378 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



K 



Section two prescribes a penalty of not less than fifty nor more than 

 five hundred dollars for a violation of the law— one-half to go to the in- 

 former. 



Section three makes the drying, galling, canning, packing, oy. caging of 

 the game killed or caught by a non-resident prima fade evidence of an 

 intention to convey it beyond the State, and the onus frobandi is thrown 

 upon the accused. 



Section four provides for the payment into the county school treasury 

 of all monies arising under the act. 



This is the sum and substance of the game law. It was introduced 

 into the legislature, and its passage urged by members from the western 

 section of the State, who complained that poachers and pretended 

 sportsmen from Georgia ant Alabama were in the habit of crossing the 

 line and invading their cattle ranges to the great destruction of their 

 stock, and it was thought that if these so-called hunters were compelled 

 to go to the county si*es and take out licenses, the publicity of the act 

 would d'ive off many and restrain the balance from stock depredations. 

 It looks like a curious way to reach such thieves, but still, in intelli- 

 gent hands, there need be no trouble in the law to honest men. It is 

 true, the first section is loosely worded, and the statute is deficient in 

 that it does not contain a plain exception, so that the most blundering 

 officer could not err in reference to the true sportsman, who bans his 

 game for the true pleasuie it gives him, and the taxidermist in search of 

 those vara aves with which Florida abounds. As the law is, there is 

 some fear that ignorant officials in the backwoods may give the stranger 

 jgome trouble, and there are those here who will endeavor to secure * 

 modification of the law at the next session of the legislature. But that 

 is twelve months off, as Florida has got so poor under carpet-bag rule 

 that she can only afford biennial sessions of this august body. 



Rrsidbht. 



Twin Lakes, Conn., January, 1876. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



Fished to death is the cry constantly going up from all places where 

 fish were once caught in abundance. By way of emphasis, not less than 

 twenty different parties were out on the two lakes near which I write; 

 three on Waushining, and seventeen on Waushinee. On the former the 

 pickerel and perch were of a fair size; but on the other it is known that 

 the average catch is about five to the pound; and the question is, how 

 long will there be any fish left to catch? And another question comes up as 

 to the wholesale destruction of of bait fish, "shiners," '"soup," &c, in 

 our lakes and small streams. Thousands are scooped out too small for 

 bait, and left on the ice to die, instead of being returned to the water; 

 and it is a serious question, if this wanton waste of the food that feeds 

 the game fish is not the real cause of the rapid decrease of thj better 

 sorts of fish . Will our game protective societies think of this matter, 

 and act before it is too late? Gyfsey. 

 — *-«+» 



CHOKE-BORED GUNS. 



We have received the following letters on the subject of 



choke-bored guns, which, coming from practical men, we 



give to our readers for their edification and guidance. We 



have always admitted that for trap or duck shooting, a 



choke-bored gun was quite the weapon to use, but we have 



also claimed, and still remain of the same opinion, that for 



the general sportsman, a gun which may be calle d an open 



shooting piece, in contradistinction to the choke bore, is 



the one best adapted for his wants. It is admitted by our 



correspondents that for cover shooting the choke bore is 



not the thing, and how much of our best shooting is not 



in cover? That is, of the shooting that is accessible to the 



majority of sportsmen, probably three-fourths is cover 



shooting: — 



Birmingham, England, January, 1^76. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



I have perused the letter of "Gloan, 11 on choke-bores, in your issue of 

 December 2d, 1875, with some considerable interest and gratification, not 

 unmixed wi h a touch of amusement at his special pleading on Oehalf of 

 hia friend, Mr. Dougall, and I am reminded by his remark, that, £ 'an un- 

 usually good gun in England, immediately acquires a reputation all over 

 the Island," of another Yankee, proud of everything stupendous in his 

 own land, as contrasted with our diminutive island, affirming that the 

 Britisher was afraid to walk out after dark, fearing to tumble into the 

 sea; still we love this little island-home of ours, and there is life and 

 energy in the old land yet. No doubt "Gloan 11 is mainly correct, for a- 

 mong the fraternity of sportsmen, an unusually good gun does soon ob- 

 tain a wide reputation. 



