530 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



•where competitions can be held by representatives from all 

 mts, companies ami members. 



flat meeting 

 ..I the Canton Kod and Gtw Club to-day, the following scores 

 •were made in ten shots off-hand, 200 yards, in a very strong 

 liah-tail wind: 



Mass. Creed. tf&ss. creed. 



.1 i) Marks, 87 I Lanbenf>teln..79 at 



.1 ;[ Hi-lv.-ell. ....!>» 48 KFuncher II >!7 



S3 .Id n Kouolil 15 39 



o ti mill Sn 8T J D Andrews. ..OS Bl 



—II. Nichols, of Bridgeport, Conn., writes that he has been 

 using I)i Ulnar powder since last fall, and so far I think it is 

 Hve best I can get. I was out this winter, and the score at 

 gOO yards, off-hand, stood : 5 5 4 5 4 5 4 4 5 5— 40 ; D S 5 

 5 5 4 4 4 5 4—46, with a Sharps military rifle. 



Cbeeemoob, Jr. — The contest for the Ballard rifle at the 

 underground gallery was brought to a finish on the 25th inst., 

 with teams of live men each, Five matches have been fought, 

 and from first to last it has been a nip-and-tuck struggle be- 

 tween the Empire Club's first team and the Zettler Club's ex- 

 perts. On the. 18th inst. these four teams were at the firing 

 points, nnd some close scoring was done as follows : 

 Empire Club— Team No. 1. Seppenlelt Club Team. 



J WTcxld 43 EHolzman 46 



F Hllolton... 4S J Scliutz 48 



W At Farrow..... 47 L Qarrisoa 13 



OS StoKea ..44 V Brennaa 40 



11 Fisher 43—210 Wm Seppenfelt 43—214 



Zettler Club. Empire Olub— Team No. 2. 



DMltlcr 12 BFDavldB 4ti 



B Bettler 44 u Barker a 



gldn 3d N D Wftrfl 43 



Z Zettler ,..M II W llonrley 11 



KFeuniUB 40—215 CHJolir 83—211 



This left the score even between the Zettler and Empire 

 clubs, each having won two matches. The final score was 

 Shot on the 25th, when, by an extra effort in running up the 

 best score yet ahown in the match, the Zettlers aiided an- 

 other to their list of trophies, ',he score standing : 

 Zettler Club Team. 



JtKlaln -....6 04648585 4-4T 



BZBlller 1 45556645 5— >7 



5 4 3 4 4 4 6 5 4-43 



DMUler.. 4 54465456 5—46 



PFeiining 5 4 4 5 4 5 4 4 4 5—44-227 



Empire Club Team. 



Flinoltrm 5 44444S54 5-44 



JWTodd 6 4 5 5 4 4 4 5 4 4-44 



WM Furrow 6 4 4656554 5—47 



11 FlBller 5 6455544 4 5—46 



U W Uourley -5 63444444 5-42—223 



Seppenfelt Club Team. 



MaxKcm .6 66344545 5—45 



,j'.i:il ] isoil 3 4 4 444545 4— »1 



, -1 4 5654555 4-46 



Seppenielt 4 42654545 4—12 



KHOlsman 4 4 4 444586 4-^41—216 



The New York Kifle Club and the Bergen Point Rifle Club 

 have agreed upon a match and will meet on the Bergen Boint 

 range Feb. 8, m teams of ten men each, ten shots each man 

 at 200 yards. The Bergen Point team will entertain the team 

 from Medford, Mass., on the 22d. The Medfords have a 

 mutch with the Bay View Bine Club, of Chicago. The pres- 

 ent officers of the Bergen Boint Kifle Club are : F. G. Payne, 

 Pres.; A. Vredenburg, Vice-Pres.; H. Meigs, Jr., Sec'y; and 

 F. Schilling; Treas. 



Ohio— Cincinnati, Jan. 19.— The following is the score of 

 the rifle team of the Cincinnati Shooting and Fishing Club, 

 made at Trimpe's range j 15 shots, off-hand: 



W Caldwell 4 4444455454544 5—65 



X-'lBnun 



W Unit 



A Koutuer 



iiiej 



j Weston • 



The Germania Olub, at the same place, shot for their gold 

 medal, M. Genderlin winning it by the fine score of 145, 

 closely followed by L. Fender and G. Hcusen with 144 each. 

