Accidents to Sportsmen. 83 



killed rhinos, hippos, and lions quite easily with the 

 same rifle, using, for them, a 36ogrs. expanding bullet with 

 a small hollow in the point. Mr F. Vaughan-Kirby has 

 also used these '461 Metford rifles and speaks very highly 

 of them in his " In Haunts of Wild Game," and in other 

 volumes. There is no doubt that they were most excellent 

 killing weapons, and much ahead of the ordinary black 

 powder Express rifles of -450 and -500 bore that were used 

 about the same period. The '450 Express fired a very 

 light bullet of 2yogrs. with an abnormally large hollow in 

 the point which extended to within a quarter of an inch of 

 the base. Driven by 4drs. to 5drs. of powder, this bullet 

 used often to fly into small splinters on striking the skin of 

 a big antelope, or it would penetrate for an inch or two and 

 then hit a bone and fly to bits. 



A good many Indian sportsmen were killed by tigers 

 when using these inferior weapons, and if they had been 

 armed with a '461 of the type mentioned they would likely 

 not have suffered. Mr. Selous quickly found out that a 

 small bore (all rifles under -577 were then called small 

 bores), used with a bullet either completely solid or with a 

 good solid base behind the hollow in the point, was a 

 thoroughly reliable weapon ; so, when the "303 sporting 

 rifle came into vogue, he soon got one and used it in 

 Mashonaland and Matabeleland, and also on American 

 game, with good results. He then tried a '256 Mannlicher, 

 but doubtless found, as others and I have done, that it is 

 rather too small in the bore for a good sporting rifle. 



Then he got a '375 cordite rifle and has done good work 

 with it, and I read in the Field that when recently in 

 British East Africa he used a -275 and a "425 magazine 

 rifle. During his many hunting experiences he has had 

 several very narrow escapes from lions, elephants, and 

 buffaloes. He was once knocked off his horse by a cow 

 elephant and stunned by the shock. 



When he came to his senses he mentions that he became 

 aware of a strong smell of elephant. After a hard 

 .struggle he managed to release himself, and got away. 



G 2 