But, to the point, it is doubtless impossible to trace step by step the 

 cogent arguments of the former portion of "GloanV letter without be- 

 ing impressed and convinced by its plain and lucid reasoning; neverthe 

 less, the very identical arguments used against Mr. Pape, witu reference 

 to the late Field Trial, viz: "He had everything at stake there which a 

 man can possible have at stake, and it will not be believed that he for- 

 bore at that time to shoot a choke-bore gun when fame and fortune 

 waited on its use, &C., 1 ' are equally applicable to Mr. Dougall, in the 

 same trial. If, as intimated by "Gloan,' 1 Mr. Dougall had so early per- 

 fected his principle, and if, his first gun built for "GloauV 1 own use, 

 would beat the winner of the trial; and if, principle itself were scientific, 

 and iherefpre correct, and unvarying, then Mr. Dougall could eae-ily 

 make another like it, or a hundred equally good. But the trial itself 

 speaks volumes on this head; for although Mr. Dougall entered the trial 

 only in class 2d, for choke bores, upon which therefore he had the op- 

 portunity of concentrating all his energies, yet out of twenty-nine guns 

 shot on the first day of the trial, he was down 21th, and out of the thirty- 

 nine guns completing this round, he was 34th and 35th, thus you see very 

 near the bottom of the whole list. Then again, if, as "Gloan 1 ' states, 



"Mr. Dougall, like a sensible man has retained all the virtues of the 



new system and discarded all its vices." Then he must have perfected 

 a weapon, which, if only moderate in pattern, shall be certain, uniform, 

 and thoroughly reliable, and also devoid of wild shots Kefer, however, 

 to his first gun in the trial, and out of twelve shots, the highest was 192, 

 and the lowest only fifty-eight, with penetration ranging from 192 to 

 forty-eight, and his second gun from 209 pattern down to sixty-one, and 

 his third gun from 218 down to fifty-two. Is there anything good or re- 

 liable in this? The pattern of my two guns in the same round ranged 

 from 235 to 1*6, and 211 to 112, with penetration from 228 to 180, and 216 

 to 156. 



I believe my mfthod to be based upon truly scientific principles, and I 

 can, therefore with certainty, give my customers anything they may re- 

 quire, from the performance of the winning gun downwards, with re- 

 liable accuracy and regularity. At the same time I am fully aware that 

 many of the methods adopted are utterly unscientific and unreliable. 



Again, can Mr. Dougall pretend to lay claim to a speciality as a modi- 

 fied choke bore? And, is not "Gloan" joking when he recommends 

 guns occasionally making a pattern of upwards of 200, as a modified 

 choke? Refer to his third gun, which out of twelve shots, made three 

 bad ones, (under 100 pellet) viz: 52, 72, and 86; and one shot as high as 

 217—1 call this a bad full choke. Imagine such a gun in the field, and at 

 forty to sixty yards distance the bad shots would invariably miss, and at 

 twenty yards the good shots would riddle the birds, which would result 

 in disappointment and disgust to the sportsman. Indeed, it is worse 

 than the old system of boring, in which some of the guns were more reg- 

 ular, and only falling short by a few pellets in average pattern, whilst 

 absolutely exceeding in penetration, Mr. DougalPs choke-bores. 



My idea of a modified choke-bore, and what I turn out as such, is a 

 gun of exceptionally equal and regular shooting; never deviating more 

 than from twenty to thirty pellets; and giving a uniform pattern of from 



160 to 1<?Q; and I think that no living sportsman will "dispute that such a 

 gun is a desideratum, and that such regularity of shooting is, of all 

 things, the one most to be desired. 



Even "Gloan," I perceive, falls into the same error as Pape and others, 

 in making an assertion of having beaten the winner, at the same time 

 without showing that the charges were identical, or the trial conditions 

 complied with— whereas isolated shots and varied charges make all the 

 difference imaginable. The winning gun has considerably exceeded its 

 winning score by a very slight variation of charge. 



The Trial was full, and rigidly carried out in every mlnutiaj, so that 

 the results are thoroughly reliable; but other shooting cannot fairly be 

 compared with it, unless carried out subsequently, and intentio nally 

 adopting the same stringent regulations. 



Since writing the above, I regret to find I am slightly in error. Mr. 

 Dougall entered the trial in classes 1, 2, and 4; but only shot in class 2, 

 and withdrawing all his other guns— a proceeding most significant. 



