I've heard all the "Western Classic" comments but I would call it a Seventies Classic view of the old west. Unlike some real Western classics like "The Searchers", "Rio Bravo", "Open Range" and others, this film left me with a bad taste in my mouth both because of characters and the so called realism. It seems like every character in this movie had either a major flaw that made them unbelievable in their role. A kid with a widow mom that regularly races the wagon and team? How long is that going to go on before he's got a wreaked wagon, a dead horse, and financial ruin? Taking off for Colorodo without even a slicker or a bedroll? A trail boss that lets his men get close to a shootout between themselves and lets a green kid take the night watch alone after just losing four men to rustlers? The settlers the men died for don't even have the decency to bury them and then the final straw was the kid throwing his gun away after the burial. Good Grief!!! He's out between home and Colorado, been thru several gun fights and he decides to throw his gun away and head home(?)!!! This is just going too far to make a peace statement for the end of a bloody movie. The wranglers have lost nearly all their guns, five men and horses, and $200; he could at least round up the horses, guns and money and take them back to the drivers.<br /><br />I could go on and on, but basically, everyone the drivers run into needs to be shot and some of the the drivers could use a good flesh wound themselves. Just because the cowboys are dirty and dusty instead of clean and in fancy shirts, doesn't make it realistic. I really felt lead on after sitting thru this movie.