

FOREST AND STREAM. 



409 



i .mi Mend was indignant. After all, However; 



i-vc -rv one we iiK-l on Hint trip was my kind, indeed all 

 intci-csliic; themselves lo In 1 1 1 US in OUT CfUesI OT Sport in 



every wav possible. 



Our guide had two or three dogs with him, so the first 

 nun niiiir .■iftcr reaching camp lie left us on nrawuys with the 



USOal inslniclioris. \\ ifhin a few moments the hounds gave 



tongue, and in a few minutes more I heard a eraahingand 

 -aw a magnificent buck coming my way on the keen jump, 

 I had. heard of buck fever, but was not at all excited, so I 

 kept him covered with in\ gun as he came directly at me. 

 I'ecling sure Mini he was mine. When he was twee 

 away "1 stepped quickly out from behind a tree; he saw me 

 and 'turned suddenly; . as lie turned I held for his shoulder 

 and pulled. The loud report of my gun surprised me, but 

 the sound of that deer still running surprised me much more. 

 I Stepped aside to gel out of a dense cloud of smoke in order 

 , give the swift jumping deer the other barrel, but quickly 

 concluded no! to, for a look along the line of my piece 

 allowed the right barrel, the one I had shot, tobebursted. 



, si\ inches from the muzzle it was torn away from the 

 rib, and was left at nearly a, right angle to the other tube. 

 Oil the side of the burs ted barrel a large lent 

 showed the place where the charge had escaped. No wonder 

 the deer was still running, the shot had passed nearly over my 

 shoulder, or at all events not in the direction of the 

 game. I was at first dumbfounded, and could not eompre- 

 liendwltat caused I he disaster; My friends suggested dirt 

 or mud in the muzzle, but I was positive there had been 

 none. Then 1 examined the shells and cut ( ne open and 

 chambered the 18-gftuge tilled with shot in the muzzle 

 of the oilier barrel. "" I could not drive it through. My gnu 

 was choked too much to allow it, and the -'mystery 1 ' was 

 solved. It was a lesson not to be forgotten. Too much 

 .an- capoot be used in snooting buckshot from a choked 

 gun. 



,\ow it's time to "turn in" as our nautical brothers say, 

 but 1 do wish in dosing that, the "old club" was more sym- 

 metrical, then I would keep it. It's my intention ODe of 

 these nays to have a neat cabinet made with glass sides and 

 doors, to place in my library or dining room in which to 

 keep my ride, shotgun, fishing rods, etc. Such a case could 

 be gotten up of handsome design, and it would with its con- 

 tents be a unique article of furniture: the contents would 

 lie kept in excellent condition, ami the top of the case or 

 inbiuei would serve as all appropriate place for mounted 

 specimens of game birds or small animals. But how out, of 

 place that old gnu of mine would seem in such tin aristocratic 

 affair! Yes, friend Havens, I guess you can sell me that 

 I w e Ire-gauge hanimcrless. Delta. 



, , ■, Dee. ta, 



THE CHOICE OF HUNTING RIFLES. 



Editor Fori si and Str><i,i<: 



I have owned •> good many rifles, but have never been 

 -nfliciemly charmed with repeaters to invest a dollar in them. 

 i. however, own one repeater given by a friend. This is a 

 Winchester ,33, and is a very handsome and well-made little 

 arm, and the one that 1 would select if it were a question of 

 s.pdriels or woudehueks. When it; comes to Very heavy 

 charges however. 1 must confess to a certain fear of them, 

 llOlli on account of the action, and the possibility of explod- 

 ing a cartridge in the magazine. Not long since Ihe tj, S. 

 ordnance Department invited manufacturers of repeaters to 

 specimens of their work for examination and trial 

 Fourteen guns SV< re I nt< red. of which twelve were bolt guns 

 and twf) lever guns. The several guns were submitted to a 

 board for trial, and the report of that board has been 

 published. Concerning one of the lever guns, the report 

 reads as follows: 



"After emptying lie- bull magazine. Ihe front magazine 



could not be turned on. it, was found that the tipsfoek had 



,i displaced and driven forward by the recoil pi the piece 



fn.m the previous shots to such an extent as to bind and 



prevent the working of the cut-off. 



