GUNS AND AMMUNITION. 



175 



rifle powder and use a measuring charger. 

 Powder and ball should fill the cylinder 

 chambers y 2 to 2-3 full ; the remaining 

 space may be filled with beef tallow. Use 

 Ely's double waterproof caps. They are 

 strong and will not fly in pieces. Be sure 

 they fit the tubes snugly so the concussion 

 of one charge will not displace the remain- 

 ing caps. Do not seat the ball too hard on 

 the powder; gentle pressure is all that is 

 needed. A good rest for pistol shooting 

 can be made from a light strap or a strip of 

 buckskin. Cut a slit in one end and put 

 your thumb through it ; carry the strap 

 around your neck and grip the other end 

 with your left hand. By raising or lower- 

 ing that hand the pistol is brought to the 

 proper position, while the weight of the 

 weapon and of the right hand is sustained 

 by the strap. 



George L. Maus, The Dalles, Ore. 



ANSWERING S. B. 



In November Recreation S. B., of St. 

 John, N. B., requests information about the 

 32-40 lavage rifle. I bought one of these 

 rifles last fall and have given it a thorough 

 test, though I have not had an opportunity 

 to try it on large game. This particular 

 rifle has a full octagon barrel, shot gun 

 butt, and a specially adjusted trigger-pull 

 of 4 pounds. It is fitted with a Lyman 

 No. 2 rear sight with cup disc, and a com- 

 bination No. 5 front sight. This makes 

 a perfect combination for target and hunt- 

 ing purposes. The cup disc used in con- 

 nection with the pin-head front sight is 

 excellent for target shooting, while the 

 large aperture and ivory front sight are 

 adapted for the quick sighting usually 

 necessary for shots at game. 



The twist of rifling in nearly all rifles 

 chambered for the 32-40 cartridge is 1 in 

 16. 



The accuracy of the 32-40 regular cart- 

 ridge is conceded, at ranges of 200 or 300 

 yards, to be equal or superior to any other, 

 unless it be the 38-55. For the high pres- 

 sure cartridge the makers claim 4 inch 

 groups of 10 shots at 200 yards, which is 

 about as good as the fine target rifles are 

 capable of making under the ordinary con- 

 ditions. In testing my rifle at rest at 25, 50 

 and 100 yards tne accuracy seemed to be 

 all that could be desired. The recoil of 

 the high pressure cartridge is heavier than 

 that of the regular black powder cartridge 

 but is not unpleasant. 



As regards the comparative accuracy of 

 32-40, 303 Savage, 30-30 and 30-40 cart- 

 ridges, I believe the 32-40 superior to the 

 others at the shorter ranges, say up to 400 

 yards. Over that distance, the 30-40 will 

 take first place. Indeed, the latter cart- 

 ridge has been so much improved the past 

 2 years that it may be considered superior 



to anything made, at the longer range. It is 

 also more powerful than the 3 others. 

 Next in order, in regard to striking en- 

 ergy, come the 32-40 high pressure, .303 

 Savage and the 30-30. The 32-40 h. p. al- 

 though having a lighter bullet than the 

 .303 has a greater striking energy owing 

 to greater muzzle velocity, which is 2100 

 and 1950 foot seconds respectively. 



The black powder cartridge correspond- 

 ing to the above is the 32-40 Ballard. 

 The 32-40 Remington, I believe, is a differ- 

 ent cartridge, though the Remington peo- 

 ple also chamber their rifles for the 32-40 

 Ballard shell. 



Preference for a rifle or a shot gun butt 

 is largely a matter of taste. As a general 

 thing a rifle butt is to be preferred for 

 target shooting, while a shot gun butt is 

 better for hunting as it can be brought to 

 the shoulder quicker. For all around use 

 I prefer the latter. 



The principal advantages of the 32-40 

 high pressure rifle and cartridge are the 

 slow twist and straight shell, rendering re- 

 loading medium and reduced charges an 

 easy matter. Using various charges of 

 smokeless and semi-smokeless powder I 

 get fair accuracy at 50 and 100 yards, from 

 rest. Several groups, of 5 shots each, made 

 at the shorter range will' cut a dime, while 

 the poorest are on an inch circle. The bul- 

 let used was one of the Ideal Company's 

 newest designs, No. 319247, cast 1 to 16; 

 primers, U. M. C. No. 7 J / 2 . 



S. B. can make no mistake in getting a 

 Savage rifle chambered for the 32-40 cart- 

 ridge, while the value of the rifle will be 

 doubled by having Lyman sights fitted to it. 

 32-40 H. P., Halifax, N. S. 



MUST SHUT OUT GAME HOGS. 



I have been a constant reader of your 

 excellent magazine for several years, and 

 have greatly enjoyed your roasting of the 

 hogs. Keep after them, and perhaps in 

 time you can show them what all decent 

 men think of them. Your request in July 

 Recreation that we should write to all 

 hogs denounced in Recreation is an ex- 

 cellent idea, and hereafter I intend to write 

 to at least part of them, and hope before 

 long that it will be a rare thing to read of 

 their exploits. 



If Recreation readers will write the 

 hogs denounced by you it will do more to 

 protect the game than anything yet under- 

 taken. Don't be afraid of hurting their 

 feelings. Tell them just what you think 

 of them. 



We have an open season on ducks here 

 in the spring, but the sportsmen have done 

 such excellent work against it that I think 

 it will be changed by the next Legislature. 

 In fact, several of the large clubs here last 

 spring would not shoot nor allow out- 



