FOREST AND STREAM. 



113 



plied to this class of rifle. This particular rifle is an excep- 

 tional one of its class j for, originally, with very shallow 

 grooves, they have become still more shallow by three years' 

 constant use and with more than four thousand discharges 

 ot target and game. This would indicate that a very shal- 

 low, multi-grooved rifle will, without doubt, give the neces- 

 vist to a light ball with a proportion of "strong powder 

 at; ball as high as 1 to 2§. I will go further and advance the 

 opinion that the express principle can be successfully ap- 

 plied to all the American breech-loaders that have the shal- 

 low multi-grooved system of rifling like the Sharps system, 

 viz.: the Ballard, Maynard and Whitney. I am not familiar 

 with, the improved Remington and some others. 



If this inference is correct it does not seem to accord with 

 the opinion advanced by the advocates of the British double 

 :, that, a peculiar form of rifling is essential for the 

 application of the express principle (heavy charge, of powder 

 and light projectile). If shallow grooving is sufficient to 

 give the projectile the necessary twist, why the necessity for 

 the deep grooving and sharp lands of the Henry system, re- 

 quiring much more trouble to clean and making it necessary 

 to shoot, a forced ball, which, prima facie, would give more 

 resistance to the projectile than the shallow grooves? This 

 brings up a question raised in a former article, as to how 

 much resistance or retardation may be necessary in the bar- 

 rel to develop the complete combustion of a large charge of 

 powder. Some of the 450 bore E xpress rifles burn 150 grains 

 of powder with only a 28-inch barrel. Would a shallow 

 grooved rifle of same length burn that much pow r dcr of same 

 quickness ? This may be compensated for by increased 

 twist in flic shallow grooves. It, is claimed that the Henry 

 system fouls less than other systems. My opinion is, that 

 depends as much on the powder as anything else. With 

 American powder, in ten or twelve consecutive shots at; 100 

 yards without Wiping, 1 see no diminution in accuracy in my 

 rifle i with the English powder (the C. & H. No. 6 or No. 8; 

 the result is si cable, as that powder is much 



cleaner. That brings up the subject of powder, and I hope, 

 Mr. Editor, you will help agitate the subject. My experi- 

 ence for several months past, (firing away seven pounds in 

 my rifle during that time at target and game) with the Cur- 

 tis and Harvey No. b' is more favorable to it compared to a 

 good brand of American powder than Mr. Davison, of the 

 Providence Tool Company, reports. Careful experiments 

 at target at different times shows that 96 grains of the 0. & 

 II. ; English) powder will throw a 375 grain ball, 200 yards 

 range, more than two feet higher on the target (2T| in. last 

 experiment) than same charge of an FG. powder sent me by 

 the Sharps Company. 1 have used three or four of the 

 standard FG. brands of American powder, and this brand 

 appears of about the same strength. I think 100 grains of 

 the C. & H. will give as high velocity to the 275 grains ball as 

 120 or 125 grains of American FG. powder. I was in hopes 

 Mr. Davison's report would have brought out the powder 

 men, and that we could have found out some brand equal in 

 strength to the English powder and proved so by some care- 

 ful experiments, but have only noticed one feeble reply from 

 a friend of one of the American brands ; so I infer theni- 

 ferionty is admitted. 1 prefer using American powder if it 

 can be had of the same strength and cleanliness, both on ac- 

 count of its cheapness as from other considerations ; but, 

 acting on a contrary opinion, I have for next season's hunt- 

 ing sent for a 12-pound case of the C. & H. No. 0, which 

 will cost me $1.50 or SI. 75 per pound delivered here, powder 

 in England costing, as I understand, 68 cents, the balance 

 being principally tariff charges, put on to protect our facto- 

 ries. For some time past the powder factories. have been of- 

 fering prizes to encourage and develop our splendid breech- 

 loaders. Now let. the rifle and gun factories return the 

 compliment and offer prizes for the strongest and cleanest 

 powder for hunting purposes. Invite the English factories 

 to the competition, provided they will, in ease of success, 

 guarantee to have an agency here and sell their powder at 

 a reasonable rate. It seems" to me the desired powder should 

 be manufactured here for 75 cents per pound. 