"The board decided thai the inventor might correct tills 

 defect of construction, when the lest, would be continued." 



tin the second trial: "At the fourteenth shot the gun 

 broke down.' A third trial having been granted, the rcpoit 

 reads: "It was handled ill the safely hsi by the inventor, 

 in tiring which, at the sixth shot, the receiver burster!, break- 

 ing the gun in two— the butt falling on the ground, Ihe bar- 

 n-i being retained in the left hand of the operator." 



Concerning the other lever gun. the report rends: "On 

 tiling Ihe forty-eighth shot, a cartridge exploded iu the maga- 

 zine. This gun was re-entered and at the second I rial again 

 came in grief. At the li fly second shot, "after renewing' the 

 Cartridges in Ihe iiciga/ine. the third cartridge Iron, Ihe 

 chamber exploded in the magazine. Doubtless due to the 

 effects of the recoil on an over-sensitive cartridge." These 

 incidents all occurred when shooting ihe i rdiuary set vice 

 charge, (.45-70 405). It is proper to state thai neither of the 

 guns'refcrred to was a Winchester. This company did not 

 enter one of tin- guns hearing their name, but instead a bolt 

 gun. The bolt guns stood the various tests in a much mure 

 satisfactory manner. In almost, all of them, however, the 

 cartridges 'in the magazines showed evidences of the effects 

 uf tire recoil. When we remember that in a shotgun the 

 riling of the first barrel often loosens the wad in the 

 wc must not disregard the effect on the cartridges in the 

 magazine of a repeater, especially when arranged in Indian 

 lib-, as iii the Winchester. If now the recoil is materially 

 increased, as it would Vie in "D. M. B's." 40-90-500, till 

 danger of accident is likewise increased. It would certainly 

 be interesting and instructive to have a "wear and tear" 1 ' 

 trial between" some of the lever repeaters that were not, en- 

 tered in the government trials. AVill the Winchester. Ken- 

 nedy, and Ballard rifles enter? The trials should be confined 

 to the rities of tho largest calibre, and be conducted under 

 Ihe supervision of competent persons, and much in the same 

 manner as the late government trials. Let either of these 

 makers constrnd abo'a 40-90-500 repeater, and subject it to 

 a similar trial. If it stands the racket, we will all of us 

 know more about the matter than any of us know now. 



Until such test is made, however, i should certainly pre- 

 fer the loss of a head of game occasionally, to the chance of 

 loss of my own. 



"D. M. B." objects to the recoil of the English express 

 ride. Ninety grains of powder would be a fair charge for a 

 ,.!i rjxnrcss, wltha bullet weighing about 250 grains. 

 The recoil would be much less than that of "P. M. 11'-,." own 

 Cartridge, owing to Ihe lighter lead, slower twist, and shal- 

 lower grooving of the English gun. The reason that so many 

 express rifles are rusting in the corners of Y\ 

 undoubtedly due to the fact that most of the express rifles 



brought to this country have been of ion large calibre. 

 There are indications of fl change in that respect on the other 

 side of the pond, and I am reliably informed that a .82 ex- 

 press is becoming a favorite for English deer stalking. Tic 

 Hi and 12 bores of a few years ago are being replaced by .40 

 and .45 cal. express, and ihe recoil of these weapons IS by 

 no means severe, being considerably less than the recoil of 

 the ordinary military rifle. In a single or double rifle Ihe re- 

 coil is a secondary matter, as there are a variety of devices 

 for reducing it to a minimum. The purchaser can choose 

 between the expensive Silver or tin' cheap Bolton pad, either 

 of which attached to the rifle veil] permit heavy charges to 

 lie shot without discomfort. 



"D. M. B." -peaks of an express bullet with a very small 

 hole. If he will send me his address through you. T will 

 take pleasure in forwarding for his inspection a ,45-cal. 

 bullet, weighing 345 strains, the hole of which is much 

 smaller than usually seen, and which bullet is one of a lot 

 that has been freely sampled on grizzlies and other large 

 game, by your foinier correspondent "P.'' This hall, with 

 a hundred grains of powder behind it is, I believe, "TVs" 

 favorite projectile for such game. 



