390 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Dscbmmb, 15, 1881. 



MORE ABOUT THOSE RUST SPOTS. 



Western Reserve. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: 



That these rust spots do occur in very many gnus is a well 

 known fuel, but what occasions them is the question. I 

 have always attributed it to lack of proper care, but possibly 

 it is not wholly owing to that. I only know they do not 

 occur in my guns. 1 never hesitate to use water in cleaning 

 the barrels after a day's shooting. In fact, that has been my 

 practice for something like thirty years, and for the last 

 twenty years I hay^ used a jointed wiper, both points nnd 

 head of which are of brass. ' My armory now contains two 

 Parker's of highest grade, one Greener hammerless of first 

 quality, and one ltemington rifle. One of the Parker's I 

 have had for about five years, and it has seen "a sight" of 

 service. The other guns are later purchases, though they 

 have seen a good deal of service. All are in prime condition 

 and still retain the original high polish through the entire 

 length so pleasing to the eye of the sportsman. My mode 

 of cleaning gun barrels is to set the muzzle in a bucket 

 partly filled with warm water and wash thoroughly, usiug 

 patches of Canton flannel, say two and a half inches square, 

 which, when forced into the barrels by the head of the 

 wiper, fold over the head and so are held in place. A few 

 seconds churning in each barrel will do the business, 1 

 then remove the wiper and pour a clipper of hot water 

 through the barrels to rinse and warm them up well. Then 

 I wipe the wiper and the barrels outside, after which 1 force 

 dry patches of Canton flannel through the barrels till 

 OwrmyMj/ dried, using scratch brush to remove lead in case 

 baStels are at all leaded. Lastly, I run a patch slightly oiled 

 witnBelrnontyle oil or rust preventive up and down a few 

 times through each barrel, using outside chamois skin, 

 slightly oiled with same also on slock except over the wood. 

 I then slide the. gun into sack and hang up in dry place, 

 away from all steam of pots and kettles. I make a practice 

 of examining my guns every week or so — whether in use or 

 not — to see that they are all right. 1 have no lasting faith in 

 any rust preventive dining damp weather. I use very little 

 oil on my guns, not enough to soil a kid glove, but all that 1 

 deem necessary. I use Hazards duck shooting powder No. 

 3 and 4, latter size in ten-bore, and have for five years past. 



Fair SnoT. 



Andover, Mass. — Editor Forest and Stream: This plague 

 has, ever since the introduction of the breech-loader, been 

 the source of much annoyance to almost every owner of a fine 

 gun. 1st. I claim that the spots are common iron rust. For 

 proof I will ask those who doubt it to fasten a perfectly 

 clean piece of white cloth to the cleaning rod and wipe out 

 the barrels after the gun has been put away a few days. 

 then examine the cloth. 2d. I claim that in ninety-nine 

 times out of one hundred the gun is not ''cleaned perfectly 

 clean," as is claimed. For proof I will again ask for an ap. 