Our slow burning FG. powders are admirably adapted for 

 target shooting, especially for long range, where the gun is 

 cleaned after each discharge and a high trajectory not ob- 

 jectionable, and where the distance is known'. For hunting, 

 especially with the rifle, a powder is required that will give 

 the highest velocity with very little resistance in the barrel 

 Were full confidence established in the safety of the Shultze 

 or Dittmar powder, no other would be used in the rifle west 

 of the Mississippi River, li is just what is needed in the 

 mountains— little noise, little smoke, equal strength with 

 the black powder, no dirt, and consequently no cleaning ne- 

 cessary. I hope those two companies will persevere until 

 the desired article is produced, or at least until full confi- 

 dence in their safety is established. 1 hope Mr. Dittmar will 

 experiment with a 275 or 280 grains ball with as much of his 

 powder as can be gotten into the 2f or 3§ shell, and let, us 

 know the result, Both as to accuracy, trajectory and uniform- 

 ity of shooting. 



I think Mr. Rabbeth is in error in regard to the telescoping 

 theory. Though not fully confirmed in reference to the 



use of the going to pieces or explosion of the Express bul- 

 let, 1 think it is caused by the flesh and blood of the animal 

 made into a semi-fluid state by the impinging of the ball, 

 and which, acting as if a column of water is forced into the 

 hollow pointed ball, with a pressure commensurate with its 

 high velocity forcing its sides asunder, which scatter out in 

 all directions (there being little or no resistance laterally 

 from the soft flesh) at angles with line of fire, more or less 

 obtuse according to the velocity of projectile, the sides at 

 lOint of the ball, being weakest, giving away first. The 

 butt of the ball, after the sides are started, may assist by the 

 telescoping process, but the other is the prime cause. The 

 above process is repealed is a modified form when shot into 

 a snow bank or Bawtlust, where the semi-fluid theory will 

 still hold good, and where little resistance is made to the 

 forward part of the ball. Shot into timber, which offers 

 solid resistance to point of ball, and where there is no fluid 

 condition to the wood fibre, this expansion does not oc- 

 cur, or at least to any great extent, the timber, of course, by 

 its lateral resistance, assisting in this result. It is a fact well 

 established that a hollow ball, fired into the soft parts, say 

 the intrails, of a deer or ether animal, will expand or go to 

 pieces quicker than when put through behind the shoulders 

 or more solid places, and the higher the velocity the quicker 

 and more destructive the explosion. I have frequently ob- 

 served that, in case of a deer shot in the flank, the ball wotdd 

 expand so suddenly as to tear a hole on entering in its tough 

 hide much larger than the calibre of the ball. Shot through the 

 ribs, the hole made would be no larger than the calibre. I shot 

 at twenty yards distance a mountain lynx, an animal of cat 

 kind, next in size below the mountain lion, and with belly as 

 soft and yielding as that of the domestic cat, The ball, hitting 



in the flank, expanded so quick as to tear a hold through 

 the skin large enough to take out its entrails, hut did not go 

 through, though the distance through him was not over 

 four inches. In these cases, where the explosion was most 

 violent, there was little or no resistance to the point of ball, 

 and consequently it would appear that the telescope theory 

 does not hold good, though it may assist, as also may the 

 compressed air theory. If it were the compressed air theory 

 the ball should go to pieces more violently when shot, into 

 solid flesh than when shot into the soft, semi-fluid entrails. 

 In conclusion, I hope some of the other rifle factories will 

 follow the enterprise of Mr. Davison, of the Providence 

 Tool Co., get up moulds for a light hollow bullet suitable to 

 their guns, and give us the result of their experiments, both 

 as regards accuracy and trajectory. I failed to state at the 

 proper place that the trajectory of the 105-275 grain cart- 

 ridge, sighted for 200 yards, rises above line of sight at about 



90 yards, about 6 inches on an average. 

 Montana, Feb. 8, 1879. 



P. 