"D. M. B." objects to my giving preference to English 

 express rifles, and thinks that Auierie.an rides arc just as 

 good, if not, a trifle better than the English. Comparing 

 our rifles as a wdiole with the English, I think Ihe facts war- 

 rant the claim that, for short, and long range, cleaning 

 between shots, our rifles are greatly superior to the others: 

 that for both short and long range, shooting dirty, there is 

 verv little, if anv difference: that in military rifles ours are 

 superior. The Springfield (.I5-70-405». has less recoil ('111 foot- 

 pounds) than the Martini-Henry (45-85-480), the recoil oi 

 which is 12.5 foot-pounds. The former is the more accurate, 

 and has the flatter trajectory. Iu the matter of sporting 

 rifles, however, for short range, it certainly seems to me. that 

 a double-barrel .46-110, with a hollow- "pointed bullet of 

 medium weight (say 350 grains), would on the whole be more 

 useful than any American single rifle, and probably safer 

 than a repeater of equal power. GiuiENrioux. 



Editor F', :r.-! amd Strewn 



.Much is being said just now about "high curves," pene- 

 tration, proper caliber, etc. In your last issue I noficca cull 

 for a 40-90 magazine, and frequently opinions as to the best 

 rifle for large game. 



I. believe sportsmen are frequently exorcised by the ques- 

 tion, "What rifle, shall I bny r for deer shooting?'"' I for one 



i ' a. After years of experience with the rifle I feel 

 that 1 can give some suggestions to the fraternity. 



As a general thing-, ammunition for our sporting rifles is 

 loaded with too much lead— over-leaded. There should not 

 lie a larger ratio than 1 to 3. or 1 to 3} between powder and 

 lead. Many sportsmen use rifles chambered for the govern- 

 ment ammunition, with a powder and lead proportion of 

 about 1 to 0, which, no doubt, is about correct for the pur- 

 pose intended — a long steady flight and great penetration. 



For hunting, the trajectory of this ammunition is entirely 

 too high; I believe about 11 in. at 200 yds. High trajectory 

 necessitates frequent adjustment of "sights, and frequent 

 change of sights brings very frequent misses. 



A ball of 300 grains is heavy enough for deer, black bear, 

 caribou anil even elk, and by loading such a ball on 85 to 90 

 grains pmvder in the govern menl shell, the trajectory is re- 

 duced at least one-half aud the penetration is still sufficient 

 for all ordinary game. The recoil will not he as unpleasant 

 as with the government load. 



The recoil of a 40-90 rifle with a 380 lo 500 grain ball to 

 most men is unpleasant, and iu a in:igazine"rifie. where 

 quick shooting in various positions is necessary, would be a 

 serious objection. Belter than the government shell is the 

 45-75 bottled. It, has greater capacity and being bottle- 

 necked has another advantage in trajectory. 



Why do nol more riflemen use ' rifles" taking a bottled 

 shell? 1 find them just as durable, and givinsr no more 

 trouble from sticking than with the straight, shell." For deer 

 shooting I load these shells through, a 24-inch tube with 90 



PHILADELPHIA NOTES. 

 r IMIE decided change of weather we have had within the 

 JL past twenty-four hours will have the effect, of tlSp] > 

 ing the duck shooting in our river and bay, ami will doubt- 

 less brim: more fowl to the Havre de Grace and Gunpowder 

 grounds If the cold does nol become so intense as to entirely 

 shut out Ihe feeding grounds. Tour correspondent hasheard 

 I vice- this week of the presence in great numbers of the 

 ■'white brant" (as the snow geese were called! below Bombay 

 Hook. Can anv one give positive information as to where 

 this fowl summers-; I have formed an idea that they migrate 

 to the Arctic portion of the Pacific coast, although they tire 

 never seen in their flights, at least not as I have read. 



Mr. Krider oi our city is having many elegant specimens 

 of birds scut to him weekly for mounting that have flown 

 against, the lighthouse at Atlantic City during the night. 



