GUNS AND AMMUNITION 



299 



PERFORMANCE OF A MAUSER. 



In August Recreation G. E. M., Som- 

 erville, N. J., says he would like to hear 

 liom some one owning a Mauser rifle. I 

 have a 7.7 Mauser, model '93, captured at 

 Santiago. It is not a pretty gun to look 

 at, but it is simple, strong, accurate, hard 

 shooting, and will stands lots of rough 

 usage without getting out of order. The 

 bolt has 2 locking lugs, while the Krag- 

 Jorgensen has one. It can be with- 

 drawn, taken apart, cleaned and replaced 

 with no other tool than the fingers. I had 

 the Ideal Company make a set of reloading 

 tools (the first 7.7 they ever made), with 

 cylindrical mould for patched bullet. I 

 have had good success using 20 grains of 

 Dupont's .30 calibre powder. Bullets must 

 fit tightly, as the rifling is shallow. There 

 is a disadvantage in the .30 caliber powder 

 with small charges; it is not all burned. 

 Unconsumed particles of powder some- 

 times get from the shell into the action of 

 the gun and cause trouble. With 40 or 43 

 grains .30 caliber powder and a 175 grain 

 full jacketed bullet the powder is all con- 

 sumed and a tremendous velocity ob- 

 tained. I now use Dupont's No. 1 smoke- 

 less for patched bullet (one part tin, 10 of 

 lead) with excellent results. 



Have not tried the rifle on big game, but 

 have shot porpoises from the ship with it, 

 killing them instantly. Have filecl a crease 

 on the point of bullet, cutting through the 

 metal jacket, and then shot a porpoise 

 with it. He stopped as if he had been 

 struck by lightning. 



If G. E. M. wants to see the effect of a 

 Mauser bullet at short range let him take 

 a quart can, fill it with water, hang it on 

 a limb and shoot at it with a full jacketed 

 Mauser bullet. He will be surprised at 

 results obtained. 



Lewis H. Higgins, master SS. Barn- 

 stable. 



THE PUMP GUN. 

 I notice in October Recreation that 

 Charles Cristadoro not only berates the 

 pump gun, but those who use it. He makes 

 his statement explicit, that "the pump gun 

 is the pot hunter's tool"; and further states 

 that "9 out of every 10 users of the pump 

 gun would delight to get a covey of quail 

 into a ditch and pot them all." I am the 

 proud possessor of a Winchester pump 

 gun, yet I have the first covey of quails to 

 pot, and as long as I am permitted to 

 retain my senses I shall not commit such 

 an act of inhuman hoggishness. There are 

 at present 2 Winchester pump guns in our 

 town, and neither one has ever been shot 

 into a covey of quails on the ground. This 

 is more than I can say of several of the 

 double barrels guns that are in and about 

 town. Last season one man killed 9 quails 



at one shot with his single shot gun. Do 

 not call the gun a game hog, but the man 

 behind it. A man may carry a single shot 

 .22 caliber rifle and yet be a game hog at 

 heart. There is an advantage in using a 

 pump gun, but what is it? Is it because it 

 is such an exterminator of game? Is it 

 because it is the ga,me hog's gun? No! It 

 is because of the cost of the gun. Few 

 sportsmen can afford to pay $50 to $75 for 

 a gun. They can get a Winchester for 

 much less, and its shooting qualities are 

 second to none. They have, a good gun 

 at moderate cost. I wish Brother Crista- 

 doro could pay us a visit and be among our 

 Winchesters during quail season. We 

 would give him a pleasant reception and 

 show him true sportsmanship with a pump 

 gun — such as would forever banish from 

 his mind his erroneous ideas regarding the 

 pump gun. 



Dan. M. Wogaman, Quincy, O. 



HIS FAVORITE A .32-40. 



I think the No. 2 .30-30 is given more 

 credit than it deserves, and advise sports- 

 men to consider well before adopting a 

 high-power rifle. An army rifle seems to 

 have a peculiar fascination for young and 

 inexperienced sportsmen. The oldest and 

 most successful hunters do not favor the 

 .30. It may be suitable for hunting on 

 open prairies, but nothing is gained by its 

 use in a thickly wooded country. 



Four out of 5 deer are killed within 100 

 yards. It is not necessary to have a gun 

 that will carry 2 miles for the sake of get- 

 ting a flat trajectory, when your game is 

 only 75 to 150 yards from you. I saw a 

 large buck brought down at 75 yards with 

 a .32-20 Winchester. I never owned a gun 

 more powerful than a .38-40. and never lost 

 a deer that was fairly hit. The last deer I 

 shot was with a .32-40, and it fell dead in 

 its tracks. 



There has been more big game killed 

 with the .38-40 and .44-40 than will ever be 

 killed with .30's and .303's. I do not be- 

 lieve in using antiquated tools; but do be- 

 lieve in using the tool which possesses the 

 greatest utility combined with the least 

 running expense. Ammunition for the ..30 

 is expensive, and as good shooting is 

 learned only by much practice its cost soon 

 exceeds that of the gun. 



For a general utility gun none are so 

 good as the .32-40 and the .38-55- Never 

 having hunted grizzly bear, moose or cari- 

 bou I can not speak of them from experi- 

 ence; but from black bear and deer down 

 I know what I am talking about. I carry 

 a .32-40 and my hunting companion carries 

 a .38-55. If I were to change it would be 

 to the .38-55, yet the little .32.40 has killed 

 the most big game of the 2. 



J. B. Garvin, Wheeling, W. Va. 