%mn$ j$<tg mid <§tm\ 



GAME IN SEASON IN MARCH. 



Hares, brown and gray. Wild duck, geese, orant, etc. 



FOR FLOBIDA. 



Deer, Wild Turkey, Woodcock, Quail, S»ipe, Ducks and Wild Fowl. 

 "Bay birds" generally, including various species of plover, sand 

 piper, snipe, curlew, oyster-catcher, surf birds, paaUiropes, avooets, 

 etc., coming under the group Livutcolai or Snore Birds. 



New Hampshire— Nashua, March, 6.— Our fox-hunters 

 have had good sport this winter ,■ a dozen brushes attest their 

 skill. Judge Sawyer claims three. Rabbit, hunting has 

 helped shorten the long winter and given sport to the boys and 

 work for the dogs. Quail have wintered here, for we have 

 had no heavy snows. Unfortunately we have but few quail 

 to get the benefit of a mild winter. Webb. 



Saxisbtjby. Game Club.— The annual meeting of the Salis- 

 bury Game Club, of Eakeville, was held March 4, and the 

 following officers were elected: Pres., W. 15. Rudd ; Sec'y, 

 W. H. Williams; Treas., W. B. Perry. W. H. W. 



New Yoke— Good Ground, March 8.— There are plenty 

 of broad-bills and some getse.bul, we can't do anything with 

 them till the bay breaks up. We are looking for it to go out 

 soon. Wm. N. Lane. 



putting 324 shot in the same space and distance, No. 8 shot, 

 loz. Veiy good patterns; but I will now show you a gun 

 remarkable for pattern and penetration, altered from a muzzle- 

 loader of twenty-six years shooting by myself to that of a 

 breech-loader. This gun, made by Wilmott, of St. Louis, 

 formerly of Boston, at the trial of soft vs. chilled shot at 

 Messrs. Tatham Bros., Long Island, as a muzzle-loader, made 

 in a 30-in. circle, forty yards, No. 7 shot, 3.4 drs. Hazard's 

 electric powder, right barrel only 98 pellets", loft 114 ; per- 

 centage of penetration through twenty- five sheets of tough 

 brown paper 20 per cent. Seven other guns shot at the same 

 distance and charge, with the exception of powder — in which 

 they all used 4 drs. No. 1 Dupont's powder — patterns varied 

 from 100 pellets up to 240a 250, breech-loading, choked, etc., 

 the average penetration of the seven guns was about 5 per 

 cent. Since then Messrs. Wm. Read & Sons have altered 

 this No. 10 Wilmott to a breech-loader, producing the most 

 exquisite marksmanship, and one of the handsomest guns. It 

 contains all its hard shooting properties, and targets forty 

 yards distance, No. 8, 1< oz. shot, (soft), 30-in. circle, right 

 barrel 325, left 309. Very little boring has been done, 

 hut that a taper bore. I shot in a match recently, 4 drs. 

 Hazard, li oz. shot, 25 yards rise, good birds, all killed dead 

 at least fifteen out of twenty, three others falling out of 

 bounds— from five to nine shots fired through them, at least 

 eight shot out of ten went through ; Tatham's chilled. So 

 many inquiries have been made through your and other 

 papers, viz.: "Where can I get a muzzle-loader altered to a 

 breech-loader ?" This is now answered; but bear in mind the 

 barrels must bo first inspected to ascertain if there is metal 

 enough for the work. Wm. King. 



Poisoning Geese in California.— Oakland, Cal, Feb. 11.— 

 Editor Forest and Stream : A largo part of the cultivated por- 

 tion of the State of California is overrun with ground squirrels, 

 and the damage they do each year to the grain is immense. 

