
GUNS AND AMMUNITION. $3 
the ball is moving more rapidly downward, 
as it falls, than the left. Consequently the 
friction on the right side of the ball is great- 
er than on the left, and instead of permit- 
ing the ball to roll on the cushion of air 
toward the right, would tend to slide it 
toward the left. 
This excess of friction on the side which 
through rotation is moving in the direction 
of motion is what produces the curve in the 
course of the baseball, when thrown by the 
skilled pitcher. If the pitcher wishes to 
curve the ball to his left, in throwing, he 
gives it a rotation on its axis from left to 
right. The forward motion toward the bat- 
ter is precisely the equivalent of the fall of 
the rifle bullet. A cushion of air is formed 
in front of the baseball; but instead of roll- 
ing on it from left to right, the ball curves 
from right to left, because the right side of 
the ball is moving more rapidly forward 
than the left, and thereby meets more resist- 
ance on the right side, and is consequently 
pushed away from it. In the baseball’s 
course, the curvature is always away from 
the side which, through rotation, is moving 
forward. 
What is true of the baseball should also 
be true of the rifle bullet in its fall. The 
right side moves faster in the line of grav- 
ity than the left, and, consequently, meet- 
ing more resistance on the right side, should 
drift to the left. Will the author of “ Drift 
of Projectiles,’ explain why the baseball 
does not roll on the cushion of air formed 
in front of it, while, according to his theory, 
the rifle bullet does roll on the cushion of 
air beneath its downward course? 
Tilton C. H. Bouton. 
THE BIG CALIBERS BEST. 
Alpine, Tex. 
Editor RECREATION: I want to tell what 
I know about the .30-30 rifle. I have 
killed 3 deer during our open season of 3 
months’ in ’98 with a .30-30. The first I 
hit in the neck and killed it instantly; the 
second I hit quartering behind the shoulder. 
This one was running about 250 yards away. 
The bullet cut off 3 ribs and passed out at 
the other side killing it at once. The third 
was a spiked buck running from me about 
200 yards away. The first bullet struck 
about 2 inches to one side of the tail and 
about 5 inches low; the second in about 
the same place only on the other side, both 
bullets passing through the whole length 
and tearing the intestines and vitals, heart 
included, into shreds. Still the deer made 
5 or 6 jumps after receiving both bullets. 
re may seem fishy to sceptics, but it is a 
act. 
I killed a deer in Colorado in ’82 or ’83 
hitting it in about the same place as I did 
this one (with a Sharp’s .45-70 hammerless) 
but the effect was altogether different. 
When the bullet struck the deer it turned a 
complete summersault and was dead when 
{ got to it, and the bullet did not touch the 
heart. After comparing these experiences, 
I favor the larger caliber rifles. 
And now for the repeating shot guns. 
They are good, hard hitting guns and should 
be kept in their place, not in the field. Any 
man can get all the shooting he is entitled 
to with a double barrel, but if he has a re- 
peater he is likely to keep shooting at a 
covey until they are out of range, and the 
last 2 or 3 shots will cripple birds that will 
get away and die unfound. The man with 
the double barrel takes his 2 shots and kills 
or misses and marks the balance down. 
There seems to be a kind of fascination 
about the repeater, and when one gets used 
to it he will not lay it down for the double 
gun. I have a friend who put a $350 double 
gun away and took up a $20 repeater. 
W. H. Fletcher. 
THE . 30-40. 
In answer to Y. M.-C. A., Findlay,..O., 
will say, There is no difference in the shoot- 
ing qualities or killing power of the Marlin 
.30-30 and the Winchester .30 smokeless as 
the cartridges are alike or nearly so. 
The superiority of the Winchester ac- 
tion over all other repeaters will not be ques- 
tioned, when it is known that the leading 
gun dealers sell more than twice as many 
Winchester repeaters as of all other rifles 
combined. Facts are better than arguments. 
But the .30-40 is superior to the .30-30. ‘This 
cartridge is nearly twice as powerful as the 
.30-30 and about I-3 more powerful than the 
Savage .303. Its accuracy as compared with 
the old reliables is not yet settled. 
The soft point bullet is far more deadly 
than the full metal patch because the latter 
will not mushroom unless it strikes bone. 
I believe in the .30 caliber, high power rifle. 
The .30-40 is a terror. I must say, how- 
ever, I think the .30-30 and .25-35 have been 
greatly over-rated. I shall not say anything 
about the killing power of these guns but 
I know the .30-30 with soft point bullet, fired 
into the same piece of wood (either hard or 
soft) beside’ a .45-70, .45-90 or any other 
big black cartridge, will not penetrate so 
far or tear so large a hole as these .45 or 
.40 cartridges using black powder and com- 
mon lead bullets. 
E. A. D., Boston, Mass. 

LOZ VS; LZ: 
In February number Mr. D. T. Tuthill 
says: “A to bore should, at 35 yards, put 
No. 4 shot through a one inch pine board. 
The charge being 4% drams black powder 
and 1% ounces shot. For a 7 pound 12 
bore I consider 314 drams of black powder 
