326 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



P 'Lexington, Kentucky. —A match was shot at this 

 place on the 21st inst., the conditions being ten single birds, 

 21 yards rise, 80 yards boundary. The wind was blowing 

 strong. The following is the score: - 



hunter's club. 

 Name. Score. 



J. A. Higgins 4 



A. G. Morgan 5 



J. M. Taylor............ 5 



John R. Viley 6 



James B. Beck 6 



W.R.McCaw 4 



VILEY CLUB. 



Name. Score. 



F. W. Woolley 7 



C. W. Bradley 5 



D . Knoble 5 



G. A. DeLong. . 7 



Jun. Smith 9 



M. D. Richardson 



S. McChesney 7, Frank Waters . 



. IG 



Grand total 44 Grand total... 40 



*. 



The Ik ter- Collegiate Rifle Match.— We have re- 

 ceived letters from, various Colleges inquiring as to the 

 conditions under which the Challenge Plate given by this 

 paper would be shot for ; whether they would apply only 

 to academicians, or include the law, divinity, scientific and 

 other contemporary schools. In reply, we would say that 

 inasmuch as the origin of this match was for the purpose 

 of encouraging and extending as widely as possible the 

 practice of rifle shooting in the colleges, it will be open to 

 all undergraduates. We suggested the use of the military 

 rifle, and trust that collegians who propose to participate 

 in the match will, in the general interests of rifle practice, 

 see the force of the following arguments in their favor: 



1. They can probably be obtained gratuitously by any 

 college either from the State or United States, and the car- 

 tridges cost just half the price of those used with the 

 Creed moor rifles. 



2. They will shoot just as well at 200 yards, and almost 

 as well at 500, as the Creedmoor rifle, while the ordinary 

 sporting rifle shoots no better than the military at 200, and 

 (unless it has a wind guage) worse at 500 yards. 



3. They enable the team scores to be compared with 

 those of the National Guard. 



The aim and end of the N. R. A. is to promote military 

 shooting with open sights, and thus create a class of rifle- 

 men who will not only be skillful in time of peace, but 

 efficient in time of war. The tendency is towards the 

 finest rifles with the most complicated sights, and if any 

 deviation is allowed from a strictly military weapon, there 

 is no stopping short of a $125 Creedmoor, which is out of 

 the reach of most collegians. Moreover, with the latter 

 the art of handling open sights is entirely neglected, de- 

 pendence being placed entirely upon the wind guage ; and 

 when men go into long range, i. e., over 500 yards, they are 

 apt to neglect off-hand shooting. 



There is no object in colleges beiug encouraged to get up 

 long range teams ; there are many for their practicing with 

 military rifles. With the former, so much time and skill is 

 required tbat their studies would be greatly interfered 

 with, and even then they would never make much of a 

 display. With the latter, they could vie with the best 

 teams from the National Guard, and neyer take any time 

 from their duties. The one is for the few, the other for 

 the many, and its adoption is the only way to make the 

 thing receive the support of the public. 



The right thing to do would be for the colleges to organ- 

 ize a company of sharpshooters, and make application to 

 the State authorities for rifles and ammunition. They 

 could probably obtain the use of any military range ad- 

 joining. If they go into the long range business, they can 

 expect ho such support. 



From the following letter, for which we heartily thank 

 the American Rifle Association, it will be seen that one 

 range has already been thrown open free to such college 

 teams as choose to avail of it. — 



American Rifle Association, ) 



Mouet Vernon, Westchester county, Dec. 27th, 1875. ) 

 Editor Forest and Stream;— 



The Executive Committee of this Association, appreciating your ef- 

 forts to create and promote an interest in the use of the rifle, have au- 

 thorized me to inform you that they have resolved to offer the use of 

 "Glen Drake Range," without charge, to such teams of colleges as shall 

 enter for the Forest and Stream Tnter-collegiate Plate, for practice at 

 such times as you may select. Yours respectfully, 



Geo. O. Starr, Secretary. 



Cambridge.— The Harvard College Rifle Club was for- 

 mally organized on Monday of last week, and the follow- 

 ing officers were chosen: S. Sherwood, President; W. E. 