W. W. Greener, hi'. Marv's Works, Birmingham. 



Olympia, W. T., November 25, 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



I have been much interested over the various opinions expressed in 

 your valuable journal for the last few months comorning the desirabil- 

 ity of choice bores over the old system for general shooting in the field, 

 and having had considerable experience myself in different ki:ds of 

 guns, I do not hesitate to advocate the superiority of any system of bor- 

 ing a gun that will secure the closest and strongest shooting qualities. 

 If we are to judge from the more recent trials of shotguns in England, 

 certainly the choke-bore excels, both in pattern and penetration, any- 

 thing that has proceeded this system. 



I have never yet known a sportsman, who claimed to be a good shot, 

 that would select a gun because it scattered more than another, both be- 

 ing equal in other merits, simply because the wide shooting gun increas- 

 ed his chances of killing the game. In fact, the object sought to be at- 

 tained in selecting a gun, is to secure the one, if possible, which will kill 

 the game at the greatest distance. In all shooting, except in the thick- 

 est cover, for woodcock or quail, the longest range gun, in good hauds, 

 has a great advantage. 



As to the dnr bility of choke-bores, I am fully satisfied, provided tfie 

 barrels are a little thicker towards the muzzle. The reason that the dur- 

 ability of this system has been questioned, is not that the sys'em is a 

 new one, so much, as tnat the class of guns most sought in the English 

 trade has been what we would call light guns, viz: from seven to seven 

 and a quarter pounds in weight, thirty inch and twelve bore, which I 

 am informed by some of the best English makers, will not stand choke 

 boring. While they concede, that such a gun weighing from eight and a 

 quarter to eight and a half pounds, the increased weight being distributed 

 from breech to muzzle, would be durable and give more satisfactory re- 

 sults. 



I think Gapt. Bogardus, with his heavy Scott, has clearly demonstra- 

 ted the superiority of the heavy gun recently to the English. They at- 

 tribute his success to his heavy loading. Admitting this to be true, he 

 could not certainly use such charges in a light gun. 



For the last year I have been shooting a nine and a quarter pound 

 Scott thirty-two inch, ten bore-choked, and shoot from five to five and a 

 half drflcums of course powder, and one and one-eighth to one and a 

 quarter ounces of shot, and bave never vet received from it an unpleas- 

 ant recoil, although shooting one hundred shots in a day without clean- 

 ing. And as "Alfred" says, "can stop a mallard or goose at seventy 

 yards," a thing I could scarcely ever do with any gun bored on the old 

 plan, although I have owned several of the very best make. 



As to close shooting guns mangling the game at short range, I will 

 state, that I have shot thousands of the pinnated grouse on the Western 

 prairies, and as a general rule when with a good common gun, had to 

 allow the birds to reach a distance of thir y or forty yards to prevent 

 mangling them too much, and also to increase the chances of a surer 

 shot. 



A better and surer shot can be had at snipe by waiting until they 

 steady from their zigzag flight, which always attend their first start. 

 Any bird of the size of a grouse rising within ten to fifteen yards of the 

 sportsman, if shot immediately with any eoodgun, properly charged and 

 held, will receive more shot than is desirable for table use, but let it in- 

 crease the distance to thiity-five to forty yards, and it will not be injured 

 for eatiug, even with the closest shootinsr gun. 



I believe the cause of the most misses by sportsmea, is that they are 

 generally in too great baste to shoot as soon as the bird rises, fearing 

 that it will be out of reach if not shot immediately, hence the bird is 

 often missed by the first barrel and killed by the second at twice the dis- 

 tance. In such cases I have often heard the sportsman blame his guu 

 for shooting too close when in fact the fault was his own, and the quality 

 of close shooting is just what would decide his choice in selecting a gun, 

 were he to test it with one which scattered more. 



I have recently had an opportunity of testing the qualities of a close 

 shooting gun while on a tour east of the Cascade Mountains, killing 

 sixty-four sharp-tailed grouse one forenoon, with scarcely a single rise 

 under thirty yards. Many of these birds were killed clean at sixty and 

 seventy yards, with one and one-eighth ounce No. 6 shot. They were 

 found in a corn field, and rose wild and could not be killed until they 

 cleared the tops of the corn stalks. 



