Guns and ammunition. 



299 



rifle powder and 100 grain alloy bullet, 10 

 parts lead to 1 part tin, cast in Ideal mould 

 30810 and sized. Also 5 grains Du Pont 

 smokeless shot gun powder with the same 

 bullet. The latter does not hold up so 

 well, but does good work at 50 yards -or 

 under. I would not advise larger loads of 

 the shot gun powder, as they might prove 

 dangerous. 



For ranges from 100 to 300 yards I use 

 15 grains Du Pont No. 1 and Ideal bullet 

 3084, 152 grains, 1 to 10. It is a sure thing 

 on woodchucks. I have never had any 

 trouble in cleaning my gun, and use only 

 vaseline as a rust preventive. 



I prefer a 30-40 Winchester to any other 

 make or caliber. 



E. G. Rogers, Adrian, Mich. 



I have been using the Savage .303 rifle 

 and find it a powerful and accurate gun, 

 but believe I now have a load that, for 

 shock and smashing power, is superior to 

 even the .303. Here it is : 12 gauge smoke- 

 less shell; 3>4 drams Dupont smokeless; 

 one 12 gauge cardboard wad; one 11^ 

 gauge %-inch white felt; one 12 gauge 

 J^-inch black edge. I press the wads home 

 firmly on the powder, but do not ram them. 

 On the last wad I seat a 12 gauge lead ball, 

 cast one part of tin to 10 of lead, over 

 which is a thin linen patch well coated 

 with mutton tallow. Crimp down tightly 

 on the bullet, using no top wad. My gun 

 is a Parker, with true cylinder, 30-inch 

 barrels. Those who try this load should be 

 sure the ball will go through the muzzle of 

 the gun. I use regular shot gun sights, and 

 can hit anything as big as a bucket nearly 

 every time at 150 yards. Loaded with shot 

 my gun does nicely on woodcock and 

 quails. P. F. D., Greenville, Del. 



Why is the 30-40 better than the 30-30? 

 Can I get reloading tools for the 30-40? 

 Does it shoot a short range cartridge? 

 Does the 30-40 give more recoil than the 

 30-30? Will the 30-40 burn all the powder 

 charge? • Eddover Willing, 



Chesaning, Mich. 



ANSWER. 



The 30-40 is better than the 30-30 because 

 it has 10 grains more powder, and thus the 

 bullet has a higher velocity, lower trajectory 

 and greater shocking and smashing force. 

 You can get reloading tools for the 30-40 

 from either the Winchester Co. or the Ideal 

 Mfg. Co. Yes, the Winchester Co. makes 

 short range cartridges for this, as well as 

 for its other rifles. The 30-40 cartridge 

 gives slightly more recoil than the 30-30, 

 but this is scarcely perceptible when shoot- 

 ing at game. With the standard length of 

 barrel the 30-40 rifle will burn all the pow- 

 der in the cartridge. — Editor. 



I have used rifles the last 40 years ; 

 the muzzle loader up to 1885. I then got 

 a Sharps 45 caliber. Both the above guns 

 were as good as any man needs for hunting 

 game in the mountains. In '98 I got a 30- 

 40 single shot Winchester. It would not 

 make a clean kill, as the lead would melt 

 in the jacket. I sold it and got a Marlin 

 30-30. The breech action was a delusion, 

 so I disposed of that gun. Later I bought 

 a Savage octagon barrel, 303. It is per- 

 fection ; I need look no farther for a 

 smokeless rifle. Still, I would like it better 

 if it were a single shot. I can use it as 

 such, however. Savage rifles are not popular 

 here ; the magazine does not hold enough 

 cartridges for a game hog. The man who 

 will invent a gun that will hold 50 cart- 

 ridges can make a fortune. 



J. A. Steele, Walden, Colo. 



I have a '97 model, take down 

 Winchester repeating shot gun, which I 

 would not exchange for any double gun. I 

 have killed rabbits 80 yards away with it. 

 With 3 drams of black powder and 1 ounce 

 No. 3 shot I have killed ducks at the same 

 distance. I have swore off on the double 

 barrel after pulling both triggers at once 

 and being kicked off an 8 foot fence on to 

 my head. That can not happen with a 

 repeater. I would say to G. H. Hurlbert 

 that if he will get a '97 model Winchester, 

 12 gauge, 30 inch barrel, full choke, and 

 put shot spreaders in his shells, he will find 

 it an excellent gun for ducks. It will also 

 do good work on quails and rabbits, and it 

 is the best all around gun made. A 16 gauge 

 is too small for wild fowl shooting. 



E. C. DeWitt, Rocksprings, Ky. 



I do not believe John Nordstrom, Goth- 

 enburg, Neb., or any other man ever owned 

 a shot gun of any make or any gauge that 

 would throw 62 pellets of No. 9 shot in a 

 3x3 inch target at 32 yards. Furthermore 

 I dispute his story that his 16 gauge Ithaca 

 gun threw in a 2 x 2-inch target at 25 yards, 

 92 shot out of one ounce of No. 6's. There 

 are only about 280 pellets in an ounce ; any 

 man can figure for himself how hard some 

 gun cranks try to dope the public. I have 

 used many kinds of guns from the old muz- 

 zle loaders to the latest breech loaders. 

 The best gun I have ever owned or used, 

 considering shooting quality, wear, finish, 

 and above all safety, was the Baker, either 

 B or A grades. 



L. W. W., Davis, W. Va. 



I have been several years in Mexico, 

 hunting and prospecting, and have had 

 most of the guns of up-to-date manufac- 

 ture. Am now shooting the smallest, finest, 

 light weight rifle it has ever been my priv- 

 ilege to handle, a Stevens 22 long rifle 

 Favorite No. 18. I need a small caliber gun 



