Don't forget Sherlock Holmes was shot at with an air rifle.

To quote Wikipedia:

"In "The Empty House", Holmes states that Moriarty had commissioned a powerful air gun from a blind German mechanic (Mr. von Herder), which was used by his employee Colonel Sebastian Moran. It closely resembled a cane, allowing for easy concealment, was capable of firing revolver bullets at long range, and made very little noise when fired, making it ideal for sniping."

The Empty House was written about 1904.