LOADING AND MANAGEMENT OF RIFLES. 371 



a swift send-off. But fine powder being quicker than 

 coarse is more liable to jam or " upset" a ball, unless 

 used upon this compensating principle. 



At short range, especially with round or short bul- 

 let, a trifling difference in the quantity of powder or 

 in its dryness is not very material. But, where pos- 

 sible, care should be used even in this respect. And 

 the longer the ball and the farther you wish to shoot 

 the more essential becomes this care, and the more 

 essential becomes the even setting of the powder in 

 the shell ; and take care not to break the grains by 

 hard pounding, etc. More powder may be put in a 

 shell, and it will be more evenly packed, by pouring it 

 into the shell through a tube a yard or so in length. 



The mouth of the shell should be kept clean with 

 diluted vinegar and a rag. The balls, if shot naked, 

 should be thoroughly greased with tallow, which in 

 hot weather may be mixed with a little beeswax, but 

 in winter should be used pure. Beeswax dirties a 

 rifle fast and should be used only when necessary, as 

 in hot weather. A wad or two of heavy leather be- 

 neath the ball will do no harm, and will be apt to 

 improve the shooting by preventing the flashing of 

 fire around the ball as it passes into the grooves. 



But no rifle will shoot a long series of naked balls 

 as well as one of patched ones. And if you get any 

 rifle besides a repeater you should have it chambered 

 and the shells fixed for shooting patched balls. I 

 say "besides a repeater," because they are now all 

 made for shooting naked balls. But I see no reason 

 why such a fine rifle as the Winchester express should 

 not be made to shoot patched balls, and see no reason 

 why it could not. 



Long balls are patched with bank-note paper, gold- 



