SPORTING RIFLES AND THEIR USE 347 



on various technical points. Messrs. Eraser's new 

 expanding bullet has been expressly designed to over- 

 come the excessive penetration and uncertain expan- 

 sion of the long and light projectile that is fired from 

 the modern *303 and similar rifles ; this excessive 

 penetration, etc., being the only valid objection, as 

 Messrs. Fraser truly state, to the use of these rifles as 

 sporting weapons. This new expanding bullet is 

 made with diagonal ratchet slots cut obliquely down- 

 wards through the metallic envelope at an angle 

 opposite to that of the rifling of the barrel of the rifle 

 in which it is intended to be used. By this means 

 the spin of the bullet is utilized, in addition to the 

 effect of impact, to produce instant and regular strip- 

 ping of the hard metallic envelope necessarily used in 

 bullets of this calibre, and consequent free expansion 

 of the soft lead core. 



Most satisfactory results were obtained in a full 

 series of experiments with this bullet, which are well 

 explained in the letter referred to by a number of 

 interesting illustrations of the bullet after practical use 

 and expansion. 



I much regret that I have no adequate collection of 

 the nickel-covered small-bore bullets, as I have of the 

 ordinary express bullets, taken from the bodies of 

 deer killed, to exemplify the comparative expansion 

 and penetration of these projectiles. 



For one or two seasons I had a Mannlicher rifle 

 with me on Hitteren, but, somehow or other, I could 

 seldom bring myself to use it in place of my old 

 familiar friend the '400 black-powder express. Even 

 in these matters sentiment, or perhaps superstition, 

 has some influence. The feeling that it might be 

 unlucky to put aside an old and faithful weapon that 



