GUNS AND AMMUNITION. 



5°< 



NOTES. 



Will you kindly tell me whether, in clean- 

 ing rifle cartridges that have been used, it 

 will spoil them, for reloading, to boil them? 



Will it anneal them? 



Recreation is the best sportsmen's 

 journal I ever read, or heard of. Every man, 

 woman or child, who has any love for 

 sport should read Recreation. 



Thos. Trebilcock, Houghton, Mich. 



ANSWER. 



It would not injure rifle shells to boil 

 them; but that is not at all necessary. 

 Simply place them in cold water, soon after 

 firing, and let them lie half an hour. Then 

 clean with a brush and wipe them dry, and 

 they will be all right. — Editor. 



I noticed in Recreation the inquiry of 

 J. M. M., Beloit, Wis., about the 25-20 

 rifle. I have used one and find it large 

 enough for any kind of small game. I first 

 owned a 25-20 Marlin; but now have a Win- 

 chester of same calibre; 34 inch barrel, set 

 triggers, and Lyman combination rear and 

 globe front sight; weight gj4 pounds. 



A truer shooting gun I never saw. There 

 are others just as good, but I flatter myself 

 that I have one of the best rifles the Win- 

 chester people ever made. It was made to 

 special order and if J. M. M. ever comes 

 here I should be glad to have him call and 

 examine it. 



Jno. J. Schell, Mason City, la. 



I wish some of your readers would give 

 me some information, through Recrea- 

 tion, about nitro powder loads for shot 

 guns, in field use; also as to best charge of 

 nitro powder for duck shooting. I have 

 been using 44 grains nitro, in a Forehand 

 hammerless gun (32 inch barrels, and both 

 full choked), and find that all birds shot 

 inside of 30 yards are almost invariably 

 ruined for food. What charge will do ef- 

 fective work in the field? 



J. S. Estill, Savannah, Ga. 



I have been shooting a 30-30 Winchester 

 smokeless, this season, and am thoroughly 

 converted to the small bore for future use. 

 I have shot 6 bucks, so far, and not one ran 

 30 yards. Three fell dead in their tracks. 

 The soft pointed bullet makes a terrible 

 wound. Also the gun will carry 250 yards 

 and hit a deer without elevation. 



A. G. Allen, Ontario, Cal. 



I would like to ask some of the readers 

 of Recreation what they fill their rifle 

 shells up with, when using short range 

 loads. Would like to load my 32-40 Marlin 

 shells with 10 grain bullet and 15 or 20 

 grains of powder. 



Hoffman Livingston, Galatin, Kans. 



Will some of you rifle cranks please tell 

 me what kind and calibre I want for all 

 around use, at target and for rabbits, squir- 

 rels, and large game. 



Recreation is ahead of them all. 



L. E. Morris, Bethlehem, la. 



Will some of the shooters who have used 

 either a 12 or a 16 gauge Ithaca shot gun, 

 let me know, through Recreation, how 

 they like them. 



E. R. Wilson, Cannon Falls, Minn. 



TO COQUINA. 



W. H. NELSON. 



Dear friend: the spirits of the woods 



Are calling unto thee, 

 And Autumn has a thousand wiles 



To lure thee to be free. 

 The mountains breathe through every cleft 



Their invitation strong, 

 And every sparkling lake and stream 



Breaks into liquid song. 



Thy rifle, rusting in its rack, 



Stirs through its twisted heart; 

 The trigger " creeps " to feel again 



Thy finger do its part. 

 Thy rod, wrapped in its mildewed case, 



Sighs for the winding streams; 

 Thy birchen boat turns in its sleep 



And yawns in blissful dreams. 



And I, thy friend, while Autumn tunes 



Her thousand-stranded lyre, 

 Long for thine ear to drink the song 



Beside my hunter's fire. 

 Here while the silent mountains sleep 



And stars keep watch and ward, 

 To share the blanket, and the cup, 



And " briar " of the bard. 



And thou art here. When twilight falls 



And by my fire I lie, 

 Thou art beside me, and I gaze 



Down straight into thine eyes, 

 My soul .wide open throws her door, 



And in thy voice I hear 

 The sigh of winds and lapse of waves 



By some wild Western mere. 



Accept a hunter's grateful thanks 

 For joy that thou hast brought, 



An hundred thousand other hearts 

 Echo the self-same thought. 



The minstrel's harp is worn and frail, 



. And frayed its feeble strings. 



And yet he dares to hope that thou 

 Wilt hear the song he sings. 



