HINTS ON EQUIPMENT, ETC. 



361 



poor man about 12- bore rifles: that, as they have 

 gone rather out of fashion, excellent weapons of this 

 class can be picked up for a third of the price of a 

 577 Express. Having a -577 or i2-bore rifle, only 

 one smaller weapon, which may very well be single- 

 barrelled, is necessary. Almost any bore from '303 to 

 360 will do for small deer, if held straight, and the 

 above-named bores will also be found useful for big 

 birds, such as peafowl, pavo, and bustard. 



I will now tabulate the batteries I recommend. 



I. FOR EUROPE, MEDITERRANEAN 

 COASTS, AND AMERICA. 



i. Ideal Battery. 

 One '577 double Express rifle. 

 One '360 double Express rifle. 

 One iz-bore double gun. 

 One 28-bore double gun. 



2. Economic Battery. 

 One single "500 Express rifle. 

 One double 1 2-bore gun. 



II. FOR THE TROPICS. 



i. Ideal Battery. 

 One 8-bore double rifle. 

 One '577 double Express rifle. 

 One '360 double Express rifle. 

 One 1 2-bore double gun. 

 One 28-bore double gun. 



2. Economic Battery. 

 One 1 2-bore double rifle. 

 One '450 single Express rifle. 

 One 1 2 -bore gun. 



This last was practically my own battery, except 

 that I had a pair of 1 2-bore rifles. One of Lancaster's 

 " Colindian " guns, which are made to shoot a conical 

 bullet from either barrel as well as they do shot, might 

 take the place of one of these and of the gun, and 

 would still keep the battery down to the number of 

 three weapons, as given above. 



In Chapter IV. I have already spoken of the 

 difficulty of keeping clean the grooves of small-bore 

 rifles and the extent to which their shooting is affected 

 by " leading up." These remarks apply, though of 