 The farmers poison both them and the gophers as the easiest 

 way of getting rid of the pests. Men now travel over the 

 State and contract to clear the ranches of squirrels for so 

 much an acre. So effective is the compound they use that 

 they make money and carry out their contract at a price of 

 ten cents per acre. Their success has been so great that the 

 farmers along the foothills and in the vicinity of the great tule 

 islands have adopted the same plans to rid themselves of the 

 wild geese which frequent certain parts of the State during 

 the winter months. The birds come in by millions, and what 

 shooting is done has veiy little effect on them. They can be 

 seen in flocks covering hundreds of acres on the tule landn 

 bordering the bay shores, and go back in the foothills also for 

 young grain. It occasionally happens that these geese are 

 shot before the poison takes effect, and are taken home and 

 i eaten The result is a poisoned family. Happily no deaths 

 Monbok Sportsmen's Club.— The annual meeting of thej from this cause have occurred, but there have have been sev- 

 onroe Sportsmen's Club, of Rochester, N. T., was held eral narrow escapes and a number of sick people. People 



Monro 



March . The membership is eighty-two, and the report of 

 the treasurer showed an excellent financial condition. The 

 old officars were reelected: W. J. Babcock, Pres.: J. H. 

 Brown, Vice-Pres. ; L. A. Pratt, Sec'y and Treas. 



Virginia, — Two curious coon specimens have been re- 

 cently captured by Virginia hunters. The local papers chron- 

 icle that Mr. James Costis, residing about four miles from 

 Onancock, caught a yellow coon, with head resembling a wild 

 cat, and Mr. Smith Martin's dog, near Locnstville, caught a 

 red coon in Parramore's woods. 



Kestuoex — Stanford, March 1.— The first spring month 

 brings the glad tidings from every direction that the quail 

 are plentiful despite severity of the winter and their whole- 

 sale slaughter during the continuance of snow by red foxes, 

 skunks and the no-more-to-be-respected-pot-huuters. Our 

 crop of squirrels appears to have disappeared with the last 

 tide of immigration concerning which so much appeared in the 

 papers. Kkntuckxan. 



Tennessee. — Nashville, Marc7i5. — Quite a number of snipe 

 are being killed about here just now. Last Saturday I saw 

 se vernl lots for sale on the streets. J. Gilbert told me to-day 

 that he had seen several this morning, and gave it as his 

 opinion— and he is an old hunter about here— that they will 

 be more plentiful than last year. John Branch bagged several 

 woodcock last week. The season for all other game is closed 

 until next September. J. D. H. 



Iowa— Femerpy, Feb. 28.— First geese came on the 21st 

 inst., and I secured a fine old fellow on the 22d. He was in 

 fine order and veiy fat for the time of year. The warm 

 weather now seems to indicate an early spring and an unusu- 

 ally good season. Abe Dauotaii. 



Wild Pigeons— Willis, Texas, March 4,— The wild pigeons 

 are in Grayson County, I learn, by the millions. There was 

 an immense flight of them over us one day last week, going 

 Northeast. C. L. J. 



Stone's Bird Trap.— For Stone's bird trap, a cut of wbich 

 appeared in our advertising columns last week, send to A. B. 

 Shipley & Sons, 503 Commerce street, Philadelphia. 



A Iions Shot. — Leesbwrg, la., March 5. — Young Mr. 

 Thomas Edwards, of this place, killed, March 3, a wild goose 

 from a flock of twenty-two. He was 140 steps from the flock 

 when they rose ; his gun, a muzzle-loader, loaded with 13 

 shot larger than buck shot. The party who went after the 

 geese embalmed Ihe one murdered in their ''memories," or 

 thereabouts, with oysters, in deference to Lent. T. W. 



That recalls the story of the pious but epicurean friar in 

 Father Prout's Keliques, who tied his ham to a rope, doused 

 it into the water and drew it forth from the sea — for, forsooth, 

 what came out of the sea might be eaten in Lent. 



Tin Coated Shot.— The following L an extract of a Itlter 

 addressed to the Leroy Shot Company. It answers questions 



often asked of us i 



Frank:.! I ■_. 5, 1879. 



I distributed your bag of No. 8 tin-coated shot among the 

 members of my club, and at our recalar shoot on Satuiday 

 last I had a report from a tew of those who had used the shot, 

 ami in every case the verdict was, " , is just what we want.'' 