 Russell, Secretary and Treasurer; Sigourney Butler, Field 

 Inspector. Committees were appointed to conduct the 

 election of members and to draft a constitution for the 

 club. A match took place on Tuesday afternoon at the 

 range opposite Mount Auburn. Distance, 200 yards. Pos- 

 sible score, 50. The following is the score:— 



Name. Rifle. Score. I Name. Rifle. Score. 



J. L. Du Fais, Sharpe 39 W. F. Weld, Ballard 33 



W. Bacon, Ballard 39 W. E. Russell 33 



S. Sherwood, Sharpe SfrjW. O. Riggs, Maynard 28 



H. C. Leeds, Remington .37|M.. L. Crosby, Maynard 27 



—The fifth contest for the Turf, Field and Farm cups, 



was shot Thursday, Dec. 23d, 1875, at Conlin's Gallery, 



930 Broadway. Conditions:— ten shots; rifle; offhand; 



200 yards; Wimbledon target, reduced for the 110 feet 



range. The first cup was won by Chas. A. Cheever with 



a score of 40; second cup by J. Wright, for second time, 



with a score of 34; third by J. Woodward with a score of 



24 points. The following is a summary of the Turf Field 



and Farm cup contests: — 



First cup— best score. 



Robert Faber... 41 



T. C. Noone 46 



L. C.Bruce 44 



W. B. Farwell 46 



C, A. Cheever 



Third cup— nearest score 

 to 25. 



J. Burns........ 25 



W. H. Richards 25 



Second cup -nearest 

 score to 35. 



M. J. Duffey 35 



H. G.Bl.ydenburgh..35 . 



F.A. Seybell.....,..35;(J. Coadington 25 



J. O. Wright... 35!F: H. Lord. 25 



J. O. Wright ..34,J. Woodward 25 



The Forest and Stream badges will be shot for Thurs- 

 day, Dec, 30th, 1875, at 4 P. M. All comers are invited to 

 participate, 



— The Seventh Regiment Rifle Club has prepared a pro- 

 gramme of gallery shooting, to take place in the basement 

 of the regimental armory during the Winter season, as fol- 

 lows: Individual Practice — Jan. 15, Feb. 12, March 11, 

 April 1 and 15 ; " The Rifles "—Jan. 8, Feb. 5, March 4, 

 and April 8; " Seventh Regiment Rifle Club Badge "—Jan. 

 22, Feb. 9, March 18, and April 18 ; "Regimental Badge " 

 —Jan. 29, Feb. 26, March 25, and April 29. The latter 

 match will be open to teams of three from each company, 

 and will doubtless be an interesting affair. In addition to 

 the foregoing matches, a " diamond badge" has been pre- 

 sented by a member of the club, to be shot for upon the 

 following conditions, at the armory or at Creedmoor, in 

 favorable weather : Match to take place once each month ; 

 open only to members of the regimental rifle club; distance 

 200 and 500 yards ; seven scoring shots ; each competitor 

 to shoot with a different rifle ; entrance fee twenty-five 

 cents, which shall be used to defray the expenses of mark- 

 ing at Creedmoor. 



Creedmoor Jr. Range .—The second competition for 

 the Union Metallic Cartridge Co.'s badges was shot at the 

 above range, located in the old pneumatic tube, at No. 260 

 Broadway, on Wednesday last. There were in all 55 en- 

 tries, the conditions being ten shots at 100 yards, off-hand. 

 The prizes were awarded to the first, tenth, and twentieth 

 scores, as follows : — 



Name. Score. Total. 



D. F. Davids, first 8 454444455 42 



G. O. Starr, second 3 3 4 4 4 5 4 5 4 3 39 



J. F. Apgar 3 4 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 3 36 



The third of these open competitions was to have been 

 shot yesterday. 



— A Subscription Match came off on Christmas day, at 

 this range. Terms, ten shots, off-hand; entrance, $1; one- 

 half entrance money to be divided between first, fifth and 

 tenth best scores. The winners were C. G. Zettler with 

 a score of 44, first prize; H. Fielding, score 41, second 

 prize; W. L. Burton, score, 31, third prize. 



