342 MY SPORTING HOLIDAYS 



actively resent it ; so I always carry a double express 

 in woodland hunting a -500 bore for elk, wapiti 

 and bear ; a '400 bore a delightful weapon for 

 Norwegian woodland red-deer. 



This last objection applies, of course, only to the 

 ordinary single-barrel magazine or small-bore rifles. 

 The modern smokeless small-bore is now made as a 

 double rifle by all our leading gun-makers, up to '460 

 calibre, I believe, and even of larger bore still. To 

 such rifles the above-mentioned disadvantage of the 

 single-barrel naturally does not apply. 



In spite of the praises that I have sung of the old 

 double express, were I now commencing big-game 

 hunting de novo this double smokeless rifle of say 

 375 or '400 bore is the weapon that I would be 

 inclined to choose for all-round purposes ; for it 

 combines the flat trajectory and high velocity of the 

 303 or the Mannlicher with a bullet more nearly 

 approaching that of the '500 express in weight, and 

 has also the advantage already mentioned of the quick 

 double shot. With soft-nosed or split bullet it should 

 be capable of almost instantaneously killing anything 

 covered with hair or fur that is struck in the right 

 place ; while with solid nickel-covered bullet it should 

 penetrate to the vitals of any large pachyderm if the 

 angle of contact be right. 



A word now as to the angle of contact of the bullet 

 and its penetration. My experience of the smokeless 

 small-bore in the field is so small that I can only 

 speak generally and from inference of its powers of 

 penetration and shock. But I have a considerable 

 collection of -500 bore and '400 bore expanding 

 express bullets taken from the carcasses of elk, deer, 

 etc., that I have killed, and the place they are found 



