burner only and a big fan of big bore nitro rifles and big bore magnum pistols.