Miley's Shooting Gallery, Brooklyn. — The follow- 

 ing is a record of the best targets made to Dec. 27th ; ten 

 shots each ; distance, 100 feet : — 



Name. Score 



J. L. S. Kellner 5 3-16 



John F. Burns 5 9 16 



Mayo Fullon 6 5 -16 



L. C. Bruce 6* 



James F. Halligan 7£ 



Hellwig's Galleky. — The fourth weekly competition 

 for a gold medal, a rifle (Remington model), and a Colt's 

 revolver, was shot at this gallery, No. 273 Eighth avenue, 

 Dec. 22, 1875. The winners were as follows : M. L. Riggs, 

 first prize, 48 ; William Lmdsay, second prize, 40 ; Henry 

 Ellingen, third prize, 29. 



Glen Drake.— The matches arranged for Christmas 

 day by the American Rifle Association drew together a 

 large number of marksmen in spite of the disagreeable 

 weather. The targets were at times distinct, but the 

 greater portion of the day they were shrouded by a dense 

 fog which rendered good shooting impossible. Four 

 matches were contested, the first and most interesting 

 being the De Peyster badge match. It had been won once 

 by Capt. C. F. Bobbins, of the Seventh regiment, Lieut. 

 J. A. Gee, of the Eighth regiment, and Private F. Back- 

 fen, of the Forty-seventh regiment . Mr. Backofen was suc- 

 cessful on Christmas day, which places him twice among 

 the winners. The following were the highest scores: — 



Name and Regiment. Score.] Name and Regiment. Score. 



F. Backofen, 4?th 26 M. Cochrane, 71st 24 



Lt. A.E.Brown, 47th 26 Capt. E. Barker, 8th 24 



Capt. A. W. Peck, 27th 26|Lt. Morle, 47th 20 



The Allcomers match contained five prizes; first, fruit 

 dish, valued at $20; second, cake dish, $15; third, butter 

 dish, $10; fourth, chow-chow cruet, $6, and fifth, napkin 

 ring, $3. Thejbest scores were as follows:— 



Name. Score. 



S. Wilson.,. 7i 



T. J. McCabe 7 9-16 



P. Cadden. 7* 



Charles E. Hoy t 7 9-16 



James Connors 8 



Name. Rifle. Score. 



H. Fisher, Sharp Sport 19 



Geo. H. Thompson, Rem. mil 19 



A. W. Peck, Rem.mil 18 



Col. J. T. Underhill, Rem. mil... 18 



Name. Rifle. Score. 



Wm. S. Bevan, Sharp mil 26 



Edward Barker Rem. mil 26 



T . Duke, Ballard sport 24 



Lt. Morle, Rem, mil 23 



F. Backofen, Rem. mil 23 



A toilet set, cologne set, and book, constituted the prizes 

 in the Ladies' match. They were valued at $15, $10, and 

 $6, and won by the following acores: — 



Name. Score, j Name. Score. 



F . Backofen 20 G. W. Bradley 18 



J. A. Gee 181 



The winning scores in the Subscription match were as 

 follows: — 



Name. Score. I Name. Score. 



H. Fisher 18 H. Fisher 16 



Geo. H. Thompson 16| 



The canvas targets were in use and gave general satis- 

 faction. For the comfort of the shooters fires and tents 

 were erected at the firing points; the telegraph worked ad- 

 mirably and prevented all mistakes in scoring, as well as 

 saving much time. The directors of the association in 

 conducting matches, rain or shine, evidently wish the pub- 

 lic to feel that the rifleman and the National Guard are 

 not intended for fair weather soldiers only. 



The American Rifle Association will have a match for 

 the "Association Cup " on Saturday next, open only to 

 members. Hours of shooting 10 A. M. to 3 P. M. 



— The Hudson River Rifle Association, whose headquar- 

 ters are at Poughkeepsie, have decided to provide a 1,000 

 yards range in addition to those at 200 and 500 yards, to be 

 so arranged that all can be used at the same time. Col. 

 John Bodine, the President of the Association, is giving 

 his personal attention this winter to the duties of Inspector 

 of Rifle Practice in the Fifth Division . 