The West Jersey Game Society seems to be in more and 

 more trouble. After a series of troublesome meetings the office 

 of secretary, as I wrote you in my last letter, was handed over 

 to Postmaster Barnard of Gloucester, N. J., upon agreeing to 

 file a bond for £2.000 to insure the safety of the money pass 

 ing through his hands. Since the secretary has agreed to 

 enter this security, u dispute has arisen between him and 

 Solicitor Joline of the society over Ihe approving the bond. 

 At the last meeting of the society a resolution was passed 

 asking the solicitor to examine the bond and approve it if 

 he found it suitable. The secretary claims that the resolution 

 only requires Mr. Joline to approve the wording of the bond 

 and the hoard of directors the sureties mentioned iu the docu- 

 ment. 



Mr. Joline has certified to the correctness of the form of 

 the bondi hut that is all. Director Keugler of Philadelphia, 

 who was given possession of the books in the early stages of 

 the controversy, refuses to surrender the same to Secretary 

 Barnard until the latter has properly qualified by submitting 

 the names of his bondsmen to be approved by the solicitor. 

 Another meeting of the society has been called for the 20th 

 inst.. when it is hoped a satisfactory- solution of the difficulty 

 will he arrived al. It is said that it will be impossible to 

 pass the bill spoken of to incorporate the Farmers' aud Sports- 

 men's Gamc.Protective Association of Atlantic county, N.J., 

 as under the" new constitution of Mew Jersey it will' be spe- 

 cial legislation, and illegal. 



Feathered game, owing to the nearness of the close season, 

 is hanging in our stores atid stalls in greal profusion. Ven- 

 ison was never more plentiful, and a great part of if comes 

 from our own State. Hoiro. 



to 95 grains powder and a very ha 

 and shoot them from the new Whit 

 zinc rifle, and get the very flatb 

 from a magazine rifle. Few spi 

 nedv i.-- now made in 45-75 and 

 they cannot do better the, 

 simplicity, accuracy andy 



Illinois. 



. i ball, 



nev keiiueih 45-75 maga- 



,'to he obi ai ned 



w that the Ken- 



5 and 50-90 sizes, ami I im sure 



itive one a trial. For strength, 



irkmanship they have no superior. 



Bio En.itx. 



ffltttor Kdrant ami Strtamu 



In your last issue "Greenhorn'' expresses a fear that Ihe 

 systems now applied to repeating rifles will not admit, the 

 use of a 40-90 cartridge. (The 40-9(1 Sharps aud Remington 

 special using 370 grain bullet, is three and a half inches in 

 length). "Greenhorn's" bars are unfounded. I am in- 

 formed from a reliable source that a repeater of this descrip- 

 tion will be placed on the market in the cource of a month 

 or two. If Will nor, however, use the regular 40-90 ammu- 

 nition, but a special cartridge, with a bullet three times the 

 weight of powder. 1 do not know whether a 370 or 500 

 grain bullet, can be used, but should think it could if loaded 

 into the barrel. But why should a heavier one he used? 

 The curve would be higher and the recoil heavier than with 

 the lighter bullet. The term "express" would hardly apply 

 to a 40-90-500 cartridge. The 500-gruiu bullet might be best 

 for the grizzly bear (grizzly hear hunters are lather scarce). 

 but I think that MOO grains of lead in the right place is better 

 than 500 grains somewhere else, and it is lajfge enough for 

 any game in the United States. The earl ridge in this re- 

 peater is hacked by a breech action as strong as the Reming- 

 ton. Sportsmen wishing a magazine rifle of this description 

 enii soon httve their wishes gratified. Sthatout StOC i>. 



UENEKEO. S. v. 



F.ditor Fund midstream: 



1 am decidedly in favor of the repeater, but the. 14 cal. I 

 tlou'l like, and the .44 with 40 gra, powder is not effective 

 euough. 1 made a suggestion to the Winchester Arms Com- 

 pany, and received the following replj : "Replying to your-, 

 would say that our model '70 gun could be readily adapted 

 toa.44-cal. cartridge, but, there would be no cartridge in 

 market adapted to it. and we should have to make a special 

 cartridge, which would be similar lo the mode! of '76, which 

 would be .44-eaL instead of .45." Placing Ihe two .44 and 

 ,45-cal. Winchester shells side by .ride, Ihe .44 will look much 

 the smaller. Then make it the" same length of the .15. and 

 won't it come nearer the wauls of sportsmen than anything 

 we now have? O, II. S. 