 Target, Massachusetts Creedmoor ; position, off-hand. C. 



Michigan— Mast 8aglncw, Jan, 18.— At the eleventh regu- 

 lar weekly practice to-day of the Bast Saginaw Amateur Rifle 

 Club, the following scores were made; 200-yard target re- 

 duced, possible 50 : 



Capt, WJSliaw.... 4 4 6 445664 5-45 



lie' VaWKej 4 3544446 4 4-41 



R-jf Carton * 3 4 3 4 5 4 4 4 4-37 



J H Howry * = 3448335 3-35 



:,milt,m 4 3 4 4 3 4 2 2 4 3-33 



' A 'Visiting Mabksman.— Mr. O. P. Stokes, of Richmond, 

 Lj,eniltmau who is known to the readers of the Forest 

 i \m through his contributions to the rifle depart- 

 ment- was in the 3ity last week and bred in the wirning team 

 of the Empire Club, at Creedmoor, Jr., in the Ballard Rifle 

 Match on the 2lst, making the very good score of 44 in the 

 possible 50. In practice on the day previous in testing the 

 merits of a new Ballard, made the three remarkable scores in 

 10 shots of 47, 48 and 50, the latter being the third full score 

 which has been made on the Range since its opening three 

 years ago, Mr. Sibley, of the N. Y. Rifle Club, and Mr. Wm. 

 M. Hays, Of Newark, being credited with the Other two. Mr. 

 Stokes made many warm friends among the riflemen, and 

 nothing would give them more pleasure than to see him before 

 the bulls at Creedmoor the coming season. 



Thk National Rii'm Association's Rbpoet. — Acting Sec- 

 retary A. H. Weston is making every effort to secure a prompt 

 issue of the report of the matches of the Association for the 

 past year, and hopes to have the edition in press within a 

 very few days. He gives notice that all affiliated associations 

 to have the record of matches, etc., ap- 

 pear therein, to Tor ward to this office not later than Feb. 16, 

 proximo, copy of such matter for publication, accompanied 

 by the amount of affiliation fee. The regular bronze medal 

 -will be sent to such associations as may join. 



TrtB Auxiliary Rifle Barrel.— Attention is called to the 

 advertisement this week of Auxiliary Rifle Barrol Company, 

 of New Haven, and (heir improved new sight. 



3 3544454544454 4—62 

 ,4 5443444345444 4— 611 

 .62444445442444 4-60 

 4444435343 5245 4— IS* 

 S444354444384S 4—56 



market up to March, 1875. 1 soon foui 

 prairie, or in timbei . aperior I" a singLe- 



shooter as a breech-loader is superior to a muzzle-loader. In 

 the foot-hills and the Rocky Montr,:, ins, antelope and sheep 

 are found in bands at all seasons, and mule-deer bucks in 

 herds on the uplands in warm weather. Elk and white - 

 tailed deer band in October, and a hunter will be fortunate if 

 he gets more than one animal from a baud when first stalking 

 with a single-slioolir. 1 once killed three big horns in a re- 

 treating band out of four shots with a heavy Sharps rifle, and 

 three mule deer "straight" from a running band with a 

 Ballard, but they were all killed by lucky snap BhotS, which 

 cannot always bo depended on at medium 

 single-shooter -will do the best service only on the 1 

 when still-hunting buffalo and antelope. 



Light projectiles will do well enough for small animals or 

 for shooting doer at, sihoit range in timber, but a heavy slug 

 is necessary to penetrate large game with killing effect at a 

 distance" of over two hundred yards. Light explosive balls, 

 calibre .56, will not kill as quickly as heavy solid balls, cali- 

 bre .44. 1 have tested them thoroughly on buffalo, elk, deer, 

 sheep, antelope, bear, wolves, panthers and seals. A long 

 .44 slug shot from a heavy Sharps rifle will go clean through 

 a large bull buffalo if it does not strike large bones. It will 

 make a small hole in entering and a large one when leaving 

 the animal. A .50 explosive slug turns out saucer-like when 

 it strikes, and seldom penetrates far into the flesh. I have 

 taken one from a grizzly's bead that did not penetrate but 

 three inches in the muscles when shot but forty yards with 

 seventy -seven grains of powder. 



