MY SOMALI BOOK 293 



But it is absolutely certain that the angle at which 

 the bullet strikes will be a variable one, and the course 

 which it may take after impact will be as absolutel}^ 

 uncertain. Verb sap. The '280 is a wonderful 

 weapon, but it should be a military, not a sporting 

 rifle. If used for sport, it should be with a blunt- 

 nosed bullet. 



In Class III. we find a vevy considerable increase 

 of power. The -400 possesses a decidedly higher 

 degree of energy than the -577 Express, and the bore 

 is sufficiently large to give us ground for expecting 

 that with a good expanding bullet its shock-effect and 

 stopping power would be adequate for our purpose. 

 Experience proves this expectation to be justified. 

 The soft-nosed bullet in the smaller bores has often 

 somewhat excessive penetration, but there is ample 

 evidence that with the greater striking surface of the 

 •400 it does not usually err in this direction, and is 

 extremely effective. The capped bullet should be 

 equally so ; it certainly should be superior to the 

 soft nose in expansion ; it has been suggested that it 

 may fail in penetration, but seeing that the cap is, 

 in this and larger bores, of nickel, I think it very 

 unlikely. I regret that I did not use my '400 more 

 in Somaliland and test this point. But Mr. H. A. 

 Bryden in the new edition of the E7icyclopcedia of 

 Sport gives the nickel cap bullet credit for great all- 

 round qualities including penetrative power. 



The soft nose bullet has been known to fail by 

 breaking up too soon on bone. Sir Alfred Pease, in a 

 letter to The Field,^ expresses the opinion that when 



* The Field, May 13, 1911. 