Chicago.— At Fuller's shooting gallery, Kos. 118 and 

 120 Washington street, the following scores were recently 

 made, the conditions being 10 shots, off-hand, 60 feet, 200 

 yards miniature target reduced; possible score, 50; Creed- 

 moor rules to govern : — 



Name. Score. 



C. S. Gerrish 36 



C. S. Gerrish 34 



W. E. Webb 34 



T. E. McFarland 34 



H. T. Stirling 33 



J. Hyde Fisher 33 



Name. Score. 



J, A. Schaffer, first prize 45 



S. B. Sexton 44 



M. F. Kalmbach 44 



S. B. Sexton.... 43 



Bangs '. 42 



Geo. Barnard 42 



S. B. Sexton, second prize 41 



M. F. Kalmbach 41 



E. P. LeWolf ...41 



J. A. Schaffer.. 



M, F. Kalmbach.,,...,.-. 



S. b\ Sexton 33 



John Muir .33 



John Muir 31 



.39JT. E. McFarland, third prize,.,,. 30 



39 1 



Boston. — The Massachusetts Rifle Association, held a 

 meeting on Saturday week on their grounds at Spy Pond 

 in which twenty gentlemen participated, the distance being 

 200 yards, off-hand. According to the Boston Herald, the 

 Massachusetts riflemen are dissatisfied with the Creedmoor 

 mode of scoring, claiming that "a man might put ten 

 shots into the target, each one verging on the outer edge of 

 the bullseye and measuring 50 inches from the centre- 

 another might put ten shots into the same ring and on the 

 outer edge thereof, making a string aggregating, for ex- 

 ample, 140 inches," and yet, according to the Creedmoor 

 system, making as good a score as the first. "Why not 

 return to string measurement at once? but this is the way 

 the Massachusetts men propose to arrange it:— 



"To do away in degree with the dissatisfaction, the com- 

 mittee introduced a target which was primarily of the 

 Creedmoor pattern. Then inside the large rings were 

 drawn others two inches apart, and numbered outward 

 from the centre (which was '12')— 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, &c. The 

 markers indicated by small targets bearing corresponding 

 figures where each shot struck, and the rifleman by this 

 means was informed almost immediately within two 

 inches where his bullet hit, while at the same time it was 

 feasible to keep the score by the Creedmoor system. To 

 carry out the principle to its furthest limit it would be 

 only necessary to increase the number of rings and have 

 them only so far apart as the diameter of the bullets used. 

 If it was desired to make a very close comparison of shots 

 fired by different individuals, this would perhaps be the 

 most feasible way of doing it. If the element of competi- 

 tion is not to enter into this practice it matters little, 

 perhaps, what the target is. Without competition, where 

 is the interest? With it, why not draw the lines fine?" 



To illustrate the working of this plan we give below the 

 best five scores in the match alluded to above, counted on 

 both plans. It will be noticed that the man making the 

 best score on the Creedmoor plan is second best on the 

 Massachusetts combination principle:— 

 Shots. 



E. W. Souther. 



I 



12 3 456789 10 Total. 



W T Tarpon i 4454 45444 4 42 



•••1 10 10 1110 7 11 9 10 10 10......... 98 



544445444 5 43 



11 10 7 7 10 12 9 9 8 11 94 



A P Clarke 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 5 4 4 40 



A. r. i^anie -j 9 8 10 6 8 7 10 1110 9 88 



C C Hebhard i 444434444 4 39 



c. c. jieDoara .< io io 7 9 6 9 10 8 8 9 85 



~ 4 b9 



10 80 



A H HPhhard i 433554 5 33 



A. H. Hebbard -j 9 3 6 11 12 8 12 4 5 



— Lieutenant Jlenry Metcalf, of the Ordnance Depart- 

 ment, U. S- Army, has been tendered a medal by the 

 Turkish Government, in recognition of his services in ex- 

 amining the arms purchased by them in this country. The 

 consent of Congress is required for the acceptance of the 

 medal. 



— Texas Jack, the well-known dramatic interpreter of 

 Indian tragedy, a few days ago carried off the prize in a 

 rifle match at New Orleans, scoring 23 out of a possible 25, 

 with a small rifle, at a distance of forty yards. 



-**^- 



EXPERIMENTS AT MORSEMERE. 