Short rifles with open sights are not the weapons for, close 

 shooting. They come to the shoulder easily and quickly 

 iu shooting at running game, but you cannot tell when you 

 are holding on an animal so well as with a long rifle. ' In 

 visiting numerous camps along the buffalo range and in the 

 mouutains, I have never seen old hunters have rifles with 

 barrels shorter than thirty inches, except men who were in 

 the saddle most of the time, and trappers with repeating rifles 

 who hunted in the thick willow cover of the Missouri bot- 

 toms in anticipation of a " whoop-up " from the Indiaus. 



A heavy rifle or a light one cannot be made to answer every 

 purpose, so it is best to select one of medium weight and 

 shooting qualities to obtain the best general results. The 

 new Winchester repeater, model '70, with fine open sights 

 and pistol grip, is just the gun for general hunting. It has 

 not an equal in extracting shells, it is easily reloaded with 

 cold lingers, and for accurate shooting it is second to none. 

 Having studied the good qualities of hunting rii 

 had them combined in one of these heavy Winchester repeat- 

 ers, and, if I could not obtain another, it woidd take a fancy 

 price to buy it. My rifle weighs lOi pounds; barrel, S3! 

 iuches ; half octagon (to lighten it at the muzzle") ; magazine 

 full length; stock, with pistol-grip; hollowed butt-plate, 

 chambered to carry wiping-rod in joints ; it has fine open 

 sights, twenty-eight inches apart ; buckhorn rear sight, tested 

 and marked to shoot from 100 to 1,000 yards; trigger can be 

 set to any required pull; calibre .45] cartridge 7 , 75 grains 

 powder 350 grains lead. This gun looks long, but it handles 

 the neatest of any rifle I have used. It can be shot every two 

 seconds with sufficient accuracy to stop a running deer at 

 short range until the magazine iB empty. In conclusion I 

 would say that if any of the thousands of sportsmen who 

 read Forest and Stream want a good hunting rifle, as one 

 who appreciates a good gun I would honestly recommend 

 them to purchase a weapon of the above description. 



I'arkeille, N. Y., Jan. 17, 1870. Jos. H. Battjt. 



A HUNTING RIFLE. 

 ErU'KJH FOBBST AMI) SxtKU.1t: 



paper of December 12 I noticed an article headed, 

 "Wanted, a Hunting Rifle." 

 A man must be fastidious who Cannot und a rifle among the 

 makes fit for hunting American game. I hunted 

 large animals eight years for pleasure and profit, and have 

 packed rifles in the Rocky Mountains, over the plains and in 

 the North woods almost daily for thirteen months. During 

 that lime I tested all of the American rifles which were in 



BULLETS FOR HUNTING. 



Editor Forest and Stream : 



In a former number of Forest aot Stream a gentleman 

 from Georgia asks for my opinion upon " folding bullets." I 

 have not tried them or even seen them yet, but 1 will venture 

 an opinion based upon principles, some of which I think the 

 gentleman will freely admit. 



He says they will have a much lower trajectory at 900 yards 

 than express bullets. This is probably correct ; but for the 

 same reason they will also have a much lower trajectory at 

 100 yards, which is already a grievous fault in our American 

 sporting rifles. Their great weight — 800 grains for a .44 

 gauge— will so lower the initial velocity that they would 

 probably fall some 18 or 20 inches below the line of tire at 100 

 yards with any charge of powder that would be endurable for 

 bo great a weight of ball. For n spurting rifle the most im- 

 portant thing is the straightest possible trajectory up to 200 

 yards; and the heavier the ball in proportion to the Caliber, 

 the greater the curve it will describe up to that distance, and 

 the nearer the point at which game will be missed by a slight 

 mistake of distance. If the gentleman will try his folding 

 ball at something the size of n goose placed at constantly 

 varying distances from 75 to 200 yards, and allow himself only 

 is to estimate distance and use an open hunting 

 sight, he will soon see what I mean. Let him try it also at a 

 target and measure the drop of the ball. 



