GUNS AND AMMUNITION. 



133 



less powder is to get the charge well 

 crimped. It is essential to get a strong 

 primer when reloading with smokeless 

 powder, and for the Rival shells, which 

 Mr. Cuckler mentions, the Winchester No. 

 3 primer is the best. If the No. 2 is used, 

 it is advisable to prime the shell with a 

 pinch of black powder. 



Referring to the query of R. H. Tewks- 

 bury, as to the relative merits of 10 and 12 

 bore guns, for trap shooting, I would say 

 it has been the experience here that the 12 

 gauge is pre-eminently the gun for this 

 work. This, I believe, is the experience of 

 trap shooters everywhere. Several of our 

 club members, who had 10 bore guns, have 

 discarded them for the lighter weapon. In 

 a tournament held here last fall, with 

 65 sportsmen shooting, there was not a 

 single 10 bore gun. 



F. C. Riehl, Alton, 111. 



USE BIG BORES FOR BIG GAME. 



I am a guide, and have hunted in the 

 Ozarks, on the plains of Texas, in the 

 swamps of Louisiana, and in the mountains 

 of New Mexico and Colorado. Hence I 

 have had opportunities to observe the ef- 

 fects of wounds made by nearly every rifle 

 made. I advise anyone going to hunt big 

 game to use a large bore rifle. 



Last fall I was trapping wolves, moun- 

 tain lions, wildcats and coyotes, in New 

 Mexico. On going to one of my traps, 

 one morning, I found it completely de- 

 stroyed. There were plenty of bear tracks, 

 so I returned to camp after my shotgun 

 and horse. Taking my 12 gauge Winches- 

 ter and a pocketful of shells, loaded with 

 conical balls, I started after bruin. 



I tracked him about half a mile, to 

 where he went into a canyon grown up 

 with bushes. Tying my horse, I started in. 

 After crawling along for perhaps 250 yards 

 I came to some fresh signs and then knew 

 my game was not far off. I cocked my gun 

 and went on a short distance, when I came 

 on the bear. He had heard me as I stepped 

 on a dry twig, and met me with his usual 

 affection; that is, arms extended and a 

 growl. 



I dropped on my right knee, took aim 

 at his neck and fired. My aim was not 

 true and the ball grazed his lower jaw, 

 passing under the skin along his neck. At 

 this he was furious. Dropping on all fours, 

 he started for me. Coming a few steps, he 

 again rose on his hind feet and came on. 

 It took only a second to decide I would not 

 try another at his neck. By this time he 

 was within 20 yards of me and I took aim 

 at his breast and let him have it. The 

 force of the large ball was so great it even 

 staggered this huge grizzly. The next shot 

 went about 3 inches lower, breaking his 

 back. 



On examining him I found the first ball 



had done no harm; the second had gone 

 through his heart and lodged against his 

 ribs, close to the back bone; the next 

 dropped him at once. 



It is my opinion that if these shots had 

 been from my .38-55-255 Marlin, 3 would 

 not have killed him. I advise anyone go- 

 ing for big game to carry nothing less than 

 a .38-55. 



For all round shooting, either at birds or 

 big game at close range, a 12 gauge Win- 

 chester shot gun is the best. For long 

 range, a .38-55-255 beats any rifle I know of. 



I am a professional guide and trapper; 

 that is, I follow this for a living, but do 

 not hunt game birds for the market. To 

 any reader of Recreation who will en- 

 close a stamp for reply, I will gladly give 

 full information as to the following hunting 

 grounds: The Ozarks, Southwestern 

 Texas, Western Texas, New Mexico, or 

 Arizona. 



V. R. J., Box 175, La Porte, 



Harris Co., Tex. 



ALL KINDS OF RIFLES. 



Eureka, Cal. 



Editor Recreation: As far as my ex- 

 perience goes with the .30-30 rifles, they 

 are not all that is claimed for them. I have 

 found they do not tear the big holes in 

 game some sportsmen think they do. Nor 

 have they the stopping power claimed for 

 them. I have tried the .30-30 on deer, hit- 

 ting my game in different parts of the 

 body, to give the cartridge a thorough 

 trial. A deer shot through the stomach or 

 hams will -drop quickly; though no quick- 

 er than if shot with a .32-40 or .38-55. 



Some writers seem to think the .32-40 

 and .38-55 will not prove deadly on deer 

 or bear unless the animal is shot in the 

 most vital spot. Now I have used a .38- 

 55 for years, for deer and mountain lions, 

 and regard this as the best rifle I ever put 

 to my shoulder. I have used the .45-60, 

 .45-70, .45-85, -40-65, .30-40, .30-30 and oth- 

 ers. 



The .30-30 is a fine cartridge, and gives 

 greater range than the .38-55. However, 

 by loading the latter with Dupont's smoke- 

 less powder, No. 1, the point-blank range 

 is greatly increased. Then, too, by getting 

 loading tools from the Ideal Manufactur- 

 ing Co., lighter bullets and larger charges 

 of powder can be used than are found in the 

 factory cartridges. 



A .38 calibre may not be big enough for 

 grizzlies, but for black and brown bear 

 and mountain lions it is good enough. Will 

 John A. Adams say, through Recrea- 

 tion, where the grizzly was hit with the 

 .40-82, which did not prove effective? 



Some hunters want a gun to shoot a 

 bullet like a cannon ball, so game will be 

 killed no matter where hit. This is a 

 wrong theory. A deer shot through the 

 stomach with a .45 calibre will die no 



