GUNS AND AMMUNITION. 



THE 22 SHORT AND LONG CARTRIDGES, 

 c. p. 



I owned a Ballard rifle, 22 calibre, 28 inch 

 barrel, 9^4 pounds weight, fitted with globe 

 and peep and open sights. I thoroughly- 

 tested its shooting qualities at all ranges 

 and in various ways. One calm day I and 

 2 friends tested it at long range. For a tar- 

 get we used a dry oak board 1 inch thick, 14 

 inches wide and about 4 feet long. We 

 set the board against a tree and I went a 

 distance of 306 steps, to where I could get 

 a dead rest. Aiming at the top of the 

 board I fired, with a short cartridge; the 

 ball striking about 20 steps short. I raised 

 my peep sight until I could hit the board 

 every shot and, by cleaning my gun after 

 each shot, I could place the balls in line 

 nearly every time. All penetrated out of 

 sight in the board and 3 showed on the 

 back of board. I then changed to the long 

 cartridges. The first fell short some 25 or 

 30 steps, with the sights set at the proper 

 place for the short ones. I tried several 

 more shots, without changing the sights, 

 with about the same result, but irregular. 

 Then I raised my peep until I could hit the 

 board. I fired a number of shots; missing 

 the board 3 or 4 times and getting very ir- 

 regular results, both in line and height. The 

 penetration was about 1-3 that of the shorts. 



I secured a perfectly clear yellow poplar 

 block and fired one shot with the short and 

 one with the long cartridge, in it, at a dis- 

 tance of 10 steps; placing the balls within 

 1 inch of each other. Then with an auger 

 bit I bored along side of each ball, to get 

 the penetration. I found the long cartridge 

 had penetrated ^ of an inch deeper than 

 the short. Will some one tell me why the 

 penetration of -the longs, at short range, is 

 so much greater than that of the shorts, 

 and so much less at long range? My gun 

 was chambered for the short shell, which 

 may account for it; but there was no up- 

 setting of the bullets with either cartridge. 

 It does not seem as if the chambering could 

 have much to do with the penetration; but 

 it might account for the irregular work at 

 long range. At short range, say up to 100' 

 yards, I never noticed any irregularities 

 with the long cartridge. I have a 22 calibre 

 single shot Winchester which I consider as 

 good a target gun. for short range, as is 

 made; but do not think it has the penetra- 

 tion of the Ballard mentioned. 



I also have a 38 calibre, 92 model. Win- 

 chester repeater, and a 38-55-255 single shot 

 Ballard, both of which are excellent guns, 

 but too powerful for target shooting. For 

 hunting purposes I have a Kirkwood 34 

 inch, 3 barrel gun, 10 gauge shot and 38- 

 55-255 rifle; which I would not exchange 

 for any gun I ever saw, for general hunting. 



MORE PRAISE OF THE 30-30. 



Lake Cushman, Wash. 

 Editor Recreation: I read with interest 

 a letter from Mr. J. J. Adams, of Salt 

 Lake, Utah. He says " The 45 calibre ball 

 has more energy and power and will do 

 more damage than the 30." He certainly 

 has never used the modern small bore 

 smokeless, with mushroom bullet, on large 

 game, if he talks that way. I have never 

 killed a grizzly bear; ngyer having hunted 

 in a grizzly country. But I have hunted 

 large game for over 10 years, and have 

 killed, and seen killed, elk, deer, and black 

 bear galore, with all sorts of rifles. I have 

 used the 45-85-290 Bullard; the 45-90, 50- 

 110, 40-82 and 38-56 Winchester. Also the 

 •303-30 Savage and 30-40 Winchester, in 

 the modern smokeless guns. These have 

 not been fired at dead horses, but at living 

 large game. My experience and that of 

 everyone I know who has used the modern 

 gun, has shown conclusively that the old 

 guns are simply not in it. I have seen 

 bear, deer and elk run long distances 

 after being shot through in vital spots, with 

 45 and 50 calibre guns; while the same 

 game, shot in the same place with the 

 mushroom ball of the 30 calibre would drop 

 where it stood. Many advocates of the old 

 gun claim the mushroom ball will not 

 spread unless it strikes a bone. They are 

 wrong. Last September I was hunting in 

 the Olympic mountains with Mr. C. R. 

 Yates, of Oakland, Cal. We ran across the 

 trail of a monster bull elk and followed it 5 

 hours, finally getting a glimpse of him, run- 

 ning, about 150 yards away. Yates fired 

 one shot with his 30-40 Winchester. The 

 elk staggered about 75 feet and dropped. 

 We ran to it as fast as we could and found 

 the animal so far gone it could not raise its 

 head. The ball had passed completely 

 through the elk, behind the last rib, and 

 through the intestines; but not striking a 

 bone nor what is usually known as a vital 

 organ. Where the bullet came out it left a 

 hole as large as a saucer, and the animal 

 was simply filled with coagulated blood. I 

 have twice shot deer in exactly the same 

 place. Both ran over a mile, in deep 

 snow, before dropping. One was shot with 

 a 45-85-290 Bullard. and one with a 45-70- 

 500 Winchester. The modern smokeless 

 rifle is far lighter than the old gun. It has 

 no smoke, makes less noise, shoots 250 

 yards practically point blank, has un- 

 equalled penetration and killing power; 

 and is away ahead of any large bore in 

 every point. I prefer the Savage .303. as 

 having more good qualities than any other 

 gun on the market; but any and all of the 

 American made rifles are good. 



F. J. Church. 



39° 



