56 



RECREATION. 



my guides, and one of them being left 

 handed I had an excellent opportunity to 

 see the Marlin side ejector worked under 

 both conditions. During this time I never 

 saw but one case of a shell sticking or 

 jamming. This happened one evening in 

 camp when he attempted to unload the 

 magazine slowly, and was caused by his not 

 removing the ejected shell by hand, which 

 would have cleared the rifle had his hand 

 not covered the opening in the frame. As 

 to the side ejection of shells I failed to see 

 wherein it ever annoyed the left handed 

 shooter. 



In all my experience with, the Marlin and 

 Winchester arms, I think there is little 

 liability of properly loaded shells sticking 

 or jamming if the finger lever is only car- 

 ried far enough forward at each operation. 

 A. Hedges, Foxboro, Mass. 



AN ALL-AROUND RIFLE. 



I have been interested in Mr. Dunham's 

 articles, and his 25-35 Winchester, which I 

 consider the nearest to ah all-around rifle 

 of anything made. It is large enough for 

 deer, and I think for^ elk, moose and bear, 

 and, with light loads, is small enough for 

 squirrels and grouse. I can load short 

 range or light load cartridges with 5 to 6 

 grains of smokeless powder and 86 grain 

 lead bullet, for a trifle more than cost of 

 22 calibre ammunition. I am an advocate 

 of the 22 for small game and short range 

 shooting; but where one wants a rifle for 

 large and small game, and only wants one 

 rifle, the 25-35 is the gun to use. It has a 

 much flatter trajectory than the 32-40, hav- 

 ing the same shell, with a much smaller bul- 

 let. Then, too, it is made for smokeless 

 powder, and nickel jacketed bullets, and 

 the 32-40 is not adapted to either. The 

 next and about only cartridge which is 

 more powerful than the 25-35, is the 30-40 

 U. S. G., but I do not see any need for such 

 a powerful cartridge in this country. Am- 

 munition for the 25-35 is not expensive, and 

 this I consider an important feature. I 

 shoot a great deal, and find there is an ad- 

 vantage in using same rifle for all purposes. 

 Then when I go hunting am prepared 

 for any game I find. Would be pleased to 

 hear more on this subject through Recrea- 

 tion. 



M. M. Conlon, Traverse City, Mich. 



Pueblo, Col. 

 Editor Recreation: I have noticed the 

 discussion of rifles in Recreation and 

 would like to say a few words in favor of 

 the small bore. I have used almost every- 

 thing irom a 45-90 to a 22, and therefore 

 speak from experience. 



The nearest one can come to having an 

 all-round rifle, in my opinion, is to get a 

 Savage .303, with the different charges. 

 The small calibre, with light charge, does 

 not mutilate small game too badly and with 

 the heavy charges it will kill the largest 

 game found. 



Anyone who has witnessed the damage 

 done by a soft nose bullet and heavy charge 

 of powder cannot doubt the ability of the 

 small calibre rifle to kill all game, from a 

 grizzly down. I have seen deer and ante- 

 lope killed with 22 rim fire rifles. The only 

 difference in killing them with such a gun 

 being that they had to be followed farther. 

 I have not used the 25-35 nor the 25-36; 

 but see no reason why they should not be 

 good game guns. 



I beg leave to differ with H. W. Mal- 

 lory in regard to the superiority of factory 

 loaded cartridges over hand loads. If Mr. 

 Mallory will investigate he will find almost 

 all target shooters load their own shells. 

 Why? Simply because with care in load- 

 ing they gain in accuracy. I admit factory 

 loads are superior to carelessly loaded 

 shells, with poorly made and poorly lubri- 

 cated bullets. Of the 20 members of our 

 Pueblo Ri-fle Club not one uses factory 

 loads. Success to the L. A. S. 



F. D. Green. 



OLLA PODRIDA. 



I have found a good method of loading 

 buck shot. My gun is 10 gauge. On 5 

 drams coarse black powder, I place one 

 paper and 2 black edge wads. Then I put 

 in the shell 3 buckshot, taking care they are 

 as nearly in the centre as possible, and cover 

 them with No. 12 shot; then 3 more buck 

 shot filled in with 12's as before, with a 

 thick card wad on top. This load does ex- 

 cellent work with my gun, at 100 yards, 

 which is about the maximum range obtain- 

 able in the brushy timber we have here. I 

 use but 6 buckshot in my gun, though I 

 know of others here, who add another tier 

 to good purpose. 



As to large and small bore rifles I think 

 the articles in December Recreation, by 

 G. A. Mack, of N. Y. and G. L. Lehle, of 

 Chicago, are as near right as anything 

 I have seen on the subject. I have for sev- 

 eral years used a 45-70 on large game. For 

 use in this region and Michigan its range 

 is great enough and the bullet will stop 

 any animal to be found on the continent. 

 John N. Loberg, our best bear hunter, 

 killed, alone with his 45-70, 13 bears in 12 

 days, and not one got away that he shot at. 



Can any of Recreation's readers tell me 

 about the shooting qualities of the new 1897 

 model Baker shot guns? 



Nimrod, Portage County, Wis. 