 plication of the clean white cloth, always using enough 

 cloth to fill the bore of the gun and make the rod draw pretty 

 hard, when the gun has been "cleaned pcrlectly clean " with 

 the gun oil, etc., and " not a drop of water," then moisten 

 the cloth with warm water (it will not hurt any gun), put it 

 on the rod and try this familiar old push and pull a few times, 

 when, if your swab does not show any dirt, you certainly 

 must be the one out of the hundred. Any one can 

 convince themselves of the truth of the above by trial ; and 

 seeing a thing once is better than all the argument about it 

 in the world. Try it. If the gun is not clean the question 

 is, How can it be made so ? And if it is rust that makes the 

 spots, How can it be prevented? If a gun rusts there must 

 be a cause for it, and that cause must he removed before we 

 can effect a permanent cure. Now, in my opinion the princi- 

 pal cause is to be found in (he gun not being properly 

 cleaned, and the moisture, usually called "cold sweat," which 

 is sure to collect on cold metal, glass, crockery, etc. To re- 

 move this cause is much easier said than done. If we use 

 water to clean with, sonn moistute is liable to remain about 

 the workings of the extractor, etc., where it is next to impos 

 sible to wipe dry, and to clean after a few days hard shoot- 

 ing, and to clean without water is also no easy matter, and 

 requires a large quantity of clean wiping stock of whatever 

 kind it may bo. I have tried about every way of cleaning, 

 and I think that water will do the business better than any- 

 thing else, and by putting the muzzles in a dish of water and 

 usin^ the swab carefully from the breech-end, the water can 

 be drawn up to the chamber without wetting about the 

 extractor at all. The gun should always be immediately 

 wiped dry and oiled with good oil. Our good old muzzle- 

 loaders were almost always cleaned with water and carefully 

 wiped out afterward, and knives, razors, etc., are now 

 cleaned with water without any injury. Why should it 

 harm the modern breech-loader? This "cold sweat" or 

 moisture is not so easy to cope with. The best thing I have 

 found to keep it away is to cover two wooden rods with 

 flannel so they null slide inside the barrels and fit closely the 

 whole length, chamber and all, and l<ecp them inside the 

 barrels, alter cleaning thoroughly with water and wiping 

 perfectly dry and oiling. In regard to the " brass trim- 

 mings" on the cleaning rods, and the various makes of gun- 

 powder, I use a rod made from a piece of hickory, without 

 any metal joints, trimmings or fastenings whatever, and my 

 gun would show rust in forty-eight hours if put away with- 

 out being plugged as described. And although I have used 

 about, every brand of powder, including the ones named by 

 some of your correspondents aa not rusting the gun, I have 

 not found any that would not rust my gun, — E. 



Worlhinglon, Mass. — Editor Forest and Stream: I have a 

 double-barreled gun, of which one barrel is ru6t-spotted 

 very badly, while the other is as bright as when it came from 

 the shop. Now, I have shot a rifle for years, and it never 

 had a spot, so I think it was not in the cleaning. I shot this 

 gun over one year with Hazard's powder and no spots came 

 until 1 was induced to change my powder, and I used Orange 

 F. F. G. in one and Hazard's duck No. 4 in the other, as 

 before ; and the one I used the Orange powder in began to 

 rust, While the cleaning was the same in both. Was it the 

 powder ?— Fox. 



Newark, N. J.— Editor Forest and Stream: In your issue 

 of Nov. 24 I notice an article on rust in gun barrels, from 

 We King, of New York. Let me have the pleasure of tell- 

 ing him that his rule works tip-top in the case of my gun. 

 I have a tolerably good breech-loader, that is used by two or 

 three of us at the store. It hangs exposed to the air in all 

 seasons, and never needs a mouthful of water to keep it 

 right inside. We let the old powder stick in, until the gun 

 is needed again. Then we whip out the inside with dry 

 rags on a good stout rod. For the outside of a gun I can 



think of nothing better than castor oil. This sticks closer 

 than a brother, even unto the going down of the sun, when it 

 can be renewed again at small expense and with some muss. 

 I have often thought country boys' muzzle-loaders would rot 

 out in a few years, if burned powder left in the barrels would 

 do it.— H. E. W. 



Houston, Texas, Nov. 23.— Editor Forest and Sti'eam : 

 I have been experimenting for the past year with two guns, 

 treating each in a different way, and my experience leads 

 me to think the best way for this climate is to put them 

 away uncleaned (the inside I mean) till you wish to use 

 them, and then to clean them ; and you have bright barrels 

 free from spots. In paper of 17th inst. Marks says water 

 and brass-tipped cleaning rods are the cause. I have never 

 used one drop of water, nor any rod, but a plain hickory, 

 one with notches cut in one end to tie rags on, and the gun 

 I cleaned every time after using had the rust spots still ; but 

 the gun that was laid away uncleaned till wanted, and then 

 cleaned, looked like a new one. and by looking through it 

 you could not tell whether it had ever been shot or not. 

 This climate is bad on all kinds of steel or iron tools. In 

 summer it is hot and causes them to sweat, and in winter to 

 be cool and damp, and powder never becomes dry and caked 

 that is left in a gun. Spots are a nuisance to any man who 

 prides himself on a clean gun, but I do not find them to mar 

 the shooting quality in the least. If we could have seen the 

 iuside of our old muzzle-loaders we would have been tempted 

 to throw them away. — Wanderer. 