 We all use choke-bore guns, and an 



is the only shot used that will not injure the barrels not foul 

 the oun in any way. Hon, John A W.r. o ; .-. 



Gun Patterns — Brooklyn,, A. 



quotes froai your former issue of a gnii putting 300 shots lii 

 a 30-in, circle, 40 yards, li oz. No. 8 shot : also of his gun 



have to be careful about shooting a laggard goose, or one 

 which appears to be wounded. The wild'dueks also are some- 

 times poisoned by eating this poisoned grain strewn about for 

 the geese. I recently had a pair of ducks given me by a friend 

 who had been yachting up the rivers, and 1 and my whole 

 family were poisoned. I was sick from the effects of the 

 poison for about ten days, although the other members of the 

 family, who had eaten less heartily, recovered in a day or two. 

 The physician who attended us states that be had had five or 

 six ca Ses of the same kind during the winter, and had heard 

 of several others. Such a dangerous custom as this should 

 be stopped by law. The farmers should protect themselves 

 without endangering the lives of others ; the idea of poison- 

 ing wild game seems outrageous. We understand, however, 

 it has been done in the southern part of California also, where 

 droves of quail are an annoyance, and where there are few 

 hunters to drive them off. Y. 



THE DITTMAR POWDER. 



The discussion over the merits of the light powder still keeps 

 up, and it is as various as can well be. To-day we give sev- 

 eral opinions and reports of experience. The first sportsman 

 says: 



Noticing frequent articles in your columns about Dittmar 

 powder, 1 write you my little experience with it, Last sum- 

 mer I bought two cans (C) of Dittmar, using it in an 8 lb. 12- 

 gauge gun. I used pacer shells with one " fibre," and one P. 

 E, wad over powder, just pressing the wads down firmly, not 

 raining hard. I tried it first wil,h"2j drs., 1 oz. No. 8 chilled 

 shot. With this charge at 30 yds. it would hardly stick the 

 shot into a soft pine board. I increased powder by \ dr. up 

 to 3j drs. , leaving the weight of shot the same. ' With the 

 ast charge there was an unpleasant shock — not exactly recoil' 

 possibly imagination— so I settled back on 34 drs. This for 

 glass balls I found good and liked it. I went out hunting a 

 number of times, using Dittmar, 3^ drs. 1 oz. No. 8 chilled 

 shot, shooting gray and black squirrels from the tree tops on 

 the run. and any way you could find them. I always had to 

 fire the second, and often the third, shot to bring them down, 

 while with 3 drs. Hazard's Electric No. A, same shot, I could 

 drop them wherever seen the first time. One day I saw at a 

 distance, of some 50 yards a red squirrel and made it a sort of 

 test shot. I gave him the Dittmar, when he scampered down 

 and out on another limb, from which the second barrel, loaded 

 with Hazard, dropped him dead. With 3} drs. of the latter 

 and a scant ounce of buck shot I killed a duck fully 75 yards, 

 and had no trouble in getting " venison for breakfast with the 

 Brat shot. A friend here tried Dittmar with like result. We 

 met with no accident, but feared to increase the charge, ,.u 

 that in effect it was the same as a very small charge of black 

 powder, excepting it was less trouble to clean our guns. 



Caition., N. Y. r. 



A friend of the powder reports : 



Montreal, March 3, 1879.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 itiee in your paper of the 30th of January last a letter 

 from " Canvas Back " asking if any one had kept shells loaded 

 with Dittmar powder for any length of time and then used 

 them to good advantage. As I have had experience with 

 that powder, 1 will give your readers the benefit and at the 

 tame time answer the question of your correspondent. 



When the Dittmar powder was first advertised in your 

 paper i s& inislers. I had always used Curtis & 



Harvey's 2 ind tested the Dittmar in competition 



- my shells (Eley's brown paper) with different 

 charges-: Irachms of powder and 1 to 14, oz. No. 8 



shot. The gun ,vas an 81b. 12-gauge Parker, distance 40 yi' . 

 My first series o£ experiments were not at all satisfactory, the 

 Dittmar giving very poor results both in pattern and penetra • 