New York, December, 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



The following experiments were made solely in the interests of mod- 

 ern rifle shooting. The facts set forth are the result of actual and care- 

 ful tests, and the opinions derived therefrom are advanced not as definite 

 conclusions., but with the hope that other experiments may be made to 

 substantiate or correct ■ them, and throw more light on the obscure and 

 knotty points of rifle ammunition. A can of coarse F Dittmar powder 

 was used in a breech loading, long range rifle, at 500 yards, and compari- 

 sons established with Hazard's FG powder in regard to bulk, weight, 

 power, and recoil; also as to safety, accuracy, cleanliness, noise, and 

 smoke. This can contained five and three quarter ounces of the pow- 

 der, which was divided up into sixty-three charges, carefully weighed, 

 and poured into brass shells two and five eighths inches long. The 

 cartridges made were ten of thirty-five grains, twenty of forty grains, 

 twenty-three of forty-four grains, and ten of forty-five grains. 

 A charge of thirty-five grains appeared to equal in bulk ninety- 

 four grains Hazard; a charge of forty grains appeared to equal in bulk 

 107 grams Hazard; a charge of fourty four grains appeared to equal in 

 bulk 120 grains Hazard. To fire with foity-five grains required care and 

 patience, and was found to be the greatest possible charge, entirely fill- 

 ing the shell. Each charge was pressed down lightly with a stiff wad, 

 without grease, and loaded with a 500 grains patched ball, oiled. The ten 

 35 grain charges were first fired off-hand at 200 yards? giving about the 

 same elevation on the Vernier scale as with ninety-five grains of Hazard. 

 The score made was fair, but being from the shoulder, and depending on 

 the steadiness of holding, could give no correct idea as to the ammuni- 

 tion. The recoil, however, was very slight, though quick, and the gun 

 was left quite clean. 



The heavier charges were used at 500 yards, Fulton position, at regu- 

 lation target, twenty-two inch bullseye, without wiping. Twenty-three 

 shots were fired in the morning, and thirty in the afternoon. The wind 

 was strong, increasing to a gale at noon, bringing snow-flakes from the 

 west; it moderated later in the day, having given a fair amount of 

 trouble in managing the wind gauge. The forty grain charges were first 

 used, and the scale set at an elevation of fifty-five, the average elevation 

 for 102 grains Hazard. The first shot struck the ground at the foot.of 

 the target, showing a lack of power. During the next three shots the 

 elevation was changed, ana found to be accurate at sixty-six, or eleven 

 points higher than at the start. In changing to forty-four grains 64J 

 points are found to be the correct elevation, showing a decrease of 

 one and a half points, and consequently flatter trajectory. The forty- 

 five grain charges seemed to do the best work with sixty-four points ele- 

 vation. The uniformity of the ammunition was shown in the accuracy 

 of the shooting, which can best be judged by the score made. Twenty- 

 three shots with forty and forty-iour grains Dittmar, 500 grain ball:--0 4 

 25555555454454455054 4. Thirty shots with forty-four 

 and forty five grains:— 5 555555555455555555555555 

 5 5 5 4 5, or 148 out of a possible 150. The recoil was quick, but not 

 more severe than would be felt from a fifty grain charge of Hazard. The 

 rag showed very little fouling after these thirty shots— not more in fact 

 than after a single shot— from which it would seem that each discharge 

 cleans the gun and leaves the barrel in a uniform condition. This is per- 

 haps more favorable for accurate shooting than the mogt elaborate wipmg 

 after each shot fired with black gunpowder, as the great advantage o. 

 uniformityis obtained. The noise was slight but sharp, smoke very 

 thin. This powder is certainly quick as compared with Hazard FG, an 

 from the slight recoil it was thought that much of the force expenaea 

 must be lateral, or rending. This, however, was found not to be the case, 

 as the shells were all perfect, and less expanded than with the usua 

 charges. Some of the shells were old ones, but showed no signs o 

 strain . This would go to prove that there can be no injury to the gn 

 from forty-five grains of Dittmar. The barrel, after wiping, was bn Sj^ 

 showing no trace of discoloration or corrosion. The shells were e. 



