REPEATING RIFLES V. DOUBLE-BARRELLED 



purporting to be a -500 Express, burning 110 gr. of powder 

 and firing a 300 gr. bullet, and had found this weapon, 

 though less powerful, of course, than an ordinary double- 

 barrelled '500 Express rifle, very satisfactory when used 

 against both leopard and tiger, though whether it would 

 have stopped either of these animals charging I cannot say, 

 as I never had an opportunity of trying it under such 

 conditions. At the same time, and to quote no less an 

 authority than the late Sir Samuel Baker, so very much 

 naturally depends on the placing of a shot that, supposing 

 the animal to be hit through the head, heart, lungs, neck, 

 or other vital part of the body, it would probably not 

 make very much difference whether the weapon used was 

 a *500 Express, a Winchester, or L.M. With the last there 

 might possibly be some doubt, owing to the enormous 

 velocity and the small size of the bullet, which, travelling 

 too quickly through the body, might possibly avoid a bone, 

 and thus prevent the impact necessary for the expansion, 

 and so fail to cause a sufficiently serious wound to stop the 

 animal immediately. Thus, it is all the more necessary 

 that the rifle used against dangerous game should not only 

 possess sufficient smashing qualities, but have a repeating 

 action which can be easily and rapidly manipulated in any 

 position in which a sportsman may happen to be placed. 

 There is doubtless a prejudice, particularly amongst Indian 

 sportsmen, against repeating or magazine rifles as a sporting 

 weapon, chiefly arising from the fact that the second shot 

 cannot be delivered as quickly with it as with a double - 

 barrel. That the latter is far ahead of any magazine rifle 

 in this respect cannot for a moment be doubted ; but 

 suppose the two barrels, either by reason of bad shooting 

 or from any other cause, fail to stop the animal, and the 

 second gun be not immediately available ? This is often 

 the case, more particularly if shooting on foot, when it 

 must necessarily be entrusted to an attendant, probably a 

 native, who may or may not be possessed of sufficient 

 coolness to await the charge of a wounded animal, or the 

 presence of mind to leave the weapon behind him, should 

 he be of opinion that absence of body would be more in 

 keeping with the situation, and make a bolt of it, leaving 

 his unfortunate employer to do the best he can. Now, 



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