394 



BIG GAME SHOOTING 



CHAPTER XIV 



A FEW NOTES ON RIFLES AND AMMUNITION 

 By H. W. H. 



Express Rifles. — These are usually made of five different 

 calibres — viz. -360, -400, -450, -500, and -577— and are called 

 ' Expresses ' on account of the high velocity imparted to com- 

 paratively light bullets by the heavy charges of powder used 

 in these rifles. Many sportsmen are under the impression 

 that all Expresses of the same bore are practically the same — 

 at any rate, as far as their power, velocity, «S:c., are concerned 

 — and look upon, say, a -500 Express as a fixed quantity. No 

 greater mistake could be made. Take two -500 bores, appa- 

 rently alike, and the one may be a powerful and effective rifle, 

 and the other quite uncertain, at any rate against the larger 

 kinds of even soft-skinned animals. The reason of this is that 

 the first is rifled and sighted for, and constructed to carry, a 

 fairly long bullet weighing about 440 grains, and having a com- 

 paratively short hole in front (see figs. 3 and 4), while the 

 latter fires the ordinary short bullet, which has a relatively 

 larger hole in front, light walls and a thin base (see fig. i), 

 the result being that when it is fired at, say, the shoulder of a^ 

 powerful tiger or bear, the whole of the bullet will j^robably 

 break up into small pieces, causing a big flesh wound, but no 

 part of the bullet has sufficient weight and momentum to 

 penetrate through the bones or powerful muscles of the animal 

 so as to reach any vital part. Unfortunately, the higher the 

 velocity of the projectile, the more the bullet breaks up ; con- 



