Appendix. 467 



invariably uses an old Government Springfield, a 45-calibre, with 

 an ounce bullet. Another cares for nothing but the 40-90 Sharps', 

 a weapon for which I myself have much partiality. Another 

 uses always the old 45-calibre Sharps', and yet another the~4f- 

 calibre Remington. Two of the best bear and elk hunters I know 

 prefer the 32- and 38-calibre Marlin's, with long cartridges, 

 weapons with which I myself would not undertake to produce 

 any good results. Yet others prefer pieces of very large calibre. 

 The amount of it is that each one of these guns possesses some 

 excellence which the others lack, but which is in most cases 

 atoned for by some corresponding defect. Simplicity of mechan- 

 ism is very important, but so is rapidity of fire ; and it is hard to 

 get both of them developed to the highest degree in the same 

 piece. In the same way, flatness of trajectory, penetration, range, 

 shock, and accuracy are all qualities which must be attained ; but 

 to get one in perfection usually means the sacrifice of some of 

 the rest. For instance, other things being equal, the smallest 

 calibre has the greatest penetration, but gives the least shock ; 

 while a very flat trajectory, if acquired by heavy charges of pow- 

 der, means the sacrifice of accuracy. Similarly, solid and hollow 

 pointed bullets have, respectively, their merits and demerits. 

 There is no use of dogmatizing about weapons. Some which 

 prove excellent for particular countries and kinds of hunting are 

 useless in others. 



There seems to be no doubt, judging from the testimony of 

 sportsmen in South Africa and in India, that very heavy calibre 

 double-barrelled rifles are best for use in the dense jungles and 

 against the thick-hided game of those regions ; but they are of 

 very little value with us. In 1882 one of the buffalo hunters on 

 the Little Missouri obtained from some Englishman a double- 

 barrelled ten-bore rifle of the kind used against rhinoceros, buffalo, 

 and elephant in the Old World ; but it proved very inferior to 

 the 40- and 45-calibre Sharps' buffalo guns when used under the 

 conditions of American buffalo hunting, the tremendous shock 



