GUNS AND AMMUNITION. 



HOW THE .30-30 AFFECTS MEAL 

 In September Recreation I find the 

 query of H. I. Hill, of Springfield, Mo., as 

 to what the effect of a .30-30 soft nose bul- 

 let would be on a deer, should it not strike 

 a bone or vital part. This is in line with 

 so much of the speculation in which I in- 

 dulged before I bought my .30-30 that I 

 will give my experience. The largest game 

 on which I have used my rifle is wood- 

 chucks, and I find that when shot through 

 the center of the paunch the bullet mush- 

 rooms well, making a hole at the point of 

 exit as large as a silver dollar and taking 

 a large part of the entrails with it. It 

 mushrooms more in the paunch than in the 

 neck or head. The latter shots make a hole 

 at point of exit about the size of a 25 cent 

 piece. The chucks drop as though struck 

 by lightning and never move a muscle even 

 when paunched at a point clear from the 

 vitals. They even omit the usual flop of 

 the tail. What the effect would be on deer 

 I cannot say, but I think Brother Hill can 

 easily guess. As for bleeding game, I find 

 there is many times as much blood drawn 

 from a chuck with the .30 as with my .45- 

 70, as I tried them side by side. With the 

 .45 both holes would close up and little 

 blood be lost; but with the .30 the large 

 hole lets out intestines, blood, and every- 

 thing loose. I shot one chuck with the 

 .45-70, the bullet entering just in front of 

 the right hip and passing diagonally 

 through, coming out in front of the left 

 shoulder; yet he ran about 15 feet before 

 stopping and did not leave a sign of blood 

 on the ground. I never knew a chuck shot 

 with the .30 to stir after he was hit. I have 

 shot them at all ranges from 130 yards 

 down, without raising my sights or making 

 any allowance for distance. 



I have reloaded my shells, both with 

 high pressure powder and metal cased bul- 

 let and with King's semi-smokeless with 

 a lead bullet, 1 to 10, and find they shoot 

 well. The high pressure charges wear out 

 shells somewhat faster than low pressure; 

 still they can be reloaded satisfactorily. 

 The low pressure load, which is semi- 

 smokeless powder about equal in bulk to 

 35 grains of black powder, and the Ideal, 

 No. 3086, 150 grain bullet, is extremely 

 accurate and does not lead the gun at all. 

 I have fired 25 consecutive shots with this 

 load without cleaning, and could find no 

 signs of leading or fouling. 



I think the .30-30 no more dangerous 

 than any other rifle larger than a .22, since 

 the ball will be in the air, if fired at a great 

 elevation, until spent, and when it drops it 

 is no worse than any other spent ball of 

 its weight, and not so bad as a heavier 

 bullet. Also, it will not glance like a lead 



bullet. The soft nose, expanding, clings to 

 whatever it strikes and destroys the mo- 

 mentum of the bullet. I have fired several 

 shot at rocks, at sharp angles, and have 

 never been able to hear one hum as a 

 glancing bullet does. They seem to im- 

 part all their energy to the first thing they 

 strike, after which they are harmless. It 

 makes little difference as to danger wheth- 

 er your falling bullet strikes within one 

 or 5 miles of you. The chances of doing 

 damage are the same. It can only strike 

 in one spot anyway. 



A° to accuracy, I find my .30 equal, up 

 to 500 yards, to any gun I ever used, and 

 I have used some good ones; while its 

 flat trajectory makes it much more accu- 

 rate at distances between 100 and 300 

 yards, as you need not calculate the dis- 

 tance so closely. 



X. Y. Z., Buffalo, N. Y. 



WHERE 2 SAVAGES MET. 



Prior to my going to Alaska, in 1897, I 

 was induced to buy a .303 Savage rifle, 

 in spite of a long standing prejudice 

 against the small calibre rifle. I had al- 

 ways used the .50-110 for big game, and 

 believed it the only thing. 



I had no use for the new gun till the 

 fall of '98, at which time it saved my life. 

 I have used every American make of rifle, 

 also the famous Mauser, and for depth of 

 penetration and death-dealing shock there 

 is no gun on earth to equal the .303 Sav- 

 age. I speak now from actual experience. 



While prospecting on the head waters 

 of White river, 2co miles from the Yukon, 

 I encountered one of the most savage 

 beasts of the American continent, a silver 

 tip grizzly. Leaving camp early in the 

 morning, with a pack of 65 pounds on my 

 back, to go 20 miles, I was tempted to 

 leave my gun, and had it been the old .50- 

 110 I certainly should have done so; but 

 on account of the new gun being so light, 

 the boys persuaded me to take it. 



When about 4 miles out, and traveling 

 up a crooked creek, with high banks, I 

 turned one of the bends suddenly, and 

 came face to face, without a moment's 

 warning, with one of the most hideous 

 looking silver tips it has been my misfor- 

 tune to meet. I saw there was not a mo- 

 ment to lose. The bear was as much sur- 

 prised as I, which gave me time to throw 

 off my pack. Then with a growl which one 

 who has heard it can never forget he 

 charged me. I raised my rifle, took a 

 quick but careful aim and fired. His 

 head was slightly raised and I had aimed 

 for the point of his nose. The bullet en- 

 tered the left nostril, ranged through his 

 head and passed out under his right ear. 



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