196 BIG-GAME SHOOTING IN UPPER BURMA 



planted in the centre of his broad chest. In 

 either case he is a dead bull before he has gone 

 a hundred yards. 



As to second rifles carried by a gun-bearer, 

 the writer has no faith in them. Your gun- 

 bearer either bolts at the critical moment, taking 

 the rifle with him, or fires in a panic, and nearly 

 blows your head off. They may have been 

 necessary in the days of black-powder rifles, 

 which, owing to the big charge of powder, were 

 apt to jam after the first shot. But with modern 

 high-velocity rifles they are certainly unneces- 

 sary. However, everyone to his taste. 



In Burma, at all events, where most of the 

 game is shot in heavy jungle at close quarters, 

 any bore smaller than a '400 is to be deprecated. 

 The smaller bores, such as the "300, "303 and 

 •350, lack the smashing power of the heavier 

 rifles. They drill a neat hole, but the wound 

 made is so minute as not to affect the animal 

 materially for the time being ; also, there is 

 little or no blood spoor, a consideration when 

 you are following up a wounded beast. Maga- 

 zine rifles are but sorry substitutes for double- 

 barrelled rifles. They are now made so well 

 that there is little chance of a jam occurring ; 

 but one can never be sure, and the writer has 

 an unpleasant recollection of a wounded bear 

 waltzing round him, and trying to get his 

 wind, while the empty case obstinately declined 



