
Sold Out 
My present possession in the gun and 
accouterment line consist of five .32 caliber 
S. & W. cartridges and a powder and shot 
dipper! Each year I have promised myself 
that, when the season opened, I would surely 
once more do some hunting. But when the 
time would come, it seemed as if I just didn’t 
care to go any more. The sight of a Parker 
or a Smith seemed to call back happy days— 
days as free from care as the sweet autumn 
breeze is from impurities. Then a flood of 
memories would come o’er me and with a sigh 
I would turn away—turn back to the present. 
with its pall of melancholia. 
First the Parkers, then the Smiths, then the 
Winchesters went. I sold or traded them 
off. I had little choice between the two former 
makes and have owned some fine ones. I 
have owned about seven Winchester shotguns. 
They were all good shooters. So were the 
Parkers and L. C. Smiths. I had a No. 12 
Winchester take-down about four years ago 
with which I put 329 No. 73 chilled in a 30-inch 
picked circle at 40 measured yards. ‘I used 
3¢ dozen Du Pont smokeless, 1} ounce shot, in 
factory shells. I had a Smith pigeon gun that 
put 348 in a 30-inch ring 40 measured yards 
from the muzzle of the gun with the same shell. 
I sold this to a gentleman in San Francisco. 
After having fired it 25,000 times, it looked and 
shot like a new gun. There’s no wear out to 
the L. C. Smith. I have been told that they 
have the best single-trigger in America. I 
never used a single-trigger, but if I had the 
price to put into a good gun, the Hunter 
Arms Company would get it, for one of their 
new single-trigger guns. The Parker is per- 
haps the most beautiful gun to look at on earth. 
As to shooting they reach out to surpass any- 
thing that I have ever used, except the old 
-L.C.S. With these makes I have killed game 
at distances no sane man would think of 
shooting at it with the average gun, and have 
done it repeatedly. 
As to whether I shall ever shoot again, I 
hardly know. I was out about an hour last 
winter with a borrowed gun. It was a good 
gun. I shot 15 times and killed 14 quails and 
one rabbit. These_were all snap shots, so I 
don’t think I have entirely forgotten how it’s 
done. If I keep in the present frame of mind 
until cool weather I am going to get some kind 
of old fusee and go out again just to see if 
I can still shoot. “ REELFOOT.” 
Redlands, Cal. 

His Advice the .303 Savage 
In your August number there has been 
some discussion as to the relative merits of 
.32-40, .30-30 and .32 Special calibers by your 
correspondents T. K. T. and A. G. Dildine. 
It seems to me that an important point has 
not been touched upon in this discussion,viz., 
the weight of bullet, which is one of the prime 
factors in determining the efficiency. I have 
disregarded the diameter of the bullet, since 
all of these (and I might say the Savage .303) 
are practically the same bore. 
™yThe first of your correspondents in comparing 
the.32-40 and the .32 Special does not state 
as to whether he has reference to the efficiency 
of the calibers as target or hunting weapons. 
If the former, I think it is conceded that the 
.32-40 is the more accurate gun, not, however, 
using the high power cartridges, but with the 
low-pressure black powder load and a lead 
bullet. , 
I assume, however, that what your corre- 
pondents are seeking to assure themselves of 
is the relative efficiency of the various calibers 
for hunting purposes. It is here that A. G. 
Dildine enters the arena with his query as to 
32-40 and .30-30. 
I think I am right in stating that there are 
three bases upon which the efficiency of any 
bullet rests, viz., diameter of bullet, weight 
of bullet and velocity. We will disregard the 
first for the reasons stated above. It follows 
that a light bullet must travel faster, to equal in 
striking energy, than one that is heavier, and 
vice versa. There is considerable difference 
between figures given by the Winchester, 
Marlin and*«Savage companies, which is 
brought about by reason of the fact that the 
loads and weight of bullet are not the same 
as put up by the different factories. The 
.32-40, aS loaded for a Marlin rifle, is a stronger 

