GUNS AND AMMUNITION. 



AS TO 25 CALIBRE RIFLES. 



Abilene, Tex. 



Editor Recreation: Replying to query 

 from J. M. Miller, in September Recrea- 

 tion; I believe the 25-36 Marlin one of the 

 best cheap guns made, and prefer it to the 

 25-35 Winchester, though that is also a 

 good gun. My remarks on reloading will 

 apply to either gun. Both will use high or 

 low pressure smokeless or black powders, 

 but with the latter require frequent clean- 

 ing. 



The shells are hard to clean after using 

 black powder, but I find low pressure 

 smokeless as accurate as black, and it does 

 not foul shells or gun. My only objection 

 to smokeless is its high price. 



Am reloading with Du Pont's No. 1 

 Smokeless, and cast bullets, with excellent 

 results. In the factory cartridge, the bullet 

 is metal patched, but the shells can be re- 

 loaded with smokeless or black powder, 

 and cast bullets, if the bullets are properly 

 made. 



The twist in these guns is 1 in 12 inches. 

 A more rapid twist will not shoot cast bul- 

 lets accurately. Do not use a pure lead bul- 

 let. These guns require a hard bullet, not 

 softer than 1 part tin to 10 of lead. If softer 

 they will strip. 



I consider the Ideal No. 6 reloading tool, 

 the best in use; but it crimps too tightly 

 over the bullet, if the shell is pushed to the 

 shoulder. Increasing the crimp is equiva- 

 lent to increasing the powder charge, and 

 shells that have been reloaded several times 

 are likely to burst if too tightly crimped. 

 The 1 to 10 bullet is almost as accurate as 

 the metal-cased, under 400 yards. 



A friend of mine, on his first trip with a 

 25-36 Marlin, reloaded shells and cast bul- 

 lets, killed 2 antelope at what was estimated 

 to be 500 yards. He did not raise his rear 

 sight, but making allowance for distance, 

 by the elevation of his front sight, and aim- 

 ing at top of shoulder, he hit one antelope 

 in the shoulder, and the other in the neck. 



For small game and short range shoot- 

 ing I use a light charge, and fill space be- 

 tween powder and bullet with cotton. 



One advantage these guns have, over 

 those of larger calibre, is their flat trajec- 

 tory, making it unnecessary to calculate 

 distances accurately. Their killing power 

 is surprising, being far greater than that of 

 a 32-40. With high pressure smokeless 

 powder, and metal-cased bullets, they are 

 accurate up to 1,000 yards. 



If Mr. Miller buys a 25-36 Marlin, with 

 Lyman combination rear, and ivory bead 

 front sight, he will not regret it. 



S. R. Cates. 



REVOLVER CARTRIDGES. 



Trumansburg, N. Y. 



Editor Recreation: In the November 

 Recreation, Lindley D. Hubbell, asks in- 

 formation in regard to the 38-40 and 44-40 

 cartridge in the revolver. 



While I am not an expert shot, I have 

 had considerable experience with the 44- 

 40 in a target revolver, and in my opinion 

 it is inferior to the 44 Russian cartridges, in 

 every respect. 



The recoil is heavy, and the large powder 

 charge fouls the barrel rapidly. 



On a warm dry day this fouling is especi- 

 ally troublesome, and so adhesive that 

 nothing short of a wire brush will remove 

 it, and even then it takes considerable time. 



I have used in this revolver, with fair re- 

 sults 40 grains of F F G Dupont's powder, 

 ar^d a 44 Russian bullet, of 255 grs. sized to 

 .424. 



These bullets were not lubricated, but a 

 paraffin wad about ■&% of an inch in thick- 

 ness was used over powder. 



I fired 10 shots with this load, a few days 

 ago, at 50 yards at an elliptical bulls-eye 

 measuring 8 by 10 inches. 



Nine of these shots were well in the bulls- 

 eye, and the tenth very close. 



The fouling from this charge was not 

 worse, nor the recoil noticeably greater, 

 than from the 44-40-200 cartridges; while 

 the heavier bullet should be more effective 

 on game. I received 2 cans of King's semi- 

 smokeless F F G powder for use in my 44 

 Russian model revolver. 



While I have not yet had an opportunity 

 to give it a thorough trial, I think it will 

 prove superior to black powder. 



Its price is about the same, 50 cents a 

 pound. The recoil is comparatively light 

 for the charge used, 25 grs.- measured in an 

 Ideal flask. The report is a sharp crack, 

 with less smoke and odor than given by 

 black powder. The fouling is easily re- 

 moved and apparently has no more injuri- 

 ous effect than ordinary black powder. I 

 think about 28 grs. of this powder of the 

 F F Fg size and a flat pointed bullet of say 

 250 grs. would prove a killer on game. The 

 makers claim it gives a higher velocity and 

 from 10 to 20 per cent, greater penetration 

 than black powder. I cannot understand 

 why they do not advertise this powder in 

 Recreation, so sportsmen may know of 

 its good qualities and where to get it. 



L. O. H. 



16 BORE VS. 12 BORE. 



I have had a great deal of experience with 

 10, 12 and 16 bore guns, and after consider- 

 able experimenting with each, have come 



