GUNS AND AMMUNITION. 



381 



that a gun, the magazine of which is filled 

 with cartridges, is a perfectly safe weapon 

 to leave standing around. Our friend also 

 declares that the "No. 12" (repeater, I sup- 

 pose), is not an ideal gun for a game hog. 

 Here, at least, no one will say him nay. 

 The game hog has not yet found his ideal 

 weapon ; but the repeating shot gun comes 

 as near it as he is likely to get for some- 

 time. 



Black Jack assures us in effect, that the 

 men who used, or are using, the muzzle 

 loader were or are the only game butchers. 

 One scarcely knows whether to laugh at 

 such a statement and let it pass or to take 

 it seriously and nail it for what it is. 



I might be tempted to dilate on this pump 

 gun question, but on page 442 of the June 

 number, there is a picture which saves me 

 the trouble. Well and truly does it portray 

 Bristly Buffaloes or The Power of the 

 Pump. 



Green Heart, Astoria, N. Y. 



drifts because you can see no tangible evi- 

 dence of it. — Editor. 



DRIFT OF PROJECTILES. 



Six or 7 years ago there appeared in 

 Recreation an article, with diagrams, about 

 the drift of a bullet. I am not a believer in 

 drift, but it is an interesting subject, and 

 I should like to see it thoroughly discussed. 

 If there is truth in the theory I should 

 like to know it, but if there is not let us 

 put it away forever. 



According to the diagrams accompanying 

 the article mentioned, a projectile flies with 

 its axis at an acute angle to its line of tra- 

 jectory. If that were the case it would key- 

 hole when striking. It is my opinion that a 

 bullet flies point on throughout its course, 

 and in this position the air is more dense 

 under its point than it is on top. 



Al. Kennedy, Post Falls, Idaho. 



ANSWER. 



The drift of a projectile revolving on an 

 axis parallel to the initial direction of its 

 flight is now an acknowledged fact and has 

 been definitely determined in a great many 

 cases. A full discussion of drift, by Pro- 

 fessor Bashforth, can be found in any large 

 library. To understand Professor Bash- 

 fort h's discussion the reader must have an 

 elementary knowledge of physics and mathe- 

 matics. The angle of the axis of an elon- 

 gated projectile (conical bullet) with its 

 line of flight would be so small at ordinary 

 sporting distance, to which your observation 

 is probably limited, and even at a distance 

 of 1,000 yards, that the eye could not detect 

 any indication of keyholing. This, however, 

 is no argument against the existence of 

 drift. 



You might just as well say you do not 

 believe the earth revolves as to say, in this 

 20th century, that you do not believe a bullet 



ANSWER TO BLACK JACK. 



In June Recreation is a letter from Black 

 Jack, of Hopkins, Okla., in which he con- 

 demns the article on the Winchester in the 

 December issue. He says, "In practice he 

 .will find that by the time he has fired the 

 second shot from a pump gun at flying 

 birds, they will have moved out of range." 

 This may be true of the man unaccustomed 

 to the Winchester slide or of one who uses 

 a lever action. With a slide action, by 

 keeping a constant pull on the slide when 

 brought to the shoulder the mechanism is 

 unlocked by the recoil, the shell is out al- 

 most as soon as the gun cracks, and another 

 shell can be thrown in while catching sight 

 on the next bird. The action of a Win- 

 chester slide in the hands of an expert is 

 almost automatic. 



Quails often get up in a scattering man- 

 ner and I have seen 5 and 6 birds killed by 

 one man with a Winchester when they 

 raised in this way. 



Again Black Jack says : v "Everyone 

 knows that the original game hog was the 

 old fellow with the double barrel muzzle 

 loader who sneaked up and ground raked 

 his birds with both barrels." This is no 

 doubt true, but how about the modern 

 game hog who takes one shot on the ground 

 and 5 in the air, using a Winchester. Not 

 every man can do this, but it does not take 

 much practise to get 3 or 4 shots at a bunch 

 of birds at one flushing, if they rise close 

 to the hunter. 



A man is not necessarily a game hog be- 

 cause he uses a Winchester ; but a pump 

 gun in the hands of a game hog is far 

 more deadly than the double barrel and 

 nine-tenths of the game hogs use them. 

 Notice the picture on page 442 of June 

 Recreation. 



F. B. M., Waterloo, Ind. 



PRAISES THE COLT. 

 E. J. Pratt asks for information as to 

 Colt Lightning rifle. I own one, a 38-40, 

 and have used it some years. It is the most 

 accurate rifle I ever used, up to limit of 

 the cartridge. With smokeless powder and 

 soft mushroom point metal patched bullet 

 it is a good deer gun for moderate ranges, 

 say 150 yards. It is handy and light, and 

 can be fired faster than any lever action 

 gun. Still it has some defects. Cartridges 

 must chamber loosely, as it lacks the power 

 to push a tight shell into the chamber. 

 Have had it jam when working it quickly, 

 as the short cartridge throws up a little 

 too high and the bullet strikes above the 

 chamber. That happens only when the 

 fore end is pulled back with a strong jerk; 



