RIFLES, ETC. 



47 



This bullet is ample for all the buck and for lion, leopard, wart-hog, &c. 



The solid is used for elephant, rhino, hippo, and for raking shots at buffalo 

 and eland. 



The best shot for an elephant is the head one, and if the animal is broadside on, 

 a few inches forward of the earhole in a line with the eye, low if anything. If the 

 bullet strikes here it will reach the brain. (See Chap. V.) 



Before passing on, let us compare the relative advantages of small and large 

 bore cordite rifles : 



For Small Bores. 

 (Meaning •256's, ■275's, and ■303's.) 



1. Reduced recoil. 



2. General handiness. 



3. Lightness of cartridges. 



4. Greater nicety of shooting and clean killing. 



5. Cheapness of rifle and ammunition. 



For Large Bores. 

 (Meaning from ■400's to •6oo's.) 



1. Greater striking power. 



2. Increased blood spoor. 



3. Greater margin for indifferent shot. 



It will be plainly seen from the above that the balance is much in favour of the 

 small bores. As mentioned before, care must be taken to use a proper form of bullet, 

 as the killing power of the rifle so much depends on this. 



For the •256 Mannlicher and '275 Mauser the best form of expanding bullet is 

 one with lead just exposed at the point with a small drilled hole in the nose. 



The lead ought not to project, but be cut flush off. If there is a projection of 

 lead and it becomes dented, as often happens in carriage, they will sometimes jam 

 in the breech shoulder of a magazine form of rifle, though this would not be 

 applicable to a double-barrel or single loader where the cartridges are inserted by 

 hand into the chamber, but even in these would be more difficult to put in and 

 might also affect the shooting. For elephant, rhino, and hippo the solid bullet 

 is the best, and the authors have found little difficulty in killing ponderous game with 

 the '256 and '303 bores using these projectiles. 



A plate is given showing sketches of the bullets before and after use, and also 

 two native-made iron bullets cut from elephant. A sketch of a "577 bullet is also 

 given as a comparison with the "303 and "256 bullets. 



Very much depends on the man behind the rifle, his faith in the rifle he uses, 

 his nerve, the spot the projectile hits, the angle the animal is turned at, and the state 

 of the heart or other vital organs when they are hit. 



We think people are often too much inchned to praise or condemn a rifle on 

 a few single instances, whereas no two animals or bullets behave in exactly the same 

 way. To quote two instances : we have dropped a charging elephant on his knees 



