GUNS AND AMMUNITION. 



A BATCH OF SUGGESTIONS. 



Editor Recreation 



Gill, Mass. 



It is both interesting and amusing to 

 read some of the articles on rifles and 

 ammunition which appear monthly in 

 Recreation. The amusing ones are us- 

 ually by searchers after information and 

 novices with their first gun. These last 

 usually have a 30-30. I see the searcher 

 after the "all around" rifle is still in evi- 

 dence. That is a question of country. In 

 the clear, deceptive atmosphere of the 

 West, where the ranges are great, high ve- 

 locity is desirable. In the East, where the 

 conditions are different, that is not so 

 essential. For convenience in keeping 

 clean, and for accuracy, the slower twist 

 guns are ahead ; that is, such cartridges as 

 the 32-40, 38-55 and 45-70. The mistake 

 is usually in getting too small a caliber. 

 The larger the ball, the better will it stand 

 up to its work at all distances and in all 

 weathers. A 45-70, with smokeless pow- 

 der and light ball, is as pleasant to shoot 

 as a 25-20. With a copper patch bullet 

 and full charge of low pressure smoke- 

 less, it is a terror. By using a dense pow- 

 der like the Laflin & Rand sporting rifle 

 smokeless, one can get in all the powder 

 his gun will stand. That powder gives a 

 high velocity. If you use the Laflin & 

 Rand powder just mentioned, use a bullet 

 over size, or crimp it tightly. That pow- 

 der is a little hard on shells. I have had 

 them split when fired with it the second 

 time. It gives a trifle more recoil and 

 breech pressure than Dupont's No. 1, with 

 less smoke. Don't think "a single greasy 

 rag" will clean a gun after using smoke- 

 less powder. It is worse than black. Hot 

 water will not do it. Use a little turpen- 

 tine or alcohol. Dupont's and Laflin & 

 Rand both have a considerable unburst 

 residue. A 20 inch twist in a 45-70 is 

 about the same as a 12 inch twist in a 

 25-36. That is, the angle of the rifling to 

 the base of ball at circumference is the 

 same, giving the surface of the ball the 

 same speed of rotation when the velocity 

 is the same. 



How will this do for an explanation as 

 to drift? The revolution of the ball about 

 its axis tends to keep the bullet pointed 

 in the same direction it had when it left 

 the gun. Gravity gives the whole bullet 

 a motion downward. Thus the bullet in 

 falling always points a trifle higher than a 

 tangent to the curve it is following, which 

 would put a greater air pressure on its 



lower surface. That would mean that a 

 short ball of large caliber would have more 

 drift than a comparatively heavier ball of 

 small caliber; as the friction which would 

 give it a motion to one side would be con- 

 fined principally to the forward end of the 

 bullet. This partly accounts for the ease 

 with which a ball will glance upward even 

 when fired into light material. 



A. Hedge's recipe for explosive mixture, 

 2 parts by weight chlorate potash to one 

 part sulphur, is all right. Have used it in 



a 38-55- 



Have reloaded high pressure smokeless 

 shells. It can be done, but they are likely 

 to split at muzzle and let the bullet loose ; 

 and occasionally they will part in the mid- 

 dle, leaving the forward end in chamber. 

 Everything considered, a black powder 

 gun with low pressure smokeless is good 

 enough for me. A lead or alloy bullet 

 should not be used in any 30-30 without a 

 patch of metal or paper ; others to the con- 

 trary notwithstanding. It is sure to lead 

 the gun in time. 



If you have a 38-55, try a 38-90-217 bul- 

 let for hunting. It bears about the same 

 relation to the regular 38-55 Joad as the 

 45-90 does to the 45-70. 



The 25 smokeless is not an extremely 

 long range load on account of its high 

 initial velocity. It does not go many hun- 

 dred yards before the light bullets is easily 

 deflected. 



Don't use too many loads in your gun. 

 Two are enough. If you use more, you 

 will never know what you are about. It is 

 hard enough to remember what your rifle 

 will do with one load. Use the light one 

 only for point blank shooting. 



The way to preserve game is to prohibit 

 all arms for hunting that are not single 

 barrel, muzzle loaders. We should learn to 

 hunt then, and not to rely on the quantity 

 of lead which can be thrown. Prohibit the 

 use of dogs for quail shooting. Grouse 

 are different. 



Don't brag about what a rifle will do 

 until you have shot it with a telescope 

 sight. Don't use black powder if you can 

 possibly get King's semi-smokeless, or a 

 good bulk-for-bulk low pressure smoke- 

 less, though these last are expensive. 



Don't hunt squirrels with a rifle in a 

 settled country. 



If you must lend a gun, keep one for 

 "that purpose. 



Do not feel compelled to believe any- 

 thing you see here without trying it your- 



self. 



138 



H. A. Stillwell. 



