ROUND THE CAMP FIRE 327 



round rifle yet exists; after that, a choice of weapons 

 rests largely with the sportsman himself. Allowing that 

 a smokeless propellant is in all ways superior to black 

 powder, the rest is a question of a man's build and 

 physique. If he can handle it, the bigger the bore the 

 better for close jungle work. For ponderous game the 

 medium-bore cordite rifle comes in first favourite. For 

 dangerous soft-skinned game, at close ranges, the rifled 

 ball-and-shot gun, not smaller than 12-bore, if used with 

 a really suitable bullet. For long sporting range shooting 

 at harmless game, on hill or plain, the -303, as giving 

 rather better killing power than the smaller bores. In 

 these three we have succeeded in reducing to the mini- 

 mum a long list of weapons. 



Except for use on ponderous game, with the proper 

 bullet, the high-velocity rifle appears perhaps to have 

 almost too high a velocity for sporting purposes. Through- 

 out a considerable experience it has been noted that, 

 although perhaps actually conveying less damage to the 

 animal struck, the slower travelling ordinary express bullet 

 or the bullet of the ball-and-shot gun knocks down an 

 animal of the soft -skinned dangerous type especially 

 should the bullet miss bones and strike tissues or a fleshy 

 portion only whereas the '400 or "450 cordite rifle, unless 

 it strikes a large bone, appears rather to numb its victim 

 with the extraordinary velocity of its projectile, which 

 seems on some occasions to lose immediate knocking- 

 down power in an impact which is so penetrative. 



There seems to be less chance of an animal eventually 

 getting away when hit by a high-velocity rifle; but the 

 slower-travelling bullet rolls a tiger, panther, or bear over, 

 at least temporarily, and enables one to put in more shoot- 

 ing before it can regain its legs. Dynamics appear to bear 

 out our argument. It is the knock-down push or blow that 

 is so useful in that short second of time when a man may 

 be reached by a brute thirsting for his blood; and that this 



