THE RIFLE. 547 



quite wet in the mouth, and draw it on as tight as you can without 

 tearing, and stick the edge down with mucilage, using as little gum 

 as possible. Do not attempt to seat the bullets until they are per- 

 fectly dry, then shoot them into a snow bank ; they will penetrate 

 it from three to six feet, according to its density, when they can be 

 readily dug out, and if they do not hit anything harder than snow, 

 they will be found as perfect as when they left the gun. If they 

 are upset so as to show the groove one-half or five-eighths of an 

 inch they are about the right temper ; but if they are upset more 

 they are too soft, and if not as much they are too hard, and more 

 or less tin should be used ; when casting bullets stir the metal 

 often. 



" Then the size of the bullet is another point to be attended to. 

 If it is too large it is apt to bind in the grooves of the gun in in- 

 serting the cartridge, and tear the patch ; and if too small and is 

 loose in the shell, it is liable to slide a little toward the muzzle if 

 the gun is held muzzle downward, and also to be driven forward 

 a little by the blow of the firing-bolt tcpon the cap before the charge 

 is igfiited. All these little things make a difference in the shoot- 

 ing and help to produce unaccountable misses. The same care 

 and nicety should be observed in loading each and every cartridge 

 as would be required in loading the most elaborate muzzle loader." 



Another important requisite to successful shooting, as may be 

 gathered from what has been already said, is that the ball should 

 have sufficient impinging surface to give a severe shock to and stun 

 the game fired at. This requires a large calibre for small game. 



of powder, exploded in the brain and tore off the top of the skull, killing him 

 instantly." They can be carried in the pockets with safety. We would not 

 advise their use in a Winchester rifle. 



Point Blank. — " The point blank is the point at which the line of sight inter- 

 sects the trajectory. Strictly speaking, the line of sight intersects the trajectory 

 at two points ; but in practice the second intersection is only considered. This 

 distance is called the point blank distance. The natural point blank corresponds 

 to the natural line of sight ; all other point blanks are called artificial point 

 blanks. In speaking of the point blank of a piece, the natural line of sight is sup- 

 posed to be horizontal. In the British service the point blank distance is the dis- 

 tance at which the projectile strikes the level ground on which the carriage 

 stands, the axle of the piece being horizontal." 



Thus we see that the natural point blank is at a distance which is constant and 

 fixed for any piece of ordnance, the charge remaining the same, and is a measure 

 of the power of the piece. 



