GUNS AND AMMUNITION. 



2 93 



In a good deer and antelope country, 

 and for use on wolves and turkeys, and 

 where grouse and rabbits are a secondary 

 consideration, a more powerful arm is nec- 

 essary. With this, take the chances of 

 either working up a light charge, or shoot- 

 ing off of heads. 



I have owned and used many rifles of 

 different makes and calibres, varying from 

 .32-40 to .45-70. Among them were 2 of 

 the first size, one of which I still have. 

 These 2 were the most satisfactory weap- 

 ons of them all. The killing power of this 

 charge, on deer, is all I could wish for. 



1 never lost a wounded one. Its accuracy 

 is extreme, but the effect of the standard 

 load on small game is decidedly severe, 

 when a body shot is made. However, with 

 my Lyman sighted single shot Winchester, 

 the head or neck of a grouse is large 

 enough to hit, within reasonable distances. 

 Still, occasions may arise, in some sec- 

 tions, when a small, accurate load is de- 

 sirable. With this point in view, I will 

 give the result of some experiments made 

 by another rifleman. 



The rifle was a .32-40 s. s. Winchester. 

 The diameter of the bore .319 of an inch; 

 the twist of the rifling one turn in 16 inches. 

 Bullets of 83 grains weight were used, with 

 various charges of powder. It was found 

 that a projectile which fitted the bore 

 tightly gave the best results. Two sizes 

 were tried, .319 and .323. It was finally as- 

 certained that an 83 grain bullet of .323 

 of an inch diameter, with 15 grains of pow- 

 der, made a small game load that would 

 suit the most exacting. Several 10-shot 

 groups were fired from a double rest, and 

 each group could be enclosed by a circle 



2 inches across. Sometimes every shot 

 was inside a V/2 inch ring. This was at 50 

 yards. No wad was used, the powder being 

 loose in the shell, and the ball seated in 

 the mouth, but not crimped. 



Even with a * sharp pointed bullet I 

 would expect Mr. Fisher's .32-30-117 load 

 to be quite destructive on young grouse 

 at short range. It should be well adapted 

 to some game though. Next to the .32-40, 

 I would place the .32-20, as an all around 

 rifle; but the flat pointed bullet is too se- 

 vere for small game. Still, I have known 

 of 18 deer being killed in 2 seasons, with 

 this cartridge, without one escaping 

 wounded. It is wonderfully accurate up to 

 100 yards, and when used with an Ideal 

 sharp pointed ball, of 85 or 90 grains, sat- 

 isfactory results should be looked for. The 

 .25-20, .25-21, and .25-25 charges are still 

 better in some respects, but lack the shock- 

 ing power of the larger calibre, with a flat 

 nosed missile. Yet one of your Idaho cor- 

 respondents shows the .25-25 capable of 

 killing deer with neatness and despatch. 



Replying to those who inquire about the 

 Lyman aperture rear sight, I would say 

 I regard it as so much superior to the 



ordinary open sight that no rifle of mine 

 is complete without one. 1 have a folding 

 rear sight on the barrel, but never use it. 

 Have tried both in the evening when the 

 light was dim; but could use the large 

 aperture of the Lyman when open sights 

 were useless. They are inferior to the peep 

 sight in quickness and accuracy, at all 

 times, and I never expect to use them again 

 to any extent. C. Greenwood. 



SYRACUSE GUNS. 



Boston, Mass. 

 Editor Recreation : In reply to Mr. 

 O. A. F.'s inquiry regarding the Win- 

 chester, lever action, repeating shotgun, I 

 will say I have used that gun, and found it 

 a close, hard shooter, and far superior to 

 any Belgian gun. Some of my friends and 



1 have used the latter, and, although some 

 of them shoot fairly well, they invariably 

 " get loose." 



I would rather have a good double gun 

 than 20 repeaters for shooting any kind of 

 game. 



The Parker, Ithaca,- Scott, and others 

 shoot well, and are good guns. The Parker 

 used to be a favorite of mine. If Mr. L. H. 

 Stiel gets one, he will have a fine gun, 

 but he can get a better one for the same 

 money. I consider the Syracuse the most 

 perfect gun made. It will shoot as well as 

 any other; while in strength, and especially 

 in simplicity of mechanism, it is far ahead 

 of all others. You can get a good, sound, 

 plain gun for a reasonable sum ; or, if your 

 purse is well filled, the company will turn 

 you out a gun equal in every way to the 

 best of any other make, and as low as any. 

 If you want an ejector, the ejecting 

 mechanism of the Syracuse gun is simple, 

 durable, and effective. There is nothing to 

 get out of order, which is more than can be 

 truly said of other ejectors I know of. I 

 have seen many of these guns in use, yet 

 never heard of one breaking down, or fail- 

 ing to do good work if properly treated. 



It must be remembered that, while one 

 man might think a gun had excellent shoot- 

 ing power, another man, who shoots at dif- 

 ferent game, might rightly consider it an in- 

 ferior one for his purpose. If you intend to 

 shoot over the traps, you should have your 

 gun bored to shoot extremely close ; while, 

 if you want to shoot woodcock, in dense 

 cover, you must have an open gun. 



You should have your gun built to fit you, 

 so that when you bring it to your shoulder, 

 your eye will be in line with the sight. It is 

 a point in your favor if you can shoot with 

 both eyes open, especially in wing shooting, 

 as one eye is needed to sight the gun, 

 an<3 the other to keep track of the bird. 

 When I buy a new gun I experiment some 

 time to find the load it shoots best. No. 



2 guns do equally good work with the 

 same load. When I hit on the load which 

 suits my gun I stick to it, but occasionally 



