GUNS AND AMMUNITION. 



295 



game. A bullet from it will penetrate $ l /2 

 inches in dry pine at 15 feet. The cartridge 

 is loaded with 11 grains of powder and a 

 65 grain bullet, inside lubicrant. 



I assure W. S. Jones there is another 

 reader of Recreation, besides himself, who 

 admires Stevens rifles. 



N. K., Elkhart, will find the following 

 method of loading will make shot scatter: 

 Increase the charge of powder, divide the 

 shot into 3 loads with wads between, then 

 crimp the shell tightly. 



To Dr. T. J. Hood, will say the best 

 cheap rifle for short range is the Stevens 

 " Favourite," using .22 short cartridges. 



The gun the Doctor mentions should put 

 300 pellets of No. 8 shot into a target 30 

 inches in diameter at 40 yards. This is the 

 regular test for pattern. To ascertain the 

 penetration, fire at an iron target. If the 

 splashes of lead are large, the gun is a 

 strong shooter. The best charge for a 12 

 gauge, for practice, is 3 drams of powder 

 and 1% ounces of No. 8 shot. 



P. N. Tetor can prevent the shot from 

 falling out of brass shells by using wads 

 that fit the shells tightly. 

 Alfred Klugh, Dickinson's Landing, Ont. 



EARLY SUGGESTION AS TO SMOKELESS 

 RIFLES. 



I am a gun and rifle crank, and have been 

 experimenting with these arms ever since 

 boyhood. I have owned over 60 guns and 

 rifles. Before the Winchester company 

 brought out its first repeater to use smoke- 

 less powder, I wrote asking them if there 

 was any probability of their bringing out 

 a .30 or .32 repeater to take the strong 

 smokeless powder cartridges. I also urged 

 the need for such a rifle, emphasized its 

 good points, and said I believed it would 

 be the all-round rifle of the future. 



They very courteously replied it would 

 require a specially constructed rifle for 

 that purpose, which would cost about $50,- 

 000 to bring out, and they could not enter- 

 tain anything of the kind at that time. In 

 less than 2 years they placed their .30 cal- 

 ibre on the market,'and have since brought 

 out another model especially adapted to 

 that class of ammunition. I got a '94 model 

 .30 calibre, shortly after it came out, but 

 could not get reloading tools at that time, 

 so smaller charges could be used. I was 

 afraid to use the heavily loaded factory 

 shells in this populous district, so regret- 

 fully parted with the rifle. I like to use 

 one rifle for everything — practice, small 

 game, and general shooting. As lightly 

 loaded shells and reloading tools are now 

 on the market, I may try it again. 



My idea of the .32-40 would be to leave 

 the rifling as it is, but substitute a nickel 

 steel barrel of full strength, and use as 

 strong a smokeless powder cartridge as the 

 rifling will take, to flatten the trajectory 

 and increase the power. Then use the 



jacketed bullet with the strong smokeless 

 powder, for big game shooting, and the 

 lead bullet and ordinary powder for prac- 

 tice and general shooting. The difference 

 in sighting could be easily arranged. The 

 .32-40 is more accurate than the .30 calibre; 

 the shells are easily reloaded, and it will » 

 even shoot round balls with sufficient ac- 

 curacy up to 75 yards, if they fit tightly. 

 It is less dangerous than the .30 calibre, 

 and being almost as deadly, would be a 

 better all-round weapon. 



J. A. Varley, Toronto, Ont. 



THE EASTERN DUDE AND THE .30 RIFLE. 



It is absurd to think that because a man 

 hails from the East he is a dude, and no 

 good as a sportsman. In June Recreation 

 Mr. Hambledon writes : " I would like to 

 see one of those Eastern fellows tackle a 

 grizzly with a little .30. There would not 

 be enough left of the dude," etc. 



For the benefit of Mr. H. and others, I 

 will state a few facts to show how foolish his 

 arguments are. 



To begin with the expression, " Eastern 

 dude." This species makes life possible for 

 hunters' guides. They pay for their sport 

 by engaging guides, cooks, teams, etc. If 

 it were not for them, guides would have to 

 find another vocation. 



Then again Eastern men have been criti- 

 cised for their appreciation of comfort and 

 cleanliness. That is a matter of taste. It is 

 not really wicked to sleep on an air mattress, 

 or to use a tooth-brush. The best shots in 

 the world at game or targets, and the most 

 expert anglers, are found among the men 

 Mr. H. calls Eastern dudes. 



How does the average guide catch trout? 

 With a heavy line, and hook and bait. If 

 he does condescend to use a fly, he wants 

 one an inch long, and he has no more idea 

 of how to use it than a hog has about a shot- 

 gun. 



In regard to killing powers of a .30 or 

 .303, the following animals have been killed 

 with this much-abused weapon : Elephants, 

 lions, tigers, hippopotami, rhinoceroses, and 

 water buffaloes ; admittedly the most dan- 

 gerous animals to hunt. R. L. M. 



HE BELIEVES IN THE .22. 



I am surprised at J. P.'s poor opinion of 

 the .22 calibre cartridge. In March Rec- 

 reation he says: 



" The .22 short will kill quails, doves and 

 even rabbits and squirrels if shot through 

 the head." I have not shot any gray squir- 

 rels, with my .22, as I got it after the season 

 was too far advanced to hunt them suc- 

 cessfully. 



I have shot pine squirrels with it, through 

 the body, lungs, and heart and all were 

 killed as quickly as they would have been 

 if shot in the head. I shot one rabbit on 

 the run. The bullet struck him in the back- 



