456 



R EC RE A TION. 



For short ranges I prefer them to black 

 powder. The only animals I have used them 

 on are skunks, and I find mushroom bullets 

 give far better results than solid ones. No 

 doubt the solid ball will do the work when 

 placed in the right spot; but in the uncer- 

 tain light at dusk or night when these ani- 

 mals are out, it is not an easy matter to al- 

 ways put the bullet in the right spot. 



Holly, Bainbridge, Mass. 



NOTES. 

 I consider the .40-65 Winchester, model 

 1886, the best repeating rifle for large game. 

 The .38-55 is a fine target rifle, but no better 

 than the .32-40. I own a .38-56 Winchester, 

 model 1886. It shoots well at 500 yards, 

 but I do not like its ammunition. Bottle- 

 neck shells are a nuisance. They require 

 resizing after being fired 3 or 4 times, while 

 •38-55 and .32-40 shells may be used 8 to 12 

 times. The .25-35, with smokeless powder, 

 may be a good gun> for deer or bear, but do 

 not use it with black powder unless you want 

 to clean the gun after each shot. For an all 

 round rifle that can be depended on for 

 accurate work get the Stevens Ideal, .32-40. 



A. F. Gove, Bristol, Vt. 



I am much interested in your guns and 

 ammunition department. For me to hunt 

 with a Remington semi-hammerless, 12 

 gauge, single breech loader, is good enough. 

 I also have a Ballard rifle that takes the .32 

 Ideal cartridge. It will pay anyone who has 

 a center fire .32 rifle that is rusted or shot 

 out, to send it to J. Stevens Arms & Tool 

 Co., Chicopee Falls, Mass., to be rebored 

 and cut over for this cartridge. 



La Drew Sherwood, Etna, N. Y. 



I have used a slide action repeating shot- 

 gun for some time. They are the best cheap 

 guns made. They will shoot all round a 

 Belgian gun and last longer. I know 2 duck 

 shooters on St. Francis river who shoot for 

 market. They use the slide action Winches- 

 ter gun and would have no other. I saw 

 one of these men kill 5 ducks with 5 consec- 

 utive shots, and 4 birds were falling when 

 the 5th struck the water. 



W. E. Crow, De Soto, Mo. 



In June Recreation, O. A. F., Tioga, 

 Pa., asks concerning the Winchester shot- 

 gun with lever action. I have used one of 

 these guns -and think them hard to beat for 

 all around shooting. The double Belgian 

 guns are not to be compared with the Win- 

 chester for durability. The lever action and 

 the sliding fore end action guns shoot equal- 

 ly well. Charles Rupert, Oakmont, Pa. 



What is a good load for a 16 gauge gun, 

 using black powder? What game can be 

 found within 25 miles of Boston? What 

 size shot is best for rabbits and quail? 



T. B. S., Boston, Mass. 



I have not been able to send you any of 

 the Recreation targets on account of not 

 being able to get a 100 yard range, but I sent 

 up one on a kite the other day, letting out 125 

 yards of cord. My third shot brought the 

 kite down and when I looked at the target, 

 the bullet hole was about a quarter of an inch 

 from the center — the only hit made. 



M. B. Paine, Jr., Rutland, Vt. 



The Syracuse gun I earned by getting sub- 

 scriptions for Recreation fits to perfection 

 and shoots well. It weighs 6y 2 pounds, and 

 has 26 inch barrels. The right barrel puts 

 206 and the left 336 No. 8 shot in a 33 inch 

 circle at 40 yards. 



Many thanks for your courtesy and 

 promptness in all our dealing. 



Roy P. Schermerhorn, Wilton, N. Y. 



I am glad to observe that the Baker is 

 now found among the other good guns ad- 

 vertised in the columns of Recreation. 

 The Baker " Safety " I believe cannot be 

 approached by any other American made 

 gun. D. T. Tuthill, Orient Point, N. Y. 



Will some reader of Recreation give his 

 experience with smokeless powder in a .38- 

 55 rifle? How does King's semi-smokeless 

 compare with other powders? Will any of 

 the smokeless powders pit a rifle barrel? 

 J. Martin, Goffstown, N. H. 



Replying to query of B. N. Harrington, 

 in September Recreation: Have tried sev- 

 eral kinds of smokeless powder in my .38-55 

 Winchester, and find Dupont's No. 1 rifle 

 gives best results. 



R. A. Bennett, Dover, N. J. 



I should like information in regard to 

 King's semi-smokeless powder, as to its 

 penetration and cost, compared with Dupont 

 smokeless. 



Roy J. Boynton, Hillsboro, N. H. 



" Bird Neighbors " is one of the best 

 books on Ornithology published since the 

 days of Audubon. $2 gets a copy of that 

 book and a yearly subscription to Recrea- 

 tion. How can anybody afford to be with- 

 out that book, when it can be had at J A 

 the publisher's price? 



Please accept my sincere thanks for the 

 Kenwood sleeping bag you sent me as a 

 premium for 15 subscriptions. I am much 

 pleased with it. 



T. D." Jones, Stockton, Cal. 



In making up your list of Christmas 

 presents put down a yearly subscription to 

 Recreation, for each of your best friends. 



