4oo 



RECREA TION. 



The larger the bore of gun the closer 

 the shot will lie to the powder. I would 

 not recommend an 8 gauge for common 

 purposes, but would recommend 16 or 20 

 gauge, if you want a safe gun and ammuni- 

 tion. 



I also had a 40-65 and a 45-90 Winchester. 

 They were both good guns, on big game, 

 if I got close enough to it; but let us talk 

 of one that is better. I mean the 30 U. S. 

 Army. For large game use the soft nosed 

 bullet. Mr. W. Warren and I tried the 45- 

 90, and the 30 U. S. Army, on game, and 

 found the 30 has at least one-third more 

 penetration, even with the soft nosed bul- 

 let, than the 45-90 with lead ball. 

 Chas. D. Hirsh, Benton Harbor, Mich. 



C. R. W., Oak Park, 111., in August 

 Recreation asks for 'a report of some 

 one's experience with a 16 gauge gun. I 

 have used a 16 for many years, for small 

 game such as rabbits, grouse, squirrels, 

 quails, etc., and there is none better. I 

 have found, after numerous experiments 

 with loads, that Du Pont's smokeless pow- 

 der gives the best results of any that I 

 have tested. My load, for squirrels and 

 other small game, is 2^/2, drams of powder, 

 one cardboard wad next to powder, 3 

 pink edge wads, or, in place of pink edge, 

 I frequently use 3 black edge wads; one 

 ounce shot with a thin cardboard wad on 

 shot. This leaves about one inch for 

 crimping. I use the " Handy Crimper " 

 and smokeless shells, reloading shells un- 

 til worn out. The gun I use now weighs 

 6 pounds 5 ounces. The left barrel is fujl 

 choke and makes a close pattern. The 

 right barrel is cylinder bore. I use 5, 7, 

 and 9 soft shot, preferring odd numbers,, 

 as I think they suit the 16 gauge gun bet- 

 ter than even numbers. 



John Minsker, York, Pa. 



Can you or your readers, tell me as to 

 the relative merits of the 38-40-180 and 44- 

 40-200 cartridges for accuracy, stopping 

 power, etc., used in revolvers with 5^ or 

 7J/2 inch barrels? Also can these cartridges 

 be loaded with a light charge and get ac- 

 curate shooting? If so, how? Powder 

 loose in shell, or wadded, with round ball 

 seated in muzzle? 



While I do not suppose either of these 

 cartridges is so accurate as the 44 Rus- 

 sian model, are they not better cartridges 

 to take into the woods? 



Can the 45 revolver cartridges be ob- 

 tained throughout the West as readily as 

 the other cartridges mentioned? 



I am deeply interested in your maga- 

 zine, and enjoy reading the comments and 

 suggestions in the department of guns and 

 ammunition; but would like to see more 

 about the revolver. 



Kindly give me your opinion on the 

 above questions, as you are a practical 

 man; also leave it open for your readers. 

 Lindley D. Hubbell, Hartford, Ct. 



Will some of my readers, who are revolver experts, 

 please answer ? — Editor. 



LIFE OF SHELL AND RIFLE. 



What would you say as to a 30-30 smoke- 

 less rifle? Will the bullets in time wear 

 out the rifling? What is the difference be- 

 tween a 32-20 and a 32-40 rifle shell? Is 

 the 32-20 smokeless? What other shells 

 will a 32-40 shoot? Willie Hadden. 



I referred this to an expert, who replies 

 as follows: 



" Mr. Hadden's inquiries relative to 30 

 calibre ammunition, and other cartridges, 

 are fully answered in the catalogue issued 

 by The Marlin Fire Arms Co., New Ha- 

 ven, Ct. The 30-30 smokeless rifle uses 

 bullets copper patched, nickel plated. 

 These bullets are somewhat harder on the 

 barrel than the lead bullets, but as the steel 

 used in the barrels of these rifles is harder 

 than the jacket of the bullet the wear is not 

 so great as might be expected. Still, in 

 course of time these bullets will wear away 

 the rifling. Nevertheless, I have seen 

 smokeless rifles from which have been fired 

 5,000 and 6,000 shots, and they are yet as 

 accurate and apparently as reliable as ever. 

 The bullets used by some military authori- 

 ties have steel jackets and these, of course, 

 wear the barrel more rapidly. 



" Regarding the difference between the 

 32-20 and 32-40: The 32-20 has a bullet .311 

 in diameter, and the 32-40 is .319. One 

 shell is a little less than \ Y / 2 inches in 

 length, while the other is over 2 inches. 

 Both of these cartridges are furnished with 

 black and smokeless loads. The factories 

 make up short range cartridges, for the 

 32-40, which are merely light loads in the 

 regular shell. These shells are crimped to 

 prevent the bullet from slipping down into 

 the shell." 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



H. M. Bacon wants to hear from some 

 one who has had experience with the Win- 

 chester 40-72-330, as to whether it is as 

 effective on big game as the 45-70, '86 

 model. I have had some experience with 

 both these rifles, and think the '95 model 

 is really more effective on large game than 

 the 45-70, '86 model. In fact, I think it the 

 best black powder rifle I ever used. Have 

 killed 3 bear, 3 elk, and some deer with it, 

 and here is the record of a few shots: 



Elk at 100 yards, shot through shoulders. 

 Dead when I got to him. 



Ditto, 75 yards, shot through body, just 

 back of diaphragm. Dropped after taking 

 a few steps and was unable to get up. 