Kditor Forest and Stream : A sportsman, living on Chesa- 

 peake Bay, tells me he always allows the burned powder to 

 remain in his gun from season to season, and he is never 

 troubled with rust.— Ting. 



TnE High Point Hotel.— Editor Forest and Stream : In 

 your columns of Dec. 1 appeared a letter bearing the signa- 

 ture "W. E. C. M.," bitterly complaining of my rapacity, 

 and giving what appears to be a statement of my hotel 

 charges ; but as truth and fair play have always characterized 

 your efforts in giving information, I venture to hand you all 

 particulars in relation to the persons who visited my hotel 

 tor the purpose of shooting quail. First — birds are very 

 plentiful, and farmers and land-owners pleased to see those 

 who are courteous toward them; but birds require sportsmen 

 to kill them, and gentlemen who arc really sportsmen may be 

 assured that should they visit High Point they will find 

 game in abundance. My publicly announced rates of 

 charges are $2 to $3 per day, according to location of rooms. 

 My clerk assigned these gentlemen a room at $2.50 per day, 

 thinking this price would ba in keeping with their appear- 

 ance. They remained U days, making nine days for the 

 two, which at $2.50 per "day gives $22.50, which amount 

 they were charged, plus 4A days board for three dogs at 83$ 

 cents per day each— $4.50. These dogs, by particular re- 

 quest, were fed on oatmeal at 8 cents per pound ; clean 

 straw and good kennels also were furnished, and a man sup- 

 olied for washing them with carbolic soap. The charge of 

 4^ days' firing, $2 — about 45 cents per day — iscorrectly stated. 

 And now about the lunches. They ordered a special 

 breakfast to be cooked for them at daylight, and an extra- 

 strong luncheon to be cooked each day for three, which in- 

 cluded their driver. As they went out three days this made 

 nine lunches at 50 cents per head— total, $4.50. The 

 dinner hour in my hotel is from one to three o'clock. They 

 ordered a special dinner cooked for them at six o'clock, and 

 neitherfor their special dinner nor breakfast were they charged 

 one cent. Before paying their bill they expressed them- 

 selves much pleased with the appointments and service of 

 this hotel. They were charged 50 cents per bottle^corkage, 

 not 75 cents. I have yet to learn this to be an unsual charge 

 for corkage on champagne. I beg to say I am not a New 

 Jersey man, but an Englishman. For the information of 

 those who arc good sportsmen, and who may desire cheap 

 hotel accommodation, I may say there are other hotels in 

 this town at which board can be obtained at $1 per day, hut 

 I do not seek such patronage, and as I am neither ashamed 

 of my name nor country I beg to subscribe myself in full, 

 yours truly, B. Barnard, proprietor of the Bellevue Hotel, 

 iligh Point, N. C. 



A Squirrel Shooting Score.— Port Royal, Tenn.— Not 

 long since a writer in the Forest and Stkkam suggested that 

 sportsmen keep a record of shots fired in the field and send 

 them to Fokest and Stream for publication. I have had 

 royal sport this fall squirrel shooting, and I carried along my 

 score, book and kept a correct account of every shot fired. 

 This is the score 1 made yesterday squirrel shooting : 1 1 1 

 00110101001010. The eighth shot waB fired at a 

 rutted grouse that rose before me in a dense forest, and 

 scored a cleau miss ; but I followed rapidly in its wake, and 

 when it rose I cut it down in fine style, and it was a mag- 

 nificent bird. The above, I know, is a very poor score ; but 

 remember I was shooting in a dense forest and tall timber. 

 I find by reference to my score book 46 kills out of 70 shots 

 fired. I still hunt them and use a 7 pound 13 gauge double 

 gun. Yesterday I used 2{ drams powder and 'i of an ounce 

 No. 4 shot. I can make a better score with smaller shot— 

 5's, 6's. or even 7's. I used to book on large shot— 

 l's and 2'a for squirrels, and 7's and 8'a for quail. Let me 

 put it down in Forest and Stream that large shot and 

 heavy charges of powder and shot, for small game, are a 

 humbug. To me squirrel hunting is very fascinating sport- 

 it beats anything except quail shooting and trout fishing. 1 

 did not hunt near all day— can bag 18 or 20 in a whole day's 

 hunt.— Birdo. 



