GUNS AND AMMUNITION 



5oi 



This would, indeed, make exciting shoot- 

 ing; bullet-proof garments should be in de- 

 mand, and on the bargain counter of every 

 large store soon after the passage of such an 

 enactment. 



Let us try and picture a party of hardy 

 young sportsmen going out with their point- 

 ers and setters and .30 caliber rifles to kill 

 the festive quail. Shooting at the elevation 

 that would be required, even if they hit their 

 marks, the bullets would proceed on their 

 journey, killing innocent victims in the next 

 county. No one would be safe. 



I am rather glad that this article was 

 published, because it is carrying out to a logi- 

 cal conclusion the program proposed by 

 those who would force sportsmen to use cer- 

 tain types of weapons. 



There is no fear, of course, that the Ameri- 

 can people would submit to such an oppres- 

 sive restriction, but it indicates to what 

 lengths certain enthusiasts would go. 



Robt. Bird, Fulton, N. Y. 



RELOADING AMMUNITION. 



Editor Recreation : 



I always look up and study that depart- 

 ment in your magazine devoted to guns_ and 

 ammunition, and it seems to fairly fascinate 

 me. I am an ardent sportsman, and am only 

 hampered by lack of opportunity to make a 

 name for myself in the sporting world. I 

 am the happy possessor of a Savage rifle, .303 

 caliber, 'octagon barrel, 28 inches, pistol grip, 

 and it is as fine a snooting arm as I ever 

 held on my shoulder. Yet I find that on the 

 average one does not own a high power rifle 

 a great while before one begins to search for 

 a less expensive charge to practice with, par- 

 ticularly, if one wants to practice a good 

 deal. The full, metal-cased, bullet of 190 

 grains, or the soft point of 195 grains, make 

 a fine and accurate bullet when backed up by 

 27 to 29 grains of DuPont smokeless, .30 

 caliber, and are all right for the biggest game 

 in this country. But the bullets are expen- 

 sive for extended practice, and I have, by 

 long study and experiment, evolved a load 

 for this gun that is inexpensive and gives 

 good results up to 500 yards. 



I have taken from the Ideal handbook 

 some of the results of the experiments made 

 by Dr. W. G. Hudson, and applied them to 

 my own .303 caliber. I was unable to use 

 as heavy a bullet as the Krag rifle can, on 

 account of keyholing. I used a bullet of 

 .154 grains, composed of 7 per cent, antimony, 

 7 per cent, tin, and 86 per cent, lead, and it 

 makes a fine mid-range charge. I backed it 

 up with about 17 or 18 grains of DuPont's 

 No. 1 rifle smokeless. The Ideal powder 

 measure, being set at 40 grains black powder 

 graduation. 



I use the Ideal lubricator and resizer; the 

 resizer being bored to .310 and the bullet 

 being perfectly lubricated, I always get splen- 

 did results, extreme accuracy, fair penetra- 

 tion — about eight inches of hard pine — and 

 no leading of the barrel, and I have lots of 

 practice at very slight expense. 



I use No. g x / 2 U. M. C. primer, it being 

 non-mercuric, so that the shells stand up 

 better. The muzzles of the shells are resized 

 every time they are fired, and are not 

 crimped on the bullet, the rotary motion of 

 the Savage magazine rendering it unneces- 

 sary to crimp. I use, also, a 100 grain bullet 

 backed up with 5 grains L. & R. Infallible 

 shotgun smokeless, and up to 125 yards I 

 find it to be a remarkably accurate charge. 

 The miniature, metal-cased bullet, of 100 

 grains backed up with 10 grains of L. & R., 

 Infallible shotgun smokeless, also makes an 

 extra fine charge for ranges up to 150 yards, 

 and, my friends, what can be done with one 

 of the .30 caliber can be done w T ith the others, 

 the Marlin, Winchester, Remington, and 

 others, not having a twist in the rifling of 

 more than one turn in 10 inches. I believe it 

 would be an impossibility to get satisfaction 

 out of the arm having an 8 inch twist, but 

 if this has been done satisfactorily, I should 

 like to hear of it. 



There seems to be more penetration with 

 the quick twist rifle than there is with one 

 having a slow twist, using the same charge 

 of powder and the same weight of bullet in 

 each. The pressure seems to be utilized more 

 thoroughly in the quick twist. Then the 

 bullet being spun more rapidly tends to bore 

 a deeper hole. 



I am getting very nearly the same results 

 that the 32-40 gives with black powder, and 

 have the advantage of a much heavier charge 

 in an emergency. 



In melting the antimony I put in sufficient 

 lead to make a small bath for it, put a cover 

 over the melting pot, and let her sizzle till 

 she melts. I use no charcoal over the lead to 

 prevent oxidizing; what little takes place in 

 the small bath of lead does not amount to 

 much. The lump antimony, only, is fit to 

 use ; the pulverized is of no use, as you can 

 not melt it, it simply floats and starts a swear 

 time. I want no one to fall into the mistake 

 I made and use the pulverized. 



The mixture I used is antimony, l / 2 lb. ; tin, 

 y 2 lb. ; and lead, 6^1bs. This makes quite 

 a hard bullet. The bullet number in the 

 Ideal catalogue is 308.241. The rifle is of 

 1899 model. 



The metal should not be skimmed for dross 

 without first dropping in a small piece of 

 tallow or bullet lubricant and stirring brisk- 

 ly. It makes quite a smoke, but if very hot 

 it takes fire and the smoke is not so trouble- 

 some. 



A. F. Lindsey, Lobster Co., Me. 