Washington. 



ADIRONDACK DEER. 



Editor Forest our! Sfrntm: 



Returning home alter a camp-out of three weeks in the 

 Beaver River country. 1 find three copies of your valuable 

 paper on file for my perusal. Scanning their contents. 1 

 note only- one article by "Alhsset" relating" to ihe game of 

 that section. Astounding as his assertions may appear to 

 Ihe world outside. I venture the opinion that they are not 

 Overdrawn. Not only have Cue hundreds of hound's worked 

 faithfully for the two and a half months allotted to them, 

 but still many parties pretending to go into the woods to 

 still-hunt took their dogs along with them, The northern 

 part, of Herkimer county around Crooked Lake and the 

 Mos.ier Ponds have been so constantly scoured by dogs the 

 past, month that a still-hunter stood no show." In fact; 

 scarcely anything could be struck but a fawn or small doe's 

 track to follow. Parties coming out of the woods with 

 loads of from ten to fifteen deer all through the month of 

 November, claiming to be still hunters, with three-fourths 

 of their game showing only a bullet hole in the back of the 

 head, tells its own tale. This constant floating and hound- 

 ing must and surely is destroying our game beyond redemp- 

 tion. 



Pa i lies coming in from Warren ami .UeKcan counties, 

 Pa., where but, a few years since I hey found deer in paying 

 quantities to hunt, all tell the same story, that no deer are to 

 be found. Not a track by some could lie seen by tramping 

 all day. Around my camp in Herkiuner county", two years 

 ago, was the home of the deer. So plenty were they that 

 they would come and root over the leaves "for shack within 

 fifty yards of camp every night. Upon my arrival there 

 last mouth, I found instead of deer signs a bark camp near 

 by, with skill and suitable camp equipage stowed away for 

 future use, aud well-beaten paths leading to all the lake's aud 

 ponds in the vicinity. This I understand is a fair sample of 

 the turn affairs are taking all through the whole Adirondack 

 country. Cap Lock-. 



FiiEwsBCiiii. Dec. 3. 



RIPARIAN RIGHTS. 



Denver, Goi., Nov. 28, 1888. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In your issue of 22d inst. I find under the caption of 

 "Navigable Waters and Shore Rights" an inquiry and vour 

 very comprehensive editorial reply upon the subject "indi- 

 cated by the title above quoted. While you quote laws ami 

 decisions of courts touehing^the point, 1 think there is one 

 other very important fact to lie taken into consideration. 



Since the Government of the L'nited States adopted its 

 present system of surveys for the public land it has been the 

 rule to meander and exempt from sale all large or even con- 

 siderable bodies of water. This includes" all navigable 

 streams, whether reached by tide water or not, and all Takes. 

 or ponds of an area exceeding forty acres iu anv 160 acres. 

 That is, forty acres is considered by raited States deputy 

 surveyors as the minimum size of any body of water they 

 are in duty bound to meander, and except from the area of 

 public lands they may be required to survey. As the sur- 

 veyor is paid per lineal measure for the lines he runs he is 

 apl to make all he justly can out. of them, yet, there may be 

 instances hi which this has not been done." These meander 

 lines are supposed to follow the general outline of the water, 

 occasionally cutting its margin, but far more commonly fall- 

 ing several feet: away from il upon the bank. When the 

 contiguous land is sold by the general Government or by 

 the State to which it may have been ceded, if is sold to such 

 meander line only. So much of the land as is covered by 

 the body of water and the margin outside of it (if any) to 

 the meander line, remains the property of the United States 

 for the free and impartial use of all the people. 



This system of public land survey was adopted and piar- 

 ticed first iu Ohio and has governed the public laud system 

 ever since. 1 presume it applied to the St. Clair (.Michigan) 

 region, whence I understand your inquiry comes, unless 

 that particular locality was covered by some" one of the early 

 military grants wluch ante-dated the plan of surveys above 

 referred to. "Three stars" can easily learn from his county 



