554 
FOREST AND STREAM 
(§;wfc 
♦Woodcock, Philoliela minor. | 
Blnck-bellied plover, ox-eye, 1 
Squatamla lirlvd lea. 
Ring plover, rEgiaHtis semipdV 
mat us. 
Stilt, or long-shanks, Hlmrmtu- 
frns ni prtcolKs. 
Rcd-beasted snipe, ai dwlteher, 
Macrorlutminu griseus. 
t ntfd 
Red-backed sandpiper, or ox- 
bird, Trinua anu’rtcmhu 
1 Great marbled godwit, or mnr- 
I lin, Limosa fcaoa. 
WiUet, Totanns s sinipaln\atus. 
Ta t tler, TnUinuti melaiiolmcus. 
Yellow-shanks, Totanns Jtaripes. 
* In New York and Oregon only. 
“ Ray birds " generally, Including various species of plover, sand 
piper, snipe, curlew, oyster-catcher, surf bird, pbalaropes. avocets, 
etc., coining under the group LimacuUc or Shore Birds. Mnny 
States permit prairie fowl (pinna ted grouse) shooting after Aug. 15. 
States Pinnated Stuffed Grouse 
Grouse. 
: 
Quail. 
Woodcock, 
III,.,.. Sep 1 1,« Jan. 15 Oct 1 to Feb 1 
Ind... Octl tn Fob J Nov. ltoJuul 
Town.. Sep 1 to Dec 1 Oct 1 to Jan 1 
Minn.. Aug- 14 to Oct 1 Sept 1 to Dec 1 
Wis. . Aug- 25 to Jan 1 Aug 25 to JanJ 
Neb... Aug-15 to Feb t — 
Kan. . Aug 1 to Feb l| 
Novi to Feb 1 
Nov 1 to Jan 1 
Oct 1 to Jan 1 
Sep 1 to Dec 1 
\ug!!5toJnnJ 
Dot 1 to Dee 1 
Oct 1 to Jan 1 
Sept 1 to .Tan 1 
July 1 to Jan 1 
July 10 to Jan 1 
July 3 to Nov 1 
Aug 2.» to Jan 1 
No Restrictions 
Forbidden 
"63. is equal to tbe best score yet made, while that of the 
Continental team is the best it has yet made. The sum 
mary—Inter-State and Mobile trophy ; fifth competition, 
under the new rules, which require fire winnings to en¬ 
title to possession ; distance. 300 and 500 yards; teams of 
eight ; seven shots at each range, with military rifles. The 
prize was won the first, second, alid third times by the 
Louisiana Field Artilery team, the scores being 365, 396, 
and 345, and the fourth time by the Washington Artilery 
team ; score. 345 : — 
THE WASHINGTON ARTILLERY, 
ssn.pu. 
"200. . ,8 444 I 4 4 -37 1 500..- .4 5 4 4 4 4 5-30 
4 * 5 3 3 4 2-25 
200 ... X 5 f 1 I 1 5-301500. 3 3 5 
Total. 51. 
ttlJPUB. 
300 ... 0 3 4 4 14 5-231500,'*’ . .2 1 4 
Total, It. 
SPORT,. 
200 . 3 4 4 4 3 3 3—24 I5IH1.. ...3 I) 4 
Total, 13. 
MiLLMll. 
200 . . 3 U 4 3 1 2 3—20 1 500.. 4 0 4 . 
Total, 3T. 
S1ANOTON. 
200. . 4 2 2 2 2 3 8-18'500. 0 0 0 
Tela I, IK. 
Grand total, 363. 
THE CONTINENTAL GUARDS. 
ROSENBERO. 
.4 4 4 4. I 4 3-271 500 . . 5 5 4 
Total, 43. 
4 3—21 
5 3-24 
5 0-1H 
4 2-17 
0 0-0 
3 5—3t 
3 3-24 
5 0-22 
2 5—14 
5 3 1 3 4 3 3-831 500.. 
