i82 BIG GAME SHOOTING 



CHAPTER XI 



INDIAN SHOOTING 

 By Lieut. -Col. Reginald Heber Percy 



I. INTRODUCTORY. 



In dealing with such a vast tract of country as India it is out 

 of the question to describe any one class of outfit which will 

 suit the traveller equally well among the snowy peaks and 

 bitter winds of the Himalayas and Ladak and in the furnace- 

 like heat of the plains. Snow is the great obstacle to travel in 

 the former, whilst heat, rain, and malaria are the evils to be 

 contended with in the latter. Nor is one class of weapon 

 equally suitable everywhere. For all soft-skinned animals, such 

 as tigers, and all varieties of sheep, goats, and deer (except 

 sambur) there is no rifle, in the writer's opinion, that is so 

 satisfactory as a '500 Express with a charge of at least 5 J drachms 

 of powder. This weapon is sufficiently powerful for any beast 

 to be met with in the Himalayas. Of course, yak may be 

 found, but the chance is so remote that it is barely worth while 

 taking a special rifle for their benefit, and a few cartridges with 

 solid bullets for the '500 will probably meet all requirements. 

 On the other hand, for thick-skinned animals, such as elephants, 

 rhinoceros, gaur, buffalo, and sambur, the smallest bore of 

 any practical use is a 12 -bore, and the powder charge for this 

 should be at least 6 drachms. The light bullet of an Express is 

 so easily turned by a small twig that it is absolutely untrust- 

 worthy among heavy timber, and it is for this reason that the 

 writer includes sambur with the larger animals. For the big 



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