While 1 would not advise any sportsman to discard a favorite gun 

 which had proved itself a good shooter at ordinary ranges, yet he must, 

 if using it, rest content, when others in the same field, equally skilled, 

 can kill birds clean, that he would not shoot at because they were out of 

 range of his gun. The close shooting gun will eventually come into 

 general use, and the mangling of game which we hear so much about 

 will be found to oe more imaginary than real, if the proper sized shot 

 is used and the game allowed to reach a distance that will insure a good 

 aim and sure shot. 



I am not an advocate of a particular gun for each kind of game, yet I 

 should consider a desirable gun for woodcock or quail in thick cover, as 

 unsuitable for ducks or grouse after they become wild in the fall of the 

 year, as for hunting grizzlies in the Rocky Mountains. My idea of a 

 perfect gun, is one that will make a pattern with one and one-eighth 

 ounce of No. 6 shot at forty yards, and a thirty inch circle, of say 180 

 pellets with the right barrel, and 220 with the left, with the best possible 

 penetration. All good guns should be warranted to do this, and the 

 man who cannot kill almost any game bird at forty yards with such a 

 gun, should practice until he can. Pacific 



Detroit, January 6th, 1876. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



In looking over the files of your paper I find an article m your issue of 

 November 4 h, 1875, from "S. K., Jr.," headed Choke-Bores and Chilled 

 Shot, in which he states that "he would like to see a company of twenty 

 men at a pigeon shoot, twenty-one yards rise, all having something up, 

 and see how many would shoot choke-bores from choice. 



I will refer him to the two matches, just shot at Detroit and Chicago, 

 between the two clubs of these cities, as a specimen of choke-bore shoot- 

 ing on the part of the Detroit Gun Club, which now numbers some 

 thirty-five membefs, who shoot choke bores, and that from choice; and 

 it makes no difference whether there is anything up or not. A. J. K. 



Pittsburgh, Pa., January 7th, 1876. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



I have shot more or less ail through the season, and, as far as I am 

 concerned, I am decidedly in favor of modified choke-boring. Birds 

 here have been very wild, and one wants a long ransre gun to reach 

 them. I believe that for every kind of game but woodcock the modi- 

 fied choke will be found far preferable. In the early part of the season 

 you may not need it, but later on you will. And it is easier to wait 

 until the bird gets a little away from you, after he gets up, than to call 

 him back afteir he is out of reach of anything hut a choke-bore. 



National Rifle Association- — The fourth annual 

 meeting of the National Rifle Association was held on 

 Tuesday, 11th January. General Shaler, the President, 

 called attention to the fact that the association was out of 

 debt, and had some cash balance on hand, with assets still 

 more handsomer, also to the very generous present made 

 to Creedmoor Range by the Winchester Arms Company, 

 in the promise of a "running deer," with track, etc., com- 

 plete. The President reviewed the military policy of the 

 association, and that policy, he declared, would be con- 

 tinued, making the main object of the association military 

 marksmanship. Judge Gilderslceve followed with the Sec- 

 retary's report, reviewing the history of the year and refer- 

 ing to the Spring, International, and Pall meetings, and 

 their results. He spoke briefly of the change of the tar- 

 gets, voted April 7, to conform to the Wimbledon system, 

 and of the subsequent change of the third class targets, on 

 the plans of General Shaler,*" to their present form, mention- 

 ing in this connection that the lying down position was 

 permitted at Wimbledon with the third class target. Thirty- 

 seven badges have been sold to life members during the 

 year, and a new medal struck for the association prize. 

 Forty life members have been admitted during the year, 

 sixteen of whom won their privilege in matches. " The 

 terms of affiliation -offered by the association to other clubs 

 have failed to induce any to join during the past year, and 

 among military organizations Company K, Seventh New 

 York, is the only one that has joined as a body. Twenty 

 matches were shot at the regular meetings— live in Spring, 

 fifteen in Fall, and some ten matches for badges and troph- 

 ies. Private clubs have made some fifty matches for badges 

 and cups besides. The committee on International Code of 

 Targets, appointed last year, and consisting of General 

 Dakin, Colonel Gilderwleeve, and Major Fulton, found their 

 appointment useless, as no meeting on the subject was held 

 at Wimbledon. Letters on the Centennial match have 

 been dispatched to all parts of the world, but with only one 

 official reply so far, from Canada. 



