compiled from samples of powders given to us by 

 the manufacturers, and are changed or apj<: 

 by them for each issue of our Hand Book. \\ e, 

 however, do not hold ourselves responsible for any 

 changes in the powder that may be made after the 

 tables are printed. 



All of the various powders on the market have 

 friends, and all have their own particular merit. 

 It is not for us to advise one as superior to anoth- 

 er. The different manufacturers of powder, have- 

 by a long series of experiments, demonstrated to 

 their own satisfaction the proper loads ol their 

 various powders for the different gauges, so we 

 would advise following the instructions that usual- 

 ly accompany each canister of powder. 



Many have an idea that to get strong shooting, 

 they must use a larger wad than the regular sizes 

 that they are loading, and that they must ram the 

 powder and shot as snugly as possible; we believe 

 this is wrong and we would not advise using wads 

 larger than the regular gauge that is being loaded, 

 and in no case should a shell be enlarged beyond 

 its normal size, by using large wads or by excess- 

 ive ramming. Good elastic wads of the regul ir 

 gauges are far better as a gas check, than hard 

 wads that are one size larger; elastic wads expand 

 in the gun at the time of discharge, thus prevent- 

 ing any loss of pressure by gas escapement, and 

 they are not so apt to expand the shell when being 

 loaded, unless they are rammed too hard, which 

 would cause trouble at the time of inserting the 

 cartridge in the chamber of the gun. We re 

 requests occasionally to make the loading cham- 

 ber a tight fit, to prevent the shell from swelling 

 when large wads are used. To such, we would 

 state that as soon as a large cartridge is expelled 

 from a tight loading chamber, it immediately ex- 

 pands and causes trouble as above. If the shells 

 are not expanded in loading, there will be no 

 trouble. 



There are almost as many ideas about wad- 

 ding as there are shooters. Our experience would 

 say that there is no necessity for wads to occupy 

 more than ft to % of an inch of space in the shell 

 The quantity of wadding that may be required 



