FOR THE HIMALAYAS. 3 



in a stalking shot you had only to press lightly, and gradually the 

 trigger came back, the hammer falling with the sights unmoved, 

 from the time aim had been taken. I do not recommend this 

 pattern, but just mention it as a specimen of how circumstances 

 alter cases. 



A Gun for the Himalayas should be 12-bore, breech-loading 

 (but not complicated) , with cylinder barrels ; a choke is unsuited 

 for ball, and most of the game require a pretty big circle of shot 

 to catch them swooping down and around small glens. I would 

 prefer steel or laminated steel barrels, and hammers below line of 

 sight ; springless strikers ; bar locks, to insure full thickness of 

 good wood at the small where the great strain comes if the gun 

 falls ; top-snap treble-grip action ; chambered for Eley's cases ; 

 weight at least 7flb. Be sure you get a solid oak and leather 

 case for it, with reliable turning-over and re-capping machines, 

 measures, cleaning rod, screwdriver, bottles of lock and rangoon 

 oil, wad-cutter, rammer, pull-through barrel cleaner, spare strikers, 

 nipple-wrench for fitting same, bullet-mould, &c. ; you can leave oat 

 the machines and measures when going to the hills, if you are sure 

 you will not be reloading, and fill up the space with gun rags ; but 

 mind you have spare strikers ; a broken one may be the source of 

 much discomfort, if not of actual danger, unless replaced. 



The Rifle may be either '450, '500, or magnum '500. I do not 

 like '577 ; it is too large for the smaller game, and unnecessarily 

 powerful for the larger. Just before leaving India I was corre- 

 sponding with a well-known maker about a '450 magnum to take 

 5 drams powder, and to-morrow I would choose that. At the time 

 I was using a '450 made by him for 4 drams, but I used 4|, and 

 attribute my success to the flatter trajectory even the half dram 

 extra insured. I believe this rifle will kill all Himalayan game 

 if handled fairly, and cannot see why a sportsman should require 

 one that will kill everything, regardless of where it is hit. 



If you do not like such a bore, get the '500 magnum, sighted 

 for 6 drams. You may as well have the flattest trajectory made, 

 for on many occasions a slight error in judging distance will cause 

 a miss, and opportunities cannot be thrown away they are by nc 

 means plentiful. I recommend the solid, long-drawn brass cases ; 

 the coiled do not last as well, nor fire as strong, I believe, and the 

 bottle-shaped give a greater strain to the breech-end of the barrels 

 at the moment of ignition. I have also found that the bottle- 



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