RIFLES, ETC. 45 



Wanderings in Africa," how much his nerves were shaken with these heavy, hard- 

 kicking weapons, for the powder was simply thrown in by hand, and in one case his 

 native gun-carrier loaded a gun twice, as the cap had only snapped the first time. 



On trying the gun a second time it went off, and Selous mentions " that he 

 went off too." Later on Selous took to the '461 Gibbs-Metford, and did good 

 work with it, using a cartridge loaded with 100 grains powder and 360 grains bullet for 

 all buck, lion, leopard, &c. This bullet had only a small hollow, not more than a 

 third of the length, which is the reason it was so eflficient. 



For elephant, rhino, buffalo, and hippo he used a cartridge loaded with 90 grains 

 powder and a bullet weighing 570 grains. Lately he has taken to the -303 and '256 

 Mannlicher, and has written a considerable amount in praise of these small weapons. 

 F. Vaughan Kirby is still a believer in the •461 Gibbs-Metford and heavier bores for 

 the largest animals. Neumann, a sportsman of great experience and who wrote a book 

 called " Elephant Hunting in East Equatorial Africa," used a -577 and -461 until he 

 tried the new -303. He mentions how efficient he found this weapon against 

 elephant and rhino, and says that he would never go back to the old black powder rifles 

 with their smoke, noise, and fouling. It is a noticeable fact that most of the men who 

 have had the greatest experience have been the first to appreciate the benefits of the 

 modern rifles. The people who are the most averse to them are men who have shot 

 their game with the old black powder weapons, and, without having properly tested the 

 powers of the new weapons, at once condemn them. The advantages of the new 

 rifles are as follows : 



1. Flatter trajectory (due to greater velocity). 



2. Absence of smoke and noise. 



3. Slight recoil. 



4. Lightness of rifle and ammunition. 



5. Greater accuracy (especially at unknown ranges). 



A great deal of the success to be found in the use of these weapons depends 

 almost solely on the use of a proper form of bullet. If one uses an expanding bullet 

 on an elephant's head, one naturally would not expect to kill it, or a solid bullet 

 placed in a buck would likely lead to it getting away. There will always be a great 

 difference of opinion amongst sportsmen as to the best bore and the best type of 

 weapon. Even when the bore has been decided on, there is some difficulty in 

 choosing, for rifles can be made double, in magazine form, or as single loaders. Most 

 men who carry a rifle throughout a hard day's shooting prefer magazine or single 

 loaders in preference to doubles, for the former are much lighter to carry and, unless 



