1V2 HEAVY BALLS FOR HEAVY BEASTS. 



expresses, with solid hardeued bullets. But these have been picked shots. 

 As tiie sportsman cannot always hope for such, light guns should not be 

 trusted in. It is not uncommon, however, to hear those who have made 

 lucky shots, or have heard of their being made, decry heavy weapons as 

 unnecessary burthens. The young sportsman, however, will do well to turn 

 to the opinions of those really capable of advising on the subject. Sir 

 Samuel Baker, after a life's experience with elephants and other heavy 

 game, recommends " a single-barrel rifle to carry a half-pound projectile, or 

 a foui-ounce, according to strength of hunter." I have adopted a modifi- 

 cation of the latter — viz., a double-barrelled 4-bore, which is no heavier 

 than a single would have to be made to carry the charge of powder ; it is 

 smooth-bored. This affords the extra safety and execution insured by a 

 double-barrel ; and as it is only used at close quarters, a smooth-bore is 

 sufficiently accurate, and offers a great advantage over the rifle in reduction 

 of friction in the projectile. 



If it is astonishing with what light weapons elephants may sometimes 

 be killed, the shocks they withstand on occasions are equally surprising. I 

 have fired a No. 4 spherical ball, driven by 12 drams of the strongest 

 powder, through elephants' heads on three occasions without even staggering 

 them. The narrowest escape I ever had in elephant-shooting was through 

 failing to even stop an elephant with my No. 4. 



Sir Samuel Baker, in his Bijle and Hound, gives an instance of an ele- 

 phant's taking four shots with a 4-bore and about an ounce of powder, whilst 

 making repeated charges, before being bagged. My humble experience has 

 satisfied me that even the biggest balls and largest charges of powder that 

 can be employed are not always effectual in stopping a charging elephant ; 

 and until an effective explosive shell is invented for the purpose, it appears 

 that such contingencies as the above must be expected to occur now and 

 then. An elephant may be killed by the temple-shot with even a 1 4-bore 

 smooth-bore and 3 drams, but there is as much difference in the power re- 

 quired to kill by a picked shot, and to stop a charging elephant, as there is 

 to move a locomotive at rest, and to arrest it when at full speed. Men who 

 can " do anything " with a 10 or 12 bore (occasionally heard of) are to be 

 envied ; but ordinary mortals will do well to equip themselves against heavy 

 game with weapons to compensate as far as possible for their inferior attain- 

 ments. In my humble opinion, the largest possible guns that can be used 

 should be used upon all kinds of big game. 



Indian elephants are seldom shot behind the shoulder, and though 

 I have killed them thus with my 4-bore, I think it a pity to do so. It 

 would be cruel to fire at them there with smaller bores. When an elephant 



