478 
only a few moments until a big hornet pounced 
upon the picture fly, to the great astonishment 
of the ‘‘Whippoorwills” and my great joy, for 
I had never before tried the experiment, and a 
failure would have been embarrassing. 
DAN BEARD. 
Wildlands, Pa. 

Easy to Suit 
As I take particular interest in the ‘‘ Referen- 
dum,” I trust that this department of REcREA- 
TION will continue with the same display of 
enthusiasm and up-to-date ideas as in the past. 
Certainly those who are in the habit of reading 
these columns are educating themselves and 
deriving pleasure therefrom as well as keeping 
posted up to the minute on a topic which is 
almost inexhaustible for original opinions and 
ideas of value to the shooter. I do not think 
that one who has followed up these articles with 
the absorbing interest that they afford me can 
be ignorant of the proper type and caliber of 
firearm, loads, etc., which should best suit his 
requirements, whether he be planning a day’s 
squirrel-shooting in neighboring timber or con- 
templating a trip over the Rocky Mountains or 
into South African jungles in the pursuit of big 
game. Indeed, if ever there is an ‘‘all-round 
gun,” just the thing for rabbits or rhinoceros, 
I am confident it will herald its appearance, if 
not owe its very existence, to this department of 
RECREATION. 
While many hunters carry rifles of the high 
power type, I cannot see where such a gun is 
necessary for the game commonly found in the 
mountains and woods of New York State, 
Maine and our other Eastern States. On the 
Western plains and hills, where longer shots are 
the rule, the flat trajectory and long range is 
essential, and the small bore rifle with nickel 
steel barrel, throwing a metal patched soft point 
bullet, is, without doubt, the weapon which 
should be used. 
I am not partial to any particular make, as 
my gun case contains a Winchester rifle, Rem- 
ington double-barreled shotgun, Colts .32 
revolver, Stevens’ Lord Model target pistol and 
a Marlin .22. I have Lyman receiver sights on 
the Winchester, which is a Model ’95 box 
magazine, .4o-72 caliber, and I load cartridges 
for same, using the 330-grain lead bullet; and 
any inaccuracies in the shooting of this gun are 
directly attributable to ‘“‘the man behind”; in 
fact, I think the fault lies usually with the 
shooter instead of the gun when a perfect score 
is not made, and practice is the best remedy 
when properly applied. 
For bird-shooting I have always used a 
double-barreled shotgun, as I am not expert 
enough with a rifle, and have yet to inaugurate 
RECREATION | f 
the much discussed pump and auto-loading 
guns. 
I have found that an ounce of prevention is 
worth a pound of cure in the care of a gun. I 
use Marlin Rust Repeller and 3-in-1 oil, the 
former in the barrel and the latter for the work- 
ing parts, and have never been troubled with 
rings, rust, lead or pitted barrels. 
A. D. Mitts, Jr. 
Albany, N. Y. 

A Few More Thinks 
I read in the September issue of RECREATION 
an article by L. E. B., of Ellwood City, Pa., in 
which he says: “‘I would not have one of the 
much-talked-of auto-loading guns. They have 
a poor penetration and make a very inferior 
pattern.” 
Let me say that he could not have mine for 
$75 if I could not replace it with another. I 
have owned and used all kinds of guns, in- 
cluding the ‘‘pump-gun,” and I consider the 
auto loading as far superior to the pump-gun 
as the latter is to the muzzle-loader, in the way 
of convenience. There are other qualities of 
merit in my favorite that I desire to mention, 
viz.: The auto-loading is the safest shotgun 
made, the general opinion of the inexperienced 
to the contrary notwithstanding. By use of the 
safety trigger it is almost impossible to have an 
accident in the field or when emptying the 
magazine. I can recall six accidental discharges 
in one week by reckless handling of pump-guns 
while in the field and while removing shells 
from the receiver. Some will say it was not 
the fault of the gun, but the reckless handling, 
which is, to a certain extent, true; for any gun 
within itself is not dangerous, but some are of 
much more assistance to the reckless than others. 
Again, he says: “‘The force of the recoil is 
thrown back into the breech mechanism and 
is taken away from behind the shot, where it 
belongs—making poor penetration.” This 
proves to me that our friend is laboring under 
another misapprehension. The recoil is not 
and does not belong behind the shot, but is the 
result of the air rushing into the barrel of the 
gun to take the place of the vacuum caused by 
the explosion and is a force acting in just the 
opposite direction from that suggested by his 
argument. The recoil force is spent upon the 
shoulder of the person shooting if he is using 
the pump or ordinary breech-loading double 
