GUNS AND AMMUNITION. 



473 



travelling down Bear creek, and were anx- 

 ious to lay in a supply of meat before reach- 

 ing the Clearwater. I was driving the rear 

 horses of the pack train when I heard a 

 shot, and saw Wright, who led, hurrying 

 forward. He said he had fired at a mule 

 deer that was making off through the brush. 



We had taken in 4 little fox terriers, 

 thinking to use them on bear, if we found 

 any. At the shot, off went the quartette on 

 the trail of the deer. We followed, and on 

 nearing the scene of an evident combat, we 

 walked carefully, and came upon the dogs 

 and deer, on a little open flat. The buck 

 was on his knees, 2 of the terriers having 

 him by the ear and the jaw and 2 hanging 

 to either hind leg. Right here I saw the 

 folly of not carrying a small camera that 

 could always be at hand and ready for use. 

 Not wishing to delay the pack train to get 

 out the big camera I shot from where we 

 stood, behind the deer. The bullet entered 

 between the hams and, ranging upward, 

 lodged beside his backbone, killing him in- 

 stantly. 



Wright's shot was a good one. The 45- 

 70-405 bullet had entered the flank, and had 

 gone quartering through, smashing the 

 right shoulder bone; yet the deer had gone 

 a good half mile before the dogs brought 

 him to bay. 





THE 40-82 FOR BIG GAME. 



COWANSVILLE, P. Q. 



Editor Recreation: I have read the 

 opinions of your various correspondents, 

 with deep interest, and hope to read of the 

 actual experience of many other lovers of 

 the rifle and shot gun, in your columns. 



I notice the various comments as to the 

 killing power of the 30-30. I have used a 

 great many rifles, and was on the point of 

 ordering a 30-30, when I received some 

 metal-patched bullets from the Winchester 

 R. A. Co., for my 40-82. I got 100 full- 

 patched and 100 soft nosed bullets, in or<,ler 

 to give them a thorough trial. 



They seem to fill the bill completely. My 

 object in ordering them was this: I load 

 my own cartridges, and as I use a very 

 strong powder (Hamilton Powder Co's. 

 " Caribou " No. 4), my rifle leaded badly. I 

 tried many alloys, but none of them was 

 entirely satisfactory; though I found a pro- 

 portion of 1 part tin to 12 lead gave the best 

 results. These bullets, however, were not 

 always accurate, and when used on game 

 did altogether too much smashing. 



Last fall I went to Megantic for a deer 

 hunt, and took the 40-82, with the cartridges 

 loaded as follows: 82 grs. No. 4 " Caribou " 

 and split bullets, 1 to 12. 



The weather was bad, but I shot one deer. 

 It was running broadside to me and I fired 

 twice, in less time than one could wink. 



The 1st bullet passed through the body just 

 behind the shoulder. It broke a rib on en- 

 tering, tore the heart to pieces, and made 

 a square hole about 1^2 inches in diameter 

 on coming out. It came out in 3 pieces and 

 smashed 2 more ribs. The 2d shot went 

 through the lower part of the neck, and was" 

 almost a miss; owing to the stumbling of 

 the deer, at the first shot, and to my bad 

 holding. 



The ritw full metal-patched bullet goes 

 through about 20 inches of pine. The other 

 day I shot one through 12 inches of dry 

 hemlock and 3 inches of green maple 

 (frozen). The soft-point bullets have more 

 penetration than my split bullets, but mush- 

 room quite enough to suit me. They pene- 

 trate from 9 to 10 inches of soft pine. 



TARGET— EXACT SIZE. 



I send you 2 of these bullets. As regards 

 accuracy they are perfect. I also send you 

 a target, made on a cold, windy day (March 



13, '97). 



The first 2 shots are all right; but the 

 third is — well — blame the wind, or my cold 

 hands. L. D. von I. 



Will you kindly tell me why shot gun 

 nitro powder cannot be used in brass shells? 

 Also why shot gun nitro powder will not 

 work well in a rifle that is built for rifle 

 nitro? J. J. S. 



I referred this question to the DuPont 

 Powder Co., Wilmington, Del., who reply 

 as follows: 



" The reason brass shells are not suitable 

 for nitro powder is because there is no 

 method of crimping the shell; a crimp be- 



