GUNS AND AMMUNITION. 



461 



almost any desired result. The miniature 

 cartridge is all right up to 150 yards. I 

 load my own shells. They cost about 30 

 cents a 100. The soft point bullets will 

 smash a hole through anything that a 45-70 

 will, and you don't have to lug 7 l / 2 pounds 

 of iron. If the 45-70 and 45-90 men would 

 give the .303 Savage a trial, the factory 

 would have to run nights. 



F. S. Talmadge, 



Springfield, Mass. 



SMALL SHOT. 

 For the benefit of L. G. S., of Brooklyn. 

 N. Y., whose letter was published in Sep- 

 tember Recreation, would say I have fired 

 my .303 Savage rifle about 1,000 times dur- 

 ing the year, mostly at the target. It has 

 never failed me at any time. I consider 

 the Savage one of the best rifles on the 

 market to-day. This is the first time I 

 have ever heard complaint as to the Savage 

 not working, but have heard of other rifles 

 balking up to the limit. 



Will K. Briggs, Athol, Mass. 



In reply to L. G. S., Brooklyn, N. Y., 

 would say I prefer the Winchester 30-30 

 to the Savage .303. I have used the former 

 over 3 years and fired about 1,000 shots 

 with it. Never yet has the action failed me 

 or a cartridge missed fire. 



C. S. Stiles, Warren, O. 



Have been experimenting on woodchucks 

 with my Winchester 40-65-86, having shells 

 loaded with 65 grains of King's semi- 

 smokeless and a hollow bullet with the cop- 

 per tube left in. One chuck was hit in 

 the neck, the bullet going through him 

 lengthwise. He was torn to pieces. The 

 distance was about 65 paces. Another was 

 shot through the mouth and the head and 

 down below the shoulder and blown to 

 bits. As to accuracy, the load is all right 

 up to 375 yards. Last fall I shot a buck 

 through the neck with a 32-40 hollow 

 point. The bullet began to mushroom as 

 soon as it entered the flesh, and nearly 

 severed the head from the shoulders. I 

 believe the hollow bullet is at least 50 per 

 cent, more effective on game than a metal 

 face, soft nose or plain lead bullet is. 



H. P. Pettit, 

 Fort Atkinson, Wis. 



Laflin & Rand's shotgun powder is the 

 cleanest, quickest and strongest I 

 have ever used. After shooting 

 it all day, just run an oiled rag 

 through your gun barrels and they will be 

 as clean as a mirror. Forty-two grains of 

 Laflin & Rand will put No. 6 shot at 200 

 feet clean through most sea birds. 



If more information in regard to Marlin 

 rifles is wanted I can give it from my own 

 experience. I would suggest to the Marlin 



people that instead of wasting time in law- 

 suits, they spend it in perfecting the action 

 of their gun. I don't believe that if they 

 advertised widely the next 10 years 

 they can make up what they have lost 

 by not advertising in Recreation the past 

 year. W. H. Jenness, 



Roslindale, Mass. 



I noticed in Recreation an article ques- 

 tioning the statement of another writer 

 that he had, with a full choke Ithaca gun, 

 3 drams of powder and 1^ ounces No. 

 8 shot, put 400 pellets in a 30-inch circle at 

 40 yards. I have just received a $60 grade 

 Ithaca, an exceedingly handsome gun. Its 

 right barrel will put 400 No. 8 shot out 

 of 1% ounces, in a 30-inch circle at 40 

 yards, and will put practically the entire 

 charge into a 40-inch circle at the same 

 distance. In justice to the Ithaca people 

 I feel bound to make this statement. They 

 dealt most liberally with me. My gun 

 was made with 3^ inches, for which some 

 makers would have charged $10 extra. The 

 Ithaca Co. made no extra charge. 



Walter Lusson, 

 Ardmore, Pa. 



In August Recreation a writer asks : 

 "Which is the better gun, the Ithaca or the 

 Winchester, and why?" I have used both, 

 and for anything but duck shooting prefer 

 the Ithaca, because it has 2 barrels. My 

 Ithaca has one cylinder barrel ; the other 

 is full choked. The first I use for close 

 range, the other at long range. The second 

 barrel I use also for target shooting. An- 

 other and important reason why I prefer 

 the Ithaca is that reloaded shells can be 

 used in it ; also shells which have become 

 slightly swollen from dampness. Again, I 

 can fire 2 shots from a double gun faster 

 than I can from a pump.. Moreover, in 

 appearance, a double gun has great advan- 

 tage over any repeater. My gun is a 12 

 gauge, 30-inch, 7^2 pound No. 1. 



After giving it a careful test for pat- 

 tern and penetration, I consider Robin, 

 Hood the best smokeless shot gun powder 

 on the market. It is a bulk powder, does 

 not require any special loading, wadding or 

 shells, and is guaranteed perfectly safe to 

 use in any gun fit to shoot black powder. 

 It is remarkably quick, entirely smokeless, 

 odorless, and its recoil is almost imper- 

 ceptible. It will not injure the bore of 

 gun any more than black powder. If any 

 sportsman gives the powder a trial I am 

 sure he will use no other. It is manufac- 

 tured in Swanton, Vt., and by writing to 

 the factory all information relative to it 

 can be obtained. I am glad to see it ad- 

 vertised in Recreation. 



H. Lester, Northampton, Mass. 