Velocities of Rifle Bullet and Sound— Stevens Insti- 

 tute, Hoboken, N. L, Dec. 10. — Editor Forest and Stream. : 

 In the article on " Velocities of Rifle Bullet and of Sound," 

 is an error which, though evident to the reader, may as well 

 be corrected. The number of grains of the weights of bullet 

 and powder in the TJ. 8. Government cartridge were trans- 

 posed. So, instead of " a ball weighing 70 grains, with 405 

 grains of powder," read, a ball weighing 405 grains, with 

 70 grains of powder. Altso, for "the above charge of 

 405 grains," read "the above charge of 70 grains." In the 

 article referred to above we took as the velocities of the rifle 

 bulls their initial velocities. The average velocities of the 

 balls over the ranges of 500 and 1,000 yards will be less than 

 those we have given, and thus bring near to equality the 

 velocities of the balls and of sound. But even with these 

 corrections we do not think thai the differences in velocities 

 can ever be so great as to allow of a marker time to hear the 

 discharge of the rifle, and then expose himself to its shot.— 

 A. M. Maybe. 



The Illinois Woodcock Baffles a Novtoe.— Some time 

 ago, while after squirrels, a friend, who was near me, 

 flushed a woodcock close by the side of the creek. I heard 

 the twitter and saw the bird just as he settled within fair 

 shooting distance and in good view. I failed to shoot, as it 

 required several seconds for me to realize that the bird was a 

 woodcock, I having scon only three before this one. Being a 

 close reader of your paper I had well mastered the art of shoot 

 ing these birds ; therefore my gun was in position for action 

 on short notice, and I moving cautiously forward. Twitter, 

 wit-ter, wit-ter, he went away behind a tree, without giving 

 me the ghost of a chance to shoot. I looked sharp to see 

 him pitch, in which act I again got sight of him some thirty 

 yards ahead. I moved from the place, where I watched him, 

 with teeth set and the determination to shoot the next time, 

 even should he start off behind that five foot standing syca- 

 more, which was not very plainly visible on account of inter- 

 vening brush, limbs and weeds. Up starts the bird, and I am 

 positive that I shot, but where the charge went is a thing about 

 which I am in uncertainly. My friend again sees him settle 

 on the edge of a clearing, and after I am on the track I begin 

 to force my way through the thicket once more. Suddenly I 

 hear a fresh start the cock is taking, and catch a glimpse of 

 him the moment he passes behind a standing tree. This time 

 I purposely keep from shooting, because he has taken a 

 direct ion which will bring him across an opening in the thicket ■ 

 where I think I can get at him. That woodcock must have 

 taken a different course after getting behind the tree, as he 

 never crossed the opening on which I relied.— Sucker. 



Tennessee notes — Port Royal, Tenn, Dec. 7, 1881. We 



are having lovely weather in this part of the South, and we . 

 anglers and shooters are having a glorious time. Yesterday 

 the boys were out among the quail, and the booming of their 

 guns could be heard often. Myself and a party bagged forty I 

 quail recently in a day's bunt. We had royal sport, 1 tell i 

 you. I arranged to-day with a friend to give the squirrels a 

 round to-morrow, and arranged to give the quail a trial Satur- I 

 day. A hunting party from Nashville is expected here next 

 Friday. Several fishing- parties from Kentucky paid us a ' 

 visit this fall. I have had fine sport this fall trout and jack 

 fishing, and have reeled some of the finest specimens of the 

 jack family I ever saw. I recently learned of the where- 

 abouts of two coveys of ruffed grouse. A darkey proposes 

 to guide me to them. He has killed three of them, lie 

 savs: " I tells you whar da is ; but I don't want de white 

 folks to know whar da is." I make a point to treat all'classes 

 courteously, and I am repaid by learning where the game is. 

 — Birdo. 