The Flushing and North Shore Railroad are building a 

 double track to Creedmoor. General Dakin recommended 

 a more rational system ot handicapping sporting and special 

 military rifles by putting them at longer ranges, instead of 

 allowing points, as at present. In electing directors, thirty- 

 one votes were cast and the following seven elected: — Cap- 

 tain William C. Casey, George S. Schermerhorn, Jr., Ma- 

 jor D. D. Wylie, Colonel Ira Beebe, Colonel George VY. 

 Wingate, Colonel John Ward, (vice Colonel Church, re- 

 signed), N. P. Stanton (vice Major-General Shaler). 



The directors at a private meeting, elected the following 

 officers for 1876:— President, General Shaler; Vice Presi- 

 dent, General Woodward; Secretary, George S. Schermer- 

 horn; Treasurer, General McMahon. 



Conlin's Gallery.— The eighth competilition for the 

 Forest and Stream badges was shot Thursday, Jan. 13th. 

 Many of the best shots of the city participated and a 

 hard fight waged between Blydeu burgh, Bruce, Farwell, 

 Yale, and Sone. C. E. Blydenburgh came off victorious. 

 The following were the winners of the different badges:— 



FIRj-T BADGE. 



C. E. Blydenburgh 43|W. B. Farwell 40 



L. C. Bruce 41 j 



SECOND BA.DG-E. 



G. W. Yale 40i(Jhas. A. Cheever , . . ,..35 



L. V. Sone 39} 



THIRD BADGE. 



Joseph Woodward 291 H. A. Hynes 28 



T. <;. BflMfes 38 1 



r iiic 2'iirf, Field and Farm cup competition will be shot 

 this evening. A Subscription Match on Saturday Jan. 22. 

 All-comers are invited. 



An Insurance Match.— On Saturday a match was con- 

 tested at the Creedmoor Jr., Range, No. 260 Broadway, be- 

 tween teams composed of the employes of the Continental 

 and Home Insurance Companies. The match was the re- 

 sult of a challenge from the former to the latter company, 

 and was won by the members of the Home team. Follow- 

 ing are the scores :— 



HOME. 



H. J. Ferris 3 4 4 4 5 5 4 3 3 4-39 



J . 11. Hitcbcock 54 3 53434 3 3—37 



W. H. Hobart ..4 4 3424234 4-34 



W. II. Sampson 443034 3 34 3—31 



W. II. Racy 4 4 2 3 4 3 3 4 4- -31 



F. B. Southwick 3 3 4 4 3 2 3 3 4—29-201 



CONTINENTAL. 



C. E. Truslow 4 23444434 3-35 



W. Towneend 3 345 4 3224 4—31 



W. Mlswonh 3 2 4 4 4 5 4 3 4—34 



Lloyd Roberts 4 432244 4 4 3—33 



J. W. K. Oakley 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 2 4- 32 



C. Schermerborn 3 4044334 4-29—197 



IlELLwm's Gallery.— The seventh weekly competition 

 shooting in lying position for a gold medal, a double-bar- 

 rel shot gun, a rifle, and revolver, took place at this gal- 

 lery, 271 and 273, eighth-avenue, January 12, 1876. The 

 winners were: — M. L. Riggs, first prize, 47; D. L. Beck- 

 with, second prize, 46; J. McGlinsey, third prize, 40, and 

 C. D. Nixon, fourth prize, 28. 



American Rifle Association.— The second annual meet- 

 ing of this association was held at Mount Yernon, N. Y., 

 on Tuesday, January 11th. The President, Col. Under- 

 bill, made a short address, referring to the success which 

 had attended their efforts, and predicting a greater amount 

 during the coming year. Geo. O. Starr, the Secretary, 

 read his annual report, reviewing the origin and formation 

 of the association and the work Oone during the past year. 

 The Treasurer, Dr. A. Starr, presented his annual report, 

 showing a surplus of assets over liabilities of $10 88. The 

 election for officers for the ensuing year was next in order, 

 and resulted as follows: — President, Col. John T. Under- 

 bill; Vice President, Capt. F. Whittaker; Treasurer, Lieut. 

 Geo. H. Thompson; Secretary, Major Geo. O. Starr; Direc- 

 tors, Hon. Chas. M. Scheiffelin, Hon. Geo. W. Davids, 

 Hon. S« D. Gifford, Homer Fisher, Esq., Edward Gay, 

 Capt. Okas. J. Chatfleld, Capt. John W. Coburn, Thou. S. 

 Drake,- Esq., and David F, Davids,. Es$. 



