184 
could put more shot into any given object than 
the best breech-loader. “‘Yes, sir! and if you 
doubt it I can show you the ramrod.” 
Tos. M. WItson. 
Syracuse, N. Y. 

How to Use Balls in a Shotgun 
T enclose a letter from Mr. W. H. Wright, of 
Selma, O. I think it would interest your readers. 
C. L. SNYDER. 
Winnsboro, La. 
“Yours of April 5 to hand. If you are 
thinking of buying a pair of moulds, there are 
none made except ‘plain round.’ I don’t know 
whether the Ideal Manufacturing Company, 
of New Haven, Conn., make the oblong moulds 
or not. You might write them. 
“‘T use the plain round ball cast as outlined 
in the December number of RECREATION, and 
when cast in the form given it renders most 
excellent results up to and including 100 
yards; and best results of all come from a 
goodly practice at target. 
““T use a Winchester Repeater, full choked, 
and buy loaded, smokeless powder shells, with 
one g-inch felt wad over the powder, and one 
ring wad on the top of the felt wad. (The ring 
wad is made by cutting out the center of a wad, 
with a wad-cutter, several sizes smaller than 
the wad you use.) This centers your ball in 
the cartridge, and is very essential to good 
shooting with a choked barrel. With a plain 
or cylinder barrel it is not necessary, as the 
ball is the full size of the cartridge. I also use a 
ring wad on top of ball, and then a card wad, 
and crimp very lightly, or you will swell the 
shell. In using black powder you will have to 
use less wadding, as you haven’t the space. If 
you only want to use a ball occasionally you 
can buy them at little cost, but they being 
solid drop very rapidly and require more 
elevation at the muzzle at firing time. 
“The sold ball for 12-gauge is No. 12 ball 
(for a cylinder barrel), and its weight is 1} 
0zs.—600 grs. In casting my balls I reduce the 
weight to 450 grs., by casting them as outlined 
in the issue of December. 
“For a 16-gauge, cylinder-bored, buy balls 
No. 16. They weigh one ounce, and give good 
results with a heavy gun. Be careful about 
using solid balls and smokeless powder in any- 
thing except a first-class gun. In a 16-gauge I 
would reduce the weight of ball to 400 grs.; in 
a 20-gauge to 300 grs. 
‘The small-gauge gun gives the better results 
with ball, and in the hands of a shooter in 
practice is superior to any rifle at snap or 
hurried shooting, especially in timber and 
brush, such as you have in Louisiana and the 
RECR EATION 
swamp lands of Arkansas and Mississippi. In 
hunting with a repeater, I keep two ball 
cartridges in the magazine when in a big 
game district and using small shot, and so 
have a chance at large game. I simply throw 
out the small shot cartridges; this makes the 
repeater a favorite with many. 
“Now, in regard to shooting ball from a 
double barrel, it must be remembered that the 
balls will cross each other’s path at‘about 45 
yards, and in shooting at greater distances 
allowance must be made for this. 
‘Whatever kind of gun you use, be sure the 
ball you use will pass lightly through the 
muzzle, and work each loaded shell through 
the gun before going hunting. 
“T have tried to answer all your questions. 
If I haven’t, ‘come again.’ In hunting in the 
South I have known many good rifles spoiled 
on a single trip. After a few days it is 
impossible to keep them clear, and when once 
rough, that is the end; so we have abandoned all 
rifles and have no reason to complain of 
results with big game. In last fall’s hunt, 
Glen Smith, of Dayton, O., broke both hind 
legs of a bull moose, at Camp No. 8 on Moose- 
head Lake, Me., with one No.’16 ball, all other 
vital spots being covered with timber or brush. 
Harry Cutter, of East Liverpool, O., dropped 
as large a buck as I ever saw by putting a No. 
12 ball through the small intestines. Deer thus 
shot with a large rifle have been known to run 
a mile. I could tell of many such instances.” 

Experience Teaches . 
In the interest of those who may be havin 
trouble through the splitting of shells in guns 
of the* .25-35 class—bottle-neck shells—my 
experience may be of some value. I have a 
single-shot Winchester, .25-35 caliber, weight . 
about 104 pounds, single set trigger. I naturally 
began to reload my shells, with the customary 
breaking and splitting after about the fourth 
shot. I mentioned this fact in a former letter 
to RECREATION in answer to R. McLaury, and 
later received a letter from Mr. E. C. Barnes, 
of Troy, who “put me next” to a new primer, 
and through him I obtained some. These are 
No. 9 U. M. C. copper. I had great difficulty 
in getting any information whatever about 
them here. I was assured I had made a mis- 
take, and that no such primer was catalogued, 
which was a fact. However, I obtained some 
of them, my experience duplicating that of 
Mr. Barnes, and making it worth while to 
spread the news among those who are interested © 
in the study of high-power ammunition. 
Using 19 grains of Lightning, a jacketed 
bullet and the new No. g primer, I have re- 