Total 40. 
JIALTBY. 
200.. -.3 2 4 4 3 4 3-23 500 
Total, 37. 
PIGOT. 
4 3 3 3 4 4 0-21 500 
Total, 31. 
Grand total, 354. 
200. 
soft. 
.... 5 0 2 0 3 0 3—15 
.5 0 2 2 8 0 2—14 
.0 0 5. 8 2 0 0—10 
—The individual match for the handsome pair of field 
glasses, the donation of t he Crescent City Rifle Club, dis¬ 
tance 200 yards, five shots and unlimited entry, Which was 
started last Sunday, and left at the mercy of Lieutenant 
Dudley Selph, with his score of 22 points’out of possible 
25. was continued yesterday. Lieutenant Selph's score 
was not overcome, The match will be finished next Sun¬ 
day. 
The German Shooting Society, of Charleston, S. C., also 
elected new officers, viz.: A. Melchers, President; J. F. 
Meyer, First Vice-President :H. W. Mofienhauer, Second 
Vice-President; W. Fischer, Third Vice-President: D. 
Lilicnthal, Shooting-master : C. F. Luebs, Treasurer : A. 
F. Melchero, Secretary. 
The Elcho Shield Scores. — This match, of which the 
general results have already been given in our columns, 
fonk place on the 24th ult. A heavy rain storm had set 
in during the preceding night, continuing well into the 
morning.'but before mid-day the wind shifted, the hazy 
clouds were driven across the sky, and the afternoon was 
all that, could be desired. As the learns secured positions 
at the 800 yardB firing points, there was a very large at¬ 
tendance*^! spectators. Prophesy was fulfilled, for the 
Scotch teWi held a lead of 13 at this first distance, and 
although they fell off 22 at 900, they handsomely covered. 
The men were bn their metal from the very first round, 
and. although the wind was troublesome, the shooting 
was steady. At the close Scotland had 521, Ireland 509, 
and Engla nd 503 points. After a short luncheon the work 
was continued at 900 yards. The misses of McKenzie, 
soon followed by a slip for Thorburn and another for 
Caldwell, were pulling down the Scotch figures. At this 
range England was virtually out of the match, while Ire¬ 
land had covered the loss, and now led by ten points, viz.: 
Ireland, 1,018 : Scotland, 1,008; England, 999. Theshoot- 
ing at the last distance was excellent, considering the 
state of wind and weather. The shooting was steady, 
and, although not brilliant, was careful, while to the Irish 
team fell the ill-luck of breaks and misses. Humphrey, 
of the English team, made the best individual score in the 
match, 200 out of a possible225, Boyd, of Scotland, second, 
with 198, and John Rigby, of Ireland, third, with 195. 
Last year there were twelve individual scores of 200 and 
over.” Tire following are the scores , 
Scotland. 
m. . . ftT / ! 
1,000..03 ‘ | 
Sergeant Fletcher. 
800 . • 01/1 
fiOO.00-191 
. .. .64 \ 
Lieut. MoKerrC'll. 
1 , 000 , 
800. 
900. 
Private Dunlap. 
,Mr. McKenzie. 
1 1 , 
IRELAND. 
SOO 000 1.000 1 ” 1 . 
J. Rigby. us 01 
Lt. Fenton. .. 55 63 
Mr. Dvas_ 66 63 
Ma.f. Young. 61 64 
Mr. Johnson.. 04 64 
Mr.McKenm. 59 63 
W. Rigby. 63 64 
Er. Coghlun 68 58 
Grand total 
-55-183 
.631 11,000. 60 I 
Cnpi. Thorburn. 
-641 SOU. -.--.{J 
...59-IBS 900. .-06 -181 
65 i 1,000---...62) 
.1,505 
ENGLAND. 
800 900 1,000 T'i. 
