GUNS AND AMMUNITION. 



379 



method of loading, I put 8 out of 9 buck 

 shot inside a 30 inch circle at 60 yards. 



For a 12 gauge gun a smaller case and 

 smaller buck shot would be needed, but no 

 case should be used which can not be 

 pressed through the muzzle of the gun. 

 Such a load will do terrible execution at 

 ranges within 100 yards, and with it a man 

 need not fear to face even a bear. 



You should never hunt deer with a shot 

 gun. It is not a sportsmanlike method. 



I advise you to write E. I. DuPont, De 

 Nemours & Co., Wilmington, Del., for the 

 information you desire regarding their pow- 

 der. It is a technical question that I would 

 rather not answer. — Editor. 



MORE ABOUT WOODCHUCK SHOOTING! 



More than a quarter of a century ago I 

 earned the name of Woodchuck at college 

 and I have spent many pleasant hours try- 

 ing to bag the chuck. During the past 

 season I got 41 out of about 60 shots, my 

 best success being with the 32 Ideal cart- 

 ridge. I regard this cartridge as nearly 

 equal in accuracy, up to 200 yards, to the 

 32-40 and 38-55. The trajectory is less flat. 

 Anyone anxious to stop a woodchuck above 

 ground will not often try a shot at a dis- 

 tance greater than 100 yards. My 32 Ideal 

 is mounted with a Duplex telescope. In 

 using this rifle, many of the shots being 

 off hand, I secure about 80 per cent, of the 

 chucks shot at. Last season I did by far 

 the greater part of my woodchuck shooting 

 with a Stevens' Favorite, 25 rim fire. I 

 used a telescope, but lost nearly all chucks 

 I shot at beyond 60 yards. The cartridge 

 is too heavy for a 4 J / 2 pound rifle. In a 754 

 pound Stevens I found it equal to the 22 

 long rifle, but for woodchucks it is no bet- 

 ter than the 22 long rifle; for neither bul- 

 let will stop the chuck unless sent through 

 head or neck. A Stevens Favorite, provid- 

 ed with telescope and 22 long rifle cartridge, 

 will bag more than 75 per cent, at 60 yards. 

 I have used one several seasons until last 

 year, when I tried the .25 caliber with poor 

 success. Whatever rifle one uses let him, 

 if he can possibly afford it, have it mounted 

 with a telescope. He will get many shots, 

 when without it he would be unable to see 

 any portion of the chuck as it looks through 

 brakes or bushes or just shows its eye 

 above some rock or root. The pleasure of 

 being able to see distinctly everv movement 

 of the wary fellow while he thinks he is 

 effectively hiding, is equal to that of bowl- 

 ing him over with a well placed bullet. 

 Then the telescope saves many steps, show- 

 ing at once what the distant brown bunch 

 is. 



For the rest split with a saw the handle 

 of an old broom or rake, 4 inches from 

 one end and rivet the 2 parts together with 



a single rivet. They will then open and 

 close like the blades of scissors. Sharpen 

 the points farthest from the rivet. When 

 closed, this rest is as easily carried as a 

 cane and it can be instantly opened and 

 adjusted as a muzzle rest for the rifle, the 

 shooter either kneeling, sitting or lying 

 down. / 



T. C. H. Bouton, Henniker, N. H. 



LIKES A LONG RIFLE. 



I have a 25-25 Stevens Ideal, No. 45 rifle, 

 12 inch twist, 24 inches long. It is too 

 short for fine target shooting, as most of 

 the target rifles around here have 30 inch 

 barrels. We have all heard of the long 

 muzzle loaders our granddads used, and it 

 must be conceded they did good shooting 

 with them. I came across one the other 

 day and took some measurements. The bar- 

 rel was 38 caliber and 38 inches long. That 

 set me thinking. The longer barrel was a 

 longer guide to start the bullet on its ac- 

 curate flight. 



Nearly all the shooting I have done has 

 been at a 100 yard range. I tried the other 

 rifles that come to the range, 25-20, 25-21, 

 32-40 and 38-55. I read carefully the cata- 

 logues of gunmakers and devoured eagerly 

 all Recreation had to say on the subject. 

 I decided that the Ideal No. 49 Stevens 28 

 caliber, 32 barrel, weight 11 pounds, is what 

 I want and ordered one. It came, but I 

 have not had the pleasure of trying it yet, 

 nor will I have for some time, as I am laid 

 up with powder burns on face and left hand 

 as result of taking the powder out of some 

 old rim fire cartridges for an army carbine. 



I wanted to keep 4 of these obsolete cart- 

 ridges with a collection of modern cart- 

 ridges which I had gathered to compare 

 lengths, shape, bullets, etc. A friend saw 

 the collection and suggested that I ought to 

 take the powder out of them to guard 

 against accident. To empty the cartridges I 

 drilled a % inch hole about J /i inch from 

 the head of the shell and with a pin worked 

 all the powder out, catching it in a baking 

 powder can. The last shell struck fire after 

 I had about all the powder out and ignited 

 the contents of the can. The burns are not 

 serious, but I shall be laid up a while. I 

 have been handling arms and ammunition 

 nearly 30 years and this is my first acci- 

 dent. 



I love target shooting, but take no pleas- 

 ure in killing game of any kind. We use 

 ring targets with 6 inch bull, rings Y% inch 

 apart, counting 25 at center to 10 at outside, 

 which is 12 inches in diameter. We also 

 have an indoor range for .22 caliber rifles 

 only. The distance is 60 feet. Targets same 

 style on reduced scale, bull i x / 2 inches, 

 rings Y^ inch apart, 25 at center to 20 at 

 outside. 



Robt. A. Whistler, Wilkinsburg, Pa. 