Their killing power would doubtless be immense if they 

 did not open too quickly ; but this is exactly what Ifear they 

 would do. This is the principal fault now of Espi 

 cast with too large a hole. Over a year ago 1 pointed out in 

 these columns the importance of mailing the Express ball with 

 a small hole tapering to the bottom so that the ball would 

 simply expand without flying to pieces. In the long run 

 penetration is quite as essential as expansion, and neither 

 must be sacrificed too much to the other. It seems to be as- 

 sumed by most writers that big game can be hit just where 

 you choose to hit it. There was once a time when by picking 

 only good shots, one eould do this; but game does not now-a- 

 days pose as it used to, and, especially when running, must 

 be hit just where you can get a shot at it. If you cau hit it 

 in or just behind the shoulder every time, a solid ball is nearly 

 as good as any, and for all but dangerous game quite as good; 

 but if any one has a recipe for getting it there every lime he 

 would confer a favor on a few thousands by sending it to this 

 paper. 



The non-observance of this principle is doubtless the cause 

 of the failure of the Express balls on bear shot at by Capt. 

 Williamson, as mentioned in issue of Nov. 38. In the ball 1 

 now use, No. .05 cal., 000 grains weight, 1 cut the plug down 

 to the shape of a tine scratch-awl ; and, had our Scotch friend 

 In ..I that, bis bears would have thought something be- 

 sides a bumble bee had stung them. When this rifle came the 

 mould bad two plugs, one the size and shape of a .22 long car- 

 tridge, and the other bell-shaped so as to make a hole iu the bill 

 22-100 at the bottom and about 40-100 at the opening. On the 

 strength of prior experience 1 at ouce decided that the lat- 

 ter would be of little use, and used the other entirely. After 

 killing about fifteen deer, 1 concluded I would try the one 



with the bell-shaped hole on deer. This ball would distribute 

 the per ten-pound hare all over the adjacent 



bushes for twenty feet or more 



centre Of the body, and not enough meal could Ire picked up 

 to make a square meal for a kitten. Thi 

 with this ball was about 150 yards off, ai fas If 



bit by a sledge-hammer. On going up to it, it lumped up 

 when I got within twenty yards and waltzed' down hill 

 among the rocks and bushes with as lively a bound as ever. 

 The second barrel brought it bo the ground at Once, but when 

 I went up to It i i bright as ever, audit raised 



ils hair and showed fight so strongly that I dared not touch 

 shot it again in the head. first hall bad 



struck back of the shoulder, but too low, and bad tote i 

 about four inches in diameter; but none of the splinters of 

 the ball had penetrated as far as the heart or lungs. The sec- 

 ond had hit jti9t beside the backbone (this was a down-hill 

 shot) and just ahead of the kidneys ; had made a hole about 

 four inches across, and had made an abominable mess of the 

 ies, but had gone no farther. The third ball hail torn 

 the whole upper half of the head completely away. Now 

 here was about 550 grains of hardened lead with five drachma 

 of the best powder behind it, and yet, it a splinter . 

 second ball had not touched the backbone, the deer would 

 have escaped in the brush. Out of about thirty bit with the 

 other ball— with small hole— in all parts from the shoulder to 

 the hips, none would be able to stagger over fifty yards or so, 

 and only those shot in the paunch can do even that. Vet that 

 ball only cuts a ,^-inch hole on the striking side and ahon 

 inches on the exit side. The failure of this gentleman's Ex- 

 press bullet may also have been due In a measure to smallness 

 of calibre. So long as all the mind, energy and general re- 

 sources of the world are exhausted in endeavoring to find- 

 not how game can be killed with the least, suffering and tho 

 least waste, but how the hunter can be saved the in mi .1 

 carrying a pound or two more of metal and spending a few 

 more grains of lead, just so long may we expect such results. 