Quail in Virginia— Washington, D. O, Dec. 10.— In J 

 order to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion regarding the 

 quail in Virginia this autumn, I called on Mr. A. J, Bidler, 

 of this city, who is in the commission business, and lias cor- 

 respondents from all parts of the State, who are in the habit 

 of consigning to him their market produce, etc. I learn that 

 in Gage, Warren, Berkley, Fredrick, Shennadoah, Rocking- 

 ham, Rappahannock and other counties, the local sportsmen 

 are not shooting quail at all owing to their scarcity, prefering 

 to leave unmolested what few birds remain for the purpose of i 

 furnishing a stock for next year's supply. This is very com- 

 mendable when it is known there is a greatjdemand in Wash- 

 ington for game just now, when the city iscrowed and hotels 

 are thronged with officials who are fond of quail on toast. 

 Mr. Biillcr has many calls for them, and ban written to his 

 correspondents, asking for birds. As I have stated, he can 

 get but very few. — C. S. Westcott. 



How to Kill Wounded Wildfowl. — Editor Forest and 

 Stream : In the experience of those who have done much , 

 waterfowl gunning, it is iuite often that a bird struck in the 

 head will lie gasping and struggiug with death for many 

 minutes after being shot. When shot in the body they may 

 be quickly put out of misery by a sharp blow on the head; . 

 but when wounded in the head Ihey will stand anv amount I 

 of knocking, and still struggle. It is suggeste! that a knife- 

 blade thrust in at the base of the skull will answer, and 

 many advise twisting or biting the neck. I have seen all of 

 the above tried, but with very indifferent .success. Will 

 some of your many readers advise how to put a quick end to 

 the sufferings of the poor things without spoiling their ap- 

 pearauce or unduly mutilating ^hem?— Bay Riugr. 



A New Air Gun has been invented by Mr. W. T. Cham- 

 berlain, of Norwich, Conn. The gun is described as "of 

 very Bimplc construction. It has no air chamber, pump, or 

 any valves, cocks or plugs. Any amount of pressure, from 

 one pound to one thousand pounds, can be used instantly. 

 The peculiar construction of tne guu is such that there can 

 be no leakage or loss of the air pressure. The invention can 

 be attached to all kinds of firearms, such as shot-guns, rifles, 

 pistols, revolvers and naval ordinance. Ii can also be used 

 as a repealing gun, firing any number of desired shots." 



Masssohusetts Fox Hunting— Worcester.— Foxes are 

 unusually plentiful in this vicinity the present season. The 

 sport, by agreement, begins Oct. 1, and closes with the last 

 day of February. The local huuters are boasting of the 

 following record : John A. Slocum, 11 ; Nathan S. Har- 

 rington and William S. Perry, each G; Leonard Rand, E. P. 

 Baic.om and H. Lork, each 2; John R. Thayer, E, H. Smith 

 and A. B. F. Kenney, each tell of securing one. 



Ruffed Grouse. — Anent shooting these birds, a corre- 

 spondent says : " Tell me in confidence whether these one- 

 out-of-two ruffed grouse chaps tell the truth ? I have always 

 let drive at them on sight, as 'Mark West' directB, but 

 honesty compels me to confess that most of them keep going 

 just as if nothing had happened. And I can't tell why I 

 miss, whether by shooting ahead (which is not a common 

 fault), or behind, or above, or below." 



Texas, Devil's River, Dec. 3, — Game is abundant here, 

 such as bear, Virginia and black-tail deer, turkey, Messina, 

 scaly and Bob While Quail, Fine black bass fishing in 

 Devil's River. This country will be open to sportsmen from 

 Ban Antonia and the East uext spring, by the competition of 

 the Galveston, Harrisburg, and San Antonio R. R.— G. W. 

 Polk. 



Quail for Europe— Boston, Dec. 9.— A small lot of liva 

 Western quail was shipped from Boston to-day for Liverpool 

 for acclimatization in Yorkshire, England. 



Tub Michigan Forest Fires are said to have d 

 many deer over the river St. Clair into Western Ontario. 



Kansas— Manhattan, Nov. 25. — Gome abundant aroundJ 

 here.— A. B. J. 



There is a wild pigeon roost in Benton Co, Tenn, 

 miles square. 



