TIGER SLAYER BY ORDER 



strike the game in a vital spot. This is exempHfied by his 

 having on one occasion shot five elephants in succession 

 with a -450 Gibbs Metford, an extraordinarily small bore 

 rifle to use against such very heavy game. 



I have myself killed several bison and buffalo with 

 small bore rifles too, on one occasion with a "360 Express, 

 but these were all picked shots. It is not, however, always 

 possible to obtain a head or shoulder shot, therefore the 

 rifle for such exceedingly heavy game should be one 

 powerful enough to kill, or at any rate to stop such an 

 animal on whatever part of the body it may be hit. 



Then, again, to quote that well-known sportsman, the 

 late Mr. Sanderson : " It is sometimes argued," he writes, 

 " that hundreds of large animals have been bagged with 

 12 or 14-bore rifles or even smaller weapons. True, but 

 how many more have escaped or have been consigned to 

 die lingering deaths that could have been secured with 

 heavier metal ! A 14 or 16 -bore with 4 drams of powder, 

 is sufficient to kill even an elephant, if a fair shot can be 

 had at his brain, but supposing the elephant to be rushing 

 through a tangled brake of long grass, when only a hurried 

 and indistinct shot can be had at him, the smaller gun 

 would be useless unless its ball reached his brain, whilst 

 the heavy projectile would floor or stun, even if it did not 

 kill him. A rifle for heavy game should be capable of 

 meeting these contingencies, not being adapted only for 

 picked shots and bright moments." 



For ordinary sportsmen, therefore, I think there is no 

 better weapon for thick-skinned animals such as elephants, 

 rhino, buffaloes and bison than an 8 or 10-bore Paradox 

 gun or rifle, burning 8 or 10 drams of powder. I prefer a 

 Paradox gun as it is lighter than a rifle of the same calibre, 

 a great advantage in African hunting of which so much is 

 done from the saddle. It also gives a higher velocity 

 and greater penetration with the same charge of powder, 

 and the recoil is less. For soft -bodied or thin-skinned 

 animals such as tigers, lions, leopards and bears a '500 

 or -577 Express, burning 5 or 6 drams of powder, would be 

 the most suitable weapon. 



Having now said my say about rifles, I will add a few 

 lines about the quality of the projectiles, which, in my 

 24 



