300 
it will do more business at 15 rods than 
any 16, 20, or 28 gauge ever could, using 
old-fashioned black powder. 
Saying a little 28 gauge can do as much 
work and as far off as an 8 gauge, all 
things being equal, as manner of boring, 
loading and ammunition, borders on the 
ridiculous, to my mind. Of course I 
don’t know it all. I don’t believe my 28 
gauge friend does either, though he has 
shot over all creation. 
I want to ask my brother sportsmen, 
if at the bottom of their hearts they be- 
lieve a 28 gauge can do as good work and 
as much of it at short or long range, as an 
8 gauge. 
Veteran, Oneida, N. Y. 

do. G0 Mallen’) re= 
garding ditterent loads > fers aq. 222 
caliber rifle, would say: After using 
nearly all styles of .22’s I prefer the U. 
M. C. .22 long rifle cartridge for all-round 
shooting. It contains 5 grains special 
black powder and a solid lead bullet 
weighing 40 grains, which is Io grains 
heavier than the .22 long. While the 
shell is exactly the same length, the extra 
10 grains of lead slightly increase the 
length of bullet, thus making a longer 
cartridge. The shell is not heavily crimp- 
ed, thus giving greater accuracy. The 
powder charge being the same, and the 
bullet heavier, of course the velocity is 
lessened, and the trajectory made higher, 
yet the penetration is much greater and 
the effective range is more than double 
that of the .22 long. 
If the long rifle cartridges were loaded 
with smokeless powder, the _ velocity 
would be increased, the bullet would hold 
up higher and the rifle barrel would not 
foul so quickly, 
El Sol, Franklin Falls, N. H. 
In answer to 
I promised to let you know how the 
.30-30 acted last fall. Our camp was near 
Akeley, Minn., on the Crow Wing lakes. 
a chain abounding with fish and ducks. 
A catch of to fish weighing 40 pounds— 
2 small-mouthed bass and 8 pickerel. 
Our hunt was very difficult, on account 
of dry weather and absence of snow. 
However, I got a 2-prong buck which I 
dropped in his tracks, hitting him 2 inches 
back of the ears, between throat and spin- 
ai column. The bullet made a hole into 
which I could place my first finger where 
it entered and my 3 fingers where it came 
out. Distance, 80 yards. 
.I have carried .45-90, .45-60 and .44-40 
10 pounds. I am now going to the .30-30 
Winchester. It beats anything I ever 
used and the beauty about it all is, I got it 
for a club of subscribers to RECREATION. 
Thanks, and here is another subscrip- 
RECREATION. 
tion. if 
- 
did not know they used 
RECREATION as a text-book in schools, but 
they do. Mr. Ward says he wants. it for 
his daughter, as it helps her to find many 
rivers, lakes, etc. 
C. C. Kline, Lima, O. 
In answer to -W. G.<B. 
RECREATION: 
1. A type-metal bullet same size as 168 
grains lead bullet would weigh slightly 
less, but not enough to make any appre- 
ciable difference I do not know the exact 
weight, but think it would not be more 
than I0 or I5 grains. 
2. Have not used metal patched bullets 
with low-pressure smokeless powder to 
any extent. 
3. Have used King’s semi-smokeless 
powder in .30-30, but can not see that it 
is superior, in cleanliness, to black. It 
gives accurate shooting. 
The type-metal bullets are very hard, 
harder than any lead and tin combination. 
Have often shot them through trees one 
foot thick, and the bullets were uninjured 
except for the point being slightly  flat- 
tened. 
If W. G. B. has a .32-40 he would better 
stick to it. It will give him more satis- 
faction than some of the others. 
PE Se ES Ses : 
Baltimore, March 8, 1899. : 
in March 


I would like answers to the following 3 
questions through ReEcREATION: While | 
loading 12 gauge shells last fall with 3 
drams of smokeless powder I acci- 
dentally loaded one shell twice, mak- 
ing 6 drams of powder. Before dis- 
covering my mistake I had mixed the 
shells. I have a 12 gauge Winchester re- 
peating shotgun, blued barrel, model 
1897. Would it be dangerous to the gun, | 
or to the shooter, to shoot this shell? 
2. Can E. C. smokeless powder be shot 
in a .38-55 Marlin, and with what résults? 
R. B. P., Windom, Minn. 

Does the breech-block of the No. 3 
Remington rifle blow back after the gun 
has been used and becomes old? What 
cartridge is best for mink, musk rats, 
foxes, coons, ’possums, rabbits, squirrels 
and woodchucks? 
Please give me a recipe for curing 
mink, fox, muskrat and coon skins, with 
the fur on. : 
When is the best time to trap them? 
I referred the above to the Remington 
Arms Co., who reply: 
“We have never had submitted a Rem- 
ington rifle, model No, 3, of any age, on 
