296 RECREATION. - 
pose, however. We 
have all seen a boy 
spinning - a 
top and noticed 
how, when it first 
struck the ground, it 
wabbled and _ then 
finally straightened 
up and spunsmooth- 
ly. If then it is struck 
a horizontal blow it 
will wabble once 
MObe, iver a atime, 
if it has sufficient en- 
ergy, it recovers 
itself. This is exact- 
ly what occurs with a bullet; the rotating 
projectile is the top, and the air resistance 
tending to overrun it is the push which 
we give to the top. Only, with the bul- 
let the push of the air is continuous and so 
is the wabbling caused by it. The wabbling 
top is shown in the figure. 


COMBINATION WINCHESTER AND 
MARLIN. 
Newport, Ore., Feb. 8, 1899. 
Editor RECREATION: 
In my February issue of RECREATIDN 
I tread with interest the views of M. T. 
Wire, Albany, Ore., on the Marlin and 
Winchester rifles. I agree with Mr. Wire 
as to « Marlin barrel on a Winchester 
traime. 
Were the Winchester people to take 
the ’86 model frame and make it light 
for a .38-55 barrel and then have a .38- 
55 Marlin barrel fitted, it would in my 
mind be the ideal gun for general work 
for the man who can not afford a .30-30 
or other late arm. I’ve used Marlins a 
good deal and was always bothered by 
the side ejector. It is no good and the 
extractor in a Marlin is a little weak. 
You will be in trouble with it half the 
time, as it will always slip at the wrong 
time and the ejector being on the side 
you will not know exactly whether the 
shell is ejected or not. If not, when the 
next cartridge comes up 9 times out of Io 
it will be jammed so hard against the top 
of the receiver and head of empty shell it 
will refuse to be shaken out and as you 
can not push it down with your finger, as 
you can in the Winchester, you must dig 
up your knife and pry it out while your 
game quietly “hikes” away, unless you 
got him the first shot. 
Like Mr. Wire, I know of Winchester 
rifles “shooting out” quickly. Ive got 
one of them myself, a .45-90, ’86 model. 
Is it possible now the W. R. A. Co. 
have got their reputation § established, 
that they are not putting as good mate- 
rial in their guns as they did years ago? 
string - 
It seems to me stutcch must be the case as 
some of the old ’73 model Winchesters 
will outlive 2 or 3 ’86 models. 
G. B. Dennick. 

SEVERAL ANSWERS. 
I would say to F. P. Ross that I have 
reloaded both Winchester and U. M. C. 
shells for my .30-30 and by _ using 
the Ideal universal powder measure I 
get just as accurate shooting as with the 
factory loaded and at a cost of about one 
cent a load. I have had no trouble with 
the shells. The accuracy is greater than 
I supposed could be had with such a 
powerful load. I note F. D. McQueen 
is getting gray over trying to keep his 
.30 caliber from rusting. I use a little 
turpentine to cut the grease (it is more 
like that than anything I know of) out of 
the grooves and then , wipe dry,—use 
Winchester gun grease and have no trou- 
ble from rust. 
If J. W. B. will roll some writing paper 
wet with mucilage several times around a 
common lead pencil,thusmaking a strong 
paper cylinder, and cut it into short 
lengths the depth of the shot charge, and 
push one down into the center of the load 
before he puts on the top wad he will 
find that his choke bore will make a beau- 
tiful open pattern at <5 yards. 
My friend, W. J. Wing, of Carson, Ia., 
ought to patent it as it is his “way” of 
doing and a great success. 
L.. K. Mason, Hastings, Ia: 

STICK TO ONE CARTRIDGE. 
Will some reader kindly tell me if a 
.22 cal. rifle will handle either long or 
short cartridges and what is the point 
blank range of the .22 long? 
i. Pensacolass-hla, 
If your rifle is chambered for a short . 
cartridge you could not use a long. If 
chambered for a long, you could use 
either long or short; but you can only 
get the best results by using the cartridge 
for which the rifle is chambered. 7 
The expression “point blank’ has prac- 
tically no meaning in modern rifle shoot- 
ing. There is no point blank to any rifle 
or cartridge. If you mean the maximum 
range at which the gun may. be sighted 
on an object say 2 inchesin diameter, that 
may be hit at any point of the trajectory, 
I should say that the distance in the case 
of the .22 short cartridge would be 50 
to 60 yards.—ED. 

SMALL BORES AND HEART SHOTS. 
The arguments for and against small- 
bore rifles interest me: I have lived in a 
good game country all my life, and have 

