A WILDFOWL LOAD. 



Editor Recreation: 



Which do you think would be the best 

 load for wild ducks, geese, etc. ; the regular 

 factory-loaded shell with 3% drams of some 

 standard 'smokeless powder and i r /i ounces 

 of chilled shot, or 3% drams of powder and 

 only 1 ounce of shot? Do you think the 

 latter would be too heavy for a 12-gauge 

 gun ? 



Also, which is the best size of chilled shot 

 to use on this kind of game. 



About what is the killing range of a good 

 full-choke 12-gauge gun with a proper load 

 in it? 



Which cartridge has the longest range and 

 the greatest killing power, the .25-. 20 Win- 

 chester C. T. or the .32-.20 Winchester C. T. 

 loaded with smokeless powder and soft-nose 

 bullet? 



I have hunted duck a few times, but al- 

 ways used a rifle. I am going to* buy an 

 Ithaca hammerless for the spring shooting 

 and I don't believe I can do better in picking 

 a shotgun. I will close, wishing you good 

 success for the New Year. 



H. G. Price, Dayton, O. 



The best load for duck and geese in your 

 gun would probably be 3^ drams, or its 

 equivalent of any standard smokeless pow- 

 der and \Y% ounces of chilled shot. The 

 other load would produce a very scattered, 

 irregular pattern. 



The best size shot would probably be No. 

 5. The killing range of a good 12-gauge is 

 usually put at 40 yards. The .25-.20 Win- 

 chester has more than 100 feet greater ve- 

 locity than the .32-.20; but not quite so much 

 killing power, namely, 323 foot pounds 

 against 352 foot pounds.— Editor. 



ALL TOGETHER— IF POSSIBLE. 



Jan. 1, 1906. 

 Editor Recreation: 



It seems to me that there must be more 

 unanimity as to the ideal revolver before the 

 Colt people will undertake to make the sort 

 everyone is writing about. Many seem to 

 forget that there are some fine guns made 

 nowadays. I do not see why the makers 

 do not make the military revolver with a 

 single action, and, at the same time, I confess 

 that my S. & W. Special 38 calibre, with 



4-lb. trigger pull, made without creep, is a 

 very ideal revolver. 



I would remind Mr. Lyman, in regard to 

 the reduced load for S. & W. Special, that 

 the revolver championship was recently won 

 with 38 S. & W. Special, loaded with the 

 Ideal bullet No. 36,072, no grains, and 2^4 

 grains "Bullseye" powder. He could not do 

 'better than to try it. I do not care to try 

 the round ball. Very satisfactory results are 

 obtained with the regular conical bullet, 157 

 grains, or the hollow base, 150 grains, or the 

 Peters mid-range, 114 grains, and 2^-grain 

 Bullseye, or 5-grain Du Ponte rifle powder, 

 or L. & R. Marksman, 5