Which famous female sharpshooter performed with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show?

Annie Oakley was the famous female sharpshooter who performed with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show.

Born Phoebe Ann Moses in Ohio in 1860, Oakley learned to shoot as a child while hunting game to help support her family. She defeated the professional marksman Frank E. Butler in a shooting match in 1875 and later married him. Butler became her manager and performance partner.

Oakley joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West in 1885 and became one of its leading attractions. Her act included shooting small targets, sometimes while riding, and demonstrating remarkable accuracy with rifles and pistols. The show presented her as “Little Sure Shot,” a nickname associated with her public image.

Oakley’s performances helped shape popular ideas about women and firearms, although the show was entertainment rather than a documentary account of frontier life. She left Buffalo Bill’s troupe in 1901 but continued touring and performing for years afterward.