3M 



RECREA TION. 



75 yards. You must cut off a part of the 

 spindle so as to make the 2 pieces of the 

 shell separate sooner. I did not have 

 enough of the shells to make a satisfactory 

 trial; but from the experiments made was 

 satisfied the shell would not work uni- 

 formly. I had no difficulty in sending the 

 charge, as a solid shot, through a barrel 

 standing on the beach at a distance of 80 

 yards. 



This device must be used with cylinder 

 gun, and I understand the smallest size 

 made is 10 gauge. 



MacCurdy, Fresno, Cal. 



companion, who now thinks as much of the 

 sight as I do. Who else has seen one? 



George Hall. 



A GOOD RIFLE SIGHT. 



Tomahawk, Wis. 



Editor Recreation: Some years ago I 

 was in Kennedy Bros.' gun store, in St. 

 Paul, looking about to see if anything new 

 had come out, when I found, in a box of 

 odds and ends, a rifle sight to fit in the slot 

 usually occupied by the old buckhorn. It 

 attracted my attention at once, and I 

 thought I could see an advantage to be 

 gained in using it. I bought and adjusted 

 it to my Marlin; used it for a number of 

 years, and now consider it simply indis- 

 pensable. I sold my gun, last winter, sup- 

 posing I would have no trouble in getting 

 another sight like this one; but have been 

 unable, so far, to find one. It is similar 

 to the Lyman middle sight, No. 6; but 

 differs from it in having but one leaf, a 

 straight upper edge, and no notch. This 

 one leaf is on a hinge, and will fold down. 

 It has a narrow strip of ivory, near the up- 

 per edge, which relieves the strain on the 

 eye, and should be used on the rifle with a 

 Lyman front sight, No. 4, and Lyman rear 

 peep sight, or his new No. 21. 



The advantages are these: First adjust 

 your rear sight, by screwing it up or down, 

 so you can just see the ivory point on your 

 front sight. Now, aim at a target, or a 

 deer's heart or shoulder, and you will find 

 the lower half of the object aimed at hid. 

 Try it and you will agree with me that when 

 you cannot see the lower half of the animal, 

 it is easier to get a bead on a central vul- 

 nerable spot, than it is with ordinary front 

 and rear sights, and with all the animal in 

 view. 



This sight is a great improvement on the 

 old buckhorn sight, for nearly every hunter 

 knows the buckhorn hides so much of the 

 animal that it is often impossible to tell 

 what part is in view, and you may hold on 

 the flank, when a heart, or a shoulder shot 

 is due you. It is possible this sight is 

 known and in use in other parts of the 

 country; but I have hunted in Northern 

 Wisconsin and Minnesota for 15 years, and 

 have never seen but one in use, beside my 

 own, and that was last fall. It was gotten 

 on my recommendation, by an old hunting 



RELOADING SMOKELESS SHELLS. 



Houston, Minn. 



Editor Recreation: I read Recreation 

 with deep interest and always turn to Guns 

 and Ammunition first. Am a beginner in 

 this field and am becoming a crank on the 

 30 calibre. 



Mr. M. W. Miner's remarks on the 30 

 calibre, and the reloading of shells for 

 same, are the cause of this letter. His ex- 

 perience in reloading 30 calibre shells is 

 another of the unaccountables A year ago 

 last March I bought a 30-30, 1894 model 

 Winchester, and Ideal double adjustable 

 reloading tool; also, an Ideal perfection 

 mold, for grooved bullets, from 100 to 211 

 grains, also 100 cartridges. A month later 

 a friend got a 30-40-95 model Winchester, 

 with Ideal tool. The one mold does for 

 both of us. 



Then we tried all weights of bullets and 

 charges of F.F.G. Dupont powder. We 

 made bullets from pure tin up to 1 part tin 

 to 60 of lead. The softest bullets, with about 

 1 grain of powder to 6 grains of pure lead, 

 did the best shooting; but it did not give 

 satisfaction. 



Then we got some No. 1 Dupont smoke- 

 less rifle powder and went at it again. Now 

 we have adopted a load of 10 grains of the 

 smokeless powder and 140 grains of pure 

 lead, which makes an accurate load for prac- 

 tice and for small game. We can put the 

 majority of our shots into a 3 ^2 inch ring 

 at 100 yards. I made one 10 shot score, at 

 71 yards, out in the woods, resting over a 

 stump, and using Lyman rear and front 

 hunting sights. A strip Y\ inch by 2 inches 

 covered 6 shots; and a 5 cent piece covered 

 3 of them. A 4 inch ring covered all of 

 them. This charge causes no leading of 

 barrel, no keyholeing, no wild shots. If we 

 hold the same each time, they go the same; 

 and the smokeless powder is clean. We 

 can shoot all day without cleaning. 



We don't claim to have a money winner, 

 but do claim to have a good small load for 

 the 30-calibres. It does well for men who 

 work every day and who use hunting sights. 



Some day I will shoot a target and send 

 to Recreation to prove these statements. 



I have used only 50 shells and have shot 

 800 loads out of them. Have never burst 

 one and they have never been resized. 



My friend's. 30-40 has never burst a shell. 

 We use Winchester shells. A. L. 



The subscriber who asks for the name of 

 the maker of the schrapnel shot cartridge 

 is informed they are, or were, made by 

 George Boice & Co., Birmingham, Eng- 

 land, 



