GUNS AND AMMUNITION. 



DRIFT AND TRAJECTORIES. 



Buffalo, Wyo. 

 Editor Recreation: 



In discussing the drift of rifle bullets, it 

 is a mistake to compare a long, conical 

 bullet with a round ball, the spin of each 

 being quite distinct. The correct explana- 

 tion was given in April Recreation by 

 Mr. Carlin. There certainly is a drift at 

 however short a distance, though practi- 

 cally it may not require any allowance. 



It may interest "Frodue" to know that 

 the .32-40 drops 3 inches between 50 and 

 ioc yards, when loaded with Dupont No. 

 1, as against 5 inches with black powder. 

 I doubt whether he could use the .30 

 caliber powder without having a special 

 strong breeched barrel, except, of course, 

 to give same velocity as the No. 1 Dupont. 

 Express rifles in England have been loaded 

 in this way with the government high 

 pressure powder, though the shell had to 

 be alteied in some way from those used 

 for black powder in the same rifles. Sin- 

 gle and double rifles have lately been 

 built of .300, .400 and .450 bore, especially 

 for high pressure powder, and jacketed 

 bullets of same length as the .30-40-220 in- 

 stead of the short ones formerly used in 

 these rifles. I intend to have a .30-72 built 

 for as much Wettern powder as the shell 

 will hold.* 



In answer to H. L.: I have found the 

 .22-15-45 excellent for rabbits. The trajec- 

 tory, 2.71 inches at 100 yards, is low com- 

 pared with other pistol cartridges. It will 

 shoot into the regulation bull's-eye at 200 

 yards every time on a favorable day. I 

 tried some 53-grain bullets and found 

 them accurate; but I think H. L. would 

 do better to get a .22-15-60 if he wants an 

 extremely accurate weapon for prize 

 shooting to 200 yards. Having a quicker 

 twist, it would handle the long bullet bet- 

 ter; at the same time it would permit the 

 use of the 45-grain for rabbits. I should 

 imagine the 55-grain bullet in a Winches- 

 » ter .22-13-45 would keyhole at 200 yards, 

 as the twist is even less than in the .22-7- 

 25. A Winchester reloading tool would 

 load the 55-grain bullet, but at a sacrifice 

 of a few grains of powder. Still, it could 

 be seated by hand quite firmly as far out as 

 the lands of the rifle would allow. The 

 .22-13-45 is inside lubricated. The pres- 

 sure with a 55-grain bullet is considerably 

 increased, as I found when loading with 



*Who makes Wettern powder? If it is Rood for 

 anything why does not the maker advertise it in Recre- 

 ation t— Ed. 



heavy charges of Walsrode. I used the 

 long bullet in order to better maintain the 

 initial velocity, up to 150 yards, for long 

 shots, as grouse in the stubbles. The caps 

 soon show when the pressure is too high. 



For target work I should advise Peters' 

 semi-smokeless, 8 grains measure. The 

 Stevens shell is of less diameter than the 

 Winchester, which is .297 at the base, and 

 the former being straight inside, bullets 

 can be seated down on a small charge if 

 desired. 



I would ask "Dough Boy" whether he 

 find his load of 40 grains ffg powder 

 and 100-grain metal bullet give higher 

 velocity in his Savage than the same with 

 factory 17-grain ball? I find the "drop be- 

 two 50 and 100 yards considerable 

 with the latter. I warn intending pur- 

 chasers of Savage rifles that the various 

 cartridges take various sighting. So, un- 

 less they have an adjustable Lyman rear 

 sight, they would do well to order the gun 

 sighted for one particular charge. I found 

 the trigger pull rather strong, but that is 

 easily fixed by removing the stock. I 

 should like to hear if anyone has found the 

 thick grip in this rifle objectionable. I 

 did, and have cut it down to resemble a 

 Winchester. 



With reference to the ballistic properties 

 of the .30-30 Winchester, anyone interested 

 can refer to the Winchester trajectory 

 tables. If sighted to center at 100 yards 

 it will drop about 3 feet at 300 yards. »At 

 200 yards the drop is 10 inches. That is 

 considered near enough to be termed 

 point blank for hunting purposes. 



This drop between distances must not 

 be confused with the drop from the axis 

 of the bore, knowledge of which is not of 

 much practical use. "Subscriber," who 

 raised the above point in August Recrea- 

 tion, said a bullet at 2,000 f. s. m. v. would 

 drop nearly 4 feet in 300 yards, since it 

 would take the bullet nearly % second to 

 travel 900 feet. That calculation would be 

 correct if the air had not something to do 

 with the matter. Instead of the bullet 

 having a pace of 2,000 feet a second after 

 900 feet of flight, it is only going about 

 1,500 feet a second. This calculation is 

 approximated from the velocity curves 

 officially published for the English .303 

 government rifle. This brings the drop 

 to a little over 4 feet instead of less at 300 

 yards, on the supposition that the line of 

 sight and the bore were exactly parallel. 



To W. S. C. I would say that from the 

 data given by him I have figured the tra- 



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