BULLET AND SHOT 



spherical bullets of large bore hardened by the 

 admixture of one-tenth or one-eighth of quick- 

 silver (tin also will harden the lead, but it reduces 

 the weight of the bullet) are the proper pro- 

 jectiles for use upon all animals of the ponderous 

 type. But then comes in the powerful '577 

 express, which, if made to burn 6^ drams of 

 powder, will propel a large bullet containing but 

 a small hollow stopped with a wooden plug, or 

 a solid projectile, with great effect in use upon 

 animals of the genus Bos. 



Personally, I prefer the "577 where bison are met 

 with in fairly open country, and a regular bone- 

 crusher such as an 8- or 4-bore where the same 

 animals are encountered at close quarters in very 

 thick forest. 



For use upon the Indian elephant I found the 

 4-bore with spherical bullets most effective. As 

 the Indian sportsman fires, at very close quarters, 

 only at the brain of an elephant, a 4-bore bullet 

 possesses ample penetration, while the weight of 

 the projectile, and the large surface simultaneously 

 struck by it, convey such a shock as rarely fails 

 to floor an elephant, even though the brain be 

 missed. This is, in my opinion, the one and only 

 instance in which the 4-bore with spherical bullets 

 possesses any advantage over the 8-bore Paradox 

 gun, the latter being much lighter and handier, and 

 possessing superior penetration as well as much 

 greater accuracy than the former. In fact, for use 

 upon rhinoceros and the African elephant (which 

 is shot behind the shoulder) the 8-bore Paradox 



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