.Mr Humphry. 68 66 68 200 
190 LtCol.Fenton 68 65 60 193 
188 Mr. Evans. 69 61 63 193 
187 SlrH.Halford. 66 61 64 191 
186 Lt. Toller_ 05 60 03 188 
183 Sere-Gilder,. 63 61 55 179 
183 Mr. Turner... 48 61 64 173 
m | Rapt. Philips.. 58 61 47 166 
. 1,482 
.. . 1,494 1 Grand total. 
The next Bundesschicsson, of Germany, will be held in 
1881, at Munich, Bavaria, 
Connecticut Woodcock Shooters. —The communica¬ 
tion referred to below was sent to ns by a most reliable 
and trustworthy correspondent who, we have had every 
reason to believe, has the facts in his possession. If any 
of the New Haven Gun Club members have been wrongly 
accused, we should be the first to relieve them from 
any stain. But it is a notorious fact that woodcock have 
been killed. Can our friends tell us who did kill them? 
New Haven— Aug. 0. — Editor Forest and Stream: —In 
your issue of July 31st, you published a communication 
in which the writer claims to have been informed on 
good authority that members of the New Haven Gun 
Club have been shooting woodcock since the middle of 
June. I doubt very much if your correspondent can 
prove or back his statement. I have been investigating 
this mutter very carefully, and have not found any rea¬ 
son to believe that any member of the New Haven Gun 
Club has shot woodcock or any game birds this season. 
One member has had the name of shooting woodcock for 
the last month until now, but I know it to he a fact that 
he has been shooting only plovers. If a report of a. gnu 
is heard outside of the city limits, members are ac¬ 
cused of shooting birds out of season. The East Haven 
party and the well-known restaurant keeper of New 
Haven are not members of the New Haven Gun Club. I 
have been informed by good and reliable authority that 
the East Haven party has not shot a bird this season. 1 
would advise your correspondent not to jump at conclu¬ 
sions, or believe all the floating rumors he hears, but to 
confine himself more to facts. I have traced several of 
these rumors, and find in most cases that they came from 
parties who are poor shots. I have no doubt that if your 
correspondent knew of any members of the club who have 
been shooting game this ’season, and would report their 
names to the chairman of the business directors, it would 
be investigated, and the rules and by-laws would be en¬ 
forced, _ ^ ^ ^ _ X. 
GUN PATTERNS. 
Auburn, June 2, 1879. 
Editor Forest and Stream 
I have read with interest the various gun tests as given 
from time to time in the Forest and Stream, and am 
led thereby to furnish some experiments which lately 
have been made with my gun. This is a 10 guage, double 
barrel, made to order hy Messrs. Nichols & Le Fever, of 
Syracuse, N. V., for which I paid $125. It is a beautiful 
gun, is 30 inch, Damascus steel barrels, and weighs 9| 
pounds. Both barrels are. choked, and the left is an ex¬ 
treme choke. 
A few days ago, John Rozecrans, Esq., of this city— 
an ardent sportsman and a fine shot—made the following 
targets with the gun in my presence. The powder used 
was Dupont’s FFC1 sporting. The shot were common 
soft shot and 14 oz., measured by Dixon's measure, and 
struck off even with the top. was used at each distance. 
The experiment was made at various distances and 
with Nos. 4. 5, 0. 7, 8 shot. Each ounce of shot by actual 
count contained the following number of pellets to the 
ounce: 154. 186. 222. 306, 468. It will be seen that the 
shot were under the usual size and numbered more to the 
oz. than Tatham’s shot. 
The distance from the shooter to the target (which was 
common target paper pinned on to a high board fence 
and each marked with a 30 inch circle) was, by careful 
measurement, 40 yds.. 55 yds., and 86*yds. The gun did 
its work as follows : 
At forty yards, using 4 drachms ot powder and oz., 
No 4 soft shot (firing each ban-el once), the right barrel 
placed in the circle 155 pellets; while the left placed in a 
similar circle 164 pellets. At the same distance and target, 
using 44 drachms of powder and the same charge (II oz.) 
No. 6 shot, the right barrel gave a pattern of 167 (firing 
once), while the left (fired twice) gave 221 and 247 pellets 
in the circle. At the same distance and target with 41 
drachms of powder and 1J oz. No. 7 shot, the patterns 
were in right barrel, 208 (filing once); left barrel, 264 and 
•190 (firing twice). At tbe same distance and target with 
4 drachms powder and II oz. No. 8 shot, the patterns 
were; light barrel, 370 (firing once); left barrel, 381 and 
462 (firing twice. The last pattern with the left barrel 
was evenly distributed, and was a very close pattern. 
A brass 2-J shell for tins shot was loaded with 4 
drachms powder, and then two pink-edged wads were 
evenly placed over it (not rammed), then a dark felt wad 
was placed over the shot, and the pattern was much 
closer than the first discharge with that barrel which was 
loaded with a paper shell and No. 9 black felt wads, two 
being placed over the powder and one over the shot. 
Xt 10 rods, using 4 drachms of powder and 14 oz. No. 6 
shot the left barrel made a pattern of 174 pellets (filing 
once) The right barrel was not fired with this size of 
shot At same distance and charge, with No. 4 shot, the 
left ‘barrel made a pattern of 113, and the right barrel a 
pattern of 69. But one experiment was made with thiB 
number of shot at this distance. At the same distance 
and charge of powder and shot, but using No. 5 shot, the 
left barrel made a pattern of 91 (not quite so close a pat- 
: tem as with number fours). 
At 12 rods, using 4} drachms of powder and with 14 oz. 
No. 4 shot, the right barrel (fired twice) gave patterns of 
30 and 86 ; while the left barrel, fired once, gave a pattern 
of 50. At each the last above distances (10 and 12 rods), 
a robin or smaller bird, if at the centre of the target, 
-ould have been certainly killed. 
At 86 yards, with 4f drachms of powder and 14 oz. No. 
4 shot, the targets were as follows : left barrel (fired three 
times) gave patterns of 32 and 38 and 36 pellets, placing 
from two to four pellets in or very near the centre of the 
circle; tlie right barrel (fired twice) gave patterns of 19 
and 21 pellets. At the same distance and charge, but 
using No. 5 shot, the right barrel gave a pattern of 35, 
and the left a pattern of 39 pellets, each placing several 
pellets at the centre or very near the centre. 
It may be observed as to these patterns that, at the 
longest distance (86 yards), the shot from the right barrel 
with No. 4 shot, each time would have struck a hawk of 
average size with more than one pellet had it been at the 
centre, of the target, while the shot from the left barrel, 
at the same distance, would each time have struck a 
pigeon had one been at the centre of the circle, and with 
from two to four pellets. 
At the same distance with No. 5 shot, a pigeon would 
also have been struck at each discharge of each barrel 
with several pellets if it had been at the centre of the cir¬ 
cle. 
The penetration at tins long distance was (with 4| 
drachms of powder) all that would be necessary for effec¬ 
tive and fatal execution at ducks or lai-ge birds. 
While this gun shoots the larger sizes of shot with great 
power and with them makes good patterns, it makes the 
most effective patterns for ducks at long shots with num¬ 
bers four and five. It will be seen by reference to the 
targets that with number four shot the left barrel excels 
the right in closeness of pattern in the ratio of nearly 2 to 
1, while with number 5 shot the pattern is nearly equal. 
As the distance lessens, the patterns correspondingly 
increase, and in every pattern several shots were placed 
in or very near the centre of the circle. With small shot, 
number 8 at forty (40) yards, it will be noticed that one of 
the two patterns made with the left barrel is 462, which 
is also 15-19 of the whole charge. 
For my use (for I desired to use this gun for duck shoot¬ 
ing rather more than for other game) the patterns made 
with numbers four and five shot are most desirable, for 
at 40 yards several pellets of either size would be placed in 
the centre of the target; so many, indeed, that a duck 
would be riddled at that (Ustance, while at fifteen rods it 
would be almost certain to execute on a single duck if 
held truly on the mark. At forty yards nearly the entire 
charge of each barrel is placed within a 30 inch circle, 
while at 86 yards each barrel would, I think, be almost 
certain with number 5 shot to kill a pigeon, and with 
number 4 the left barrel could be depended upon to do 
similar execution at the same object. Slay I ask the For¬ 
est and Stream to tell me and others through the paper, 
how the execution of this gun, as shown in these targets, 
compares with that, of the best close shooting English 
guns ? Your views on this question would interest myself 
and I think others. 
If the owners also of close shooting guns would through 
the Forest and Stream give the patterns they are able to 
make with different sizes of shot, it will be of interest to 
all. 
You will not understand me as stating more than a sim¬ 
ple fact, when I say that the Forest and Stream weekly 
grows better and better, and is par excellence, the best 
paper on fishing, shooting and sailing in the Union. 
F. D. Wright 
Loading Guns — Oconto, Wis., July 24.—There is a 
great deal said about loading shells for the best effect at a 
target and at game, and the undersigned, for the benefit 
of those who use metallic shells, would like to give his 
experience. First, let me say, I believe that for wing 
shooting there is one load best for one man, and one for 
another. For those who pitch their guns ahead of a 
bird according to distance, I would recommend a shell 
for a 12-guage gun to be loaded as follows: 34 drachms of 
powder with one pink-edge wad, or two common Eley 
wads No. 10 firmly on it; two pink-edge wads will do on 
powder, best, then I would use No. 11; on this put 1 oz. 
of shot and one pink-edge 10 wad. This first load will 
kill more general game, such as ducks, partridge, quail, 
prairie hen or snipe, than any other load that can be used 
in a 12-guage gun. 
Now, if the hunter is in the habit of aiming right at the 
cross-flying bird (which I maintain is not the right way), 
I would say use 4 drachms powder and a little less than 1 
oz. of shot. This last is an effective load for duck. 
Again, you can use 4| drachms of powder, one No. 10 
pink-edge wad as above, and 1 oz. shot with great effect 
faeturers cannot afford to make a poor gun at any price. 
A few accidents from poor workmanship would ruin the 
sale of their guns. , , 
For partridge, quail, chiokens, and brush shooting, the 
load first stated is by all odds the best. A muzzle- loader, 
12-bore, may also be loaded with great effect in the man¬ 
ner first described, putting one wad down at a time on 
the powder, being sure that the ramrod rebounds. A 
poor muzzle-loader may be made to shoot exceedingly 
strong by this method, and the writer claims to have dis¬ 
covered that fact to his immense satisfaction long before 
the breech-loader came in vogue. 
The object of using the first load by those who invari¬ 
ably pitch their gun ahead of the bird is that the second, 
which elapses between pulling the trigger and the shot 
striking the bird, is not entirely compensated by the dis¬ 
tance aimed ahead of the bird. If the gun is loaded so 
that at eight rods there is no perceptible interval between 
the report and the striking of the shot (as in the second 
manner of loading stated), you will invariably shoot ahead 
of the bird. This is noticeable in duck-shooting at cross 
shots, of course, and although the gun shoots ‘ • wicked ” 
and close at a target, you wonder you can. not kill at a 
cross shot. It is simply because you aim ahead just far 
enough for the first load described to pepper him. and just 
far enough for the second load mentioned to pass ahead 
of him. Again, there is no use of a "pattern’’so called 
without penetration. It may look well on paper, but it 
won’t bring down the bird dead, You. may till a duck 
full of shot, but, without a dog, you cannot find him un¬ 
less he is dead—at least, "hardly ever. 