 The effect of the .44 Express, ball is greatly overestimated. I 

 can get no such results from it as 1 have seen stated in this 

 paper. Mr. Davidson seems fully satisfied that one in the flank 

 o£ a deer would " knock it down in its tracks." I only wish I 

 had Mr. D. here for a few weeks, f could convince him 

 very soon that there are some things in this world that are a 

 trifle worse than packing a large calibre rifle, and that the 

 most momentous question connected with hunting is not to 

 discover just now many hundredths of an inch the calibre of 

 a rifle may be whittled down. I think he would lose no more 

 time or flesh in deciding between .11 and .45— could even 

 contemplate a .50 witliout.fcelings of unmingled horror— 

 and after seeing my .05 perform a few times on deer in clmp- 

 paral would even condescend to say that after all I was not, 

 the biggest fool in the world for using so big D ball. 



I doubt very much if any folding bullet can be made that 

 for general use will equal the Express. But the Express will 

 surely fail on shots where penetration is required, Unless made 

 so as to open slowly and not flj ildbe 



hardened as much as possible, aud the smaller the calibre the 

 smaller and shallower should be the bole. For hip and raking 

 shots I do not believe a very small bullet can be as effective 

 with a bole as without; but it might, ' were 



small and shallow. But in the long run penetration is just ua 

 essential as expansion, and to combine these two things the 

 ball must have weight, and weight and expansion COTI 

 combined with velocity except ,, beyond 



that magic figure so dear to the average American heart - 

 forty-four hundredths of an inch — which dread calamity may 

 heaven avert in tho interest of the buzzards, ravens, coyotes 

 aud blow-flies that now revel in crippled 



Ban Dkgo Co., ('"1. T ;- 



1 — .»■ . 



MILITARY SHOOTING. 



General Wingate, at the. recent distribution of marksman's 

 badges to the Seventh Regiment, made a speech, in which he 

 presented the question of military rifle practice, an 



With the exception of a similar- badge, recently introduced 

 in Connecticut and N" ive, the 



only official decoration existing in the I States. It is 



worn alike by all ranks, from n major-general commanding a 

 division to a private, aii - I B-fltf those who 



win it are announced alii 



It is presented to you iu this public manner) in front of your 

 regiment, in presence of your comrades and your friends that 

 you may appreciate it, not for whal 

 out as a direct anil personal recognition giyi 

 you by the Stale of New York, whose soldiers we all are, of 

 your having made yourself efficient aud valuable as a member 

 of its National .Guard. 



The experience of this regiment show's that no one can 

 predict now may come, aud the proud 



of the Seventh is that they are always ready to respond to it, 

 come when it may. 



When that emergency arises, valuable, nay, indispensable 

 as is your knowledge 

 tactics, all thi 



place you In the proper position to use against the ei 

 rifles you carry. 



if yon can do this with skill ypu 

 adversary. If you cannot, as against an enemy who can, you 

 are helpless, but little better off than if yon wire armed with 

 the old flint-lock musket instead of an improved breech- 

 loader. 



The men upon whom commanding officers rely in 

 of danger to support the honor of their regiment, 

 skirmishers, to hold important positions, are its o 

 and that regiment whose members do not understand the use 

 of their rifles is not regarded at the present time by any mili- 

 tary critic as being efficient. 



The practice of rifle shooting is in itself a tra nj 

 actual service. Men who, like many that 1 see b< 

 can, during an exciting competition and with the 

 musketry around them, keep their blood iooI, tfceir nerves 

 steady aud their judgment unclouded, have already acquired 

 some of the most important characteristics of the. veteran 

 soldier. 



I have much pleasure in congratulating the region 

 ,inl progress it has made in lb 

 1875 you were the tenth regiment in the Btate i 

 'i were the third. The fifty-eigl 

 men you had in 1876 von increased to lffi 

 1877;audto;«4in 1878 



That this improvement will cm, 

 can be but little doubt. 



All that i: 

 fact that, if] Hurt to be 



