The cartridge was produced and it is my understanding it was popular with wealthy tourists who wanted to shoot buffalo and used to a less extent by hide hunters. The rifles were usually out of the price range of the average hunter plus there were few buffalo left by the time of these large calibers. While many gun manufacturing companies catered to the wealthy to stay in business, Remington was building rolling blocks for military export. Colt produced 2 lines of rifles during those years. The Lightning Pump rifle in small, medium and large frame with the largest caliber being a 50-200 - and the Burgess lever action in more modest calibers. Marlin built a 1895 lever action of various calibers with the 40-82 being popular with mining companies as they could beat Winchester on price. As to what cartridges were available during those times, I think the question remains open. I have seen a rare Colt's Lightning in the 50-200 that was purchased by a hunter in Africa and it was clearly stamped (50-200 Bronze) and the owner had the box of shells that came with the rifle and the bullets were bronze and only one had been fired. Leads one to speculate on how successful many of these calibers were.