Yes their rifles had very long barrels like Hudson Bay Rifles. As far as Twitchy animals, The plains game are the same as any wild animal goes. where they are hunted frequently they are extremly hard to get close to and can be as challengeing as any North American big game. I am going over again in 2012 with a flintlock just for the challenge of getting up close enough to take some with a flintlock. Anyone interested in going over, I have conections with great rates.