APPENDIX. 279 



buffalo guns when used under the conditions 

 of \merican buffalo hunting, the tremendous 

 shock given by the bullet not compensating 

 for the gun's great relative deficiency in range 

 and accuracy, while even the penetration was 

 inferior at ordinary distances. It is largely 

 also a matter of individual taste. At one time 

 I possessed a very expensive double-barrelled 

 500 Express, by one of the crack English 

 makers ; but I never liked the gun, and could 

 not do as well with it as with my repeater, 

 which cost barely a sixth as much. So one 

 day I handed it to a Scotch friend, who was 

 manifestly ill at ease with a Winchester exactly 

 like my own. He took to the double-barrel 

 as naturally as I did to the repeater, and did 

 excellent work with it. Personally, I have al- 

 ways preferred the Winchester. I now use a 

 45-90, with my old buffalo gun, a 40-90 

 Sharps' as spare rifle. Both, of course, have 

 specially tested barrels, and are stocked and 

 sighted to suit myself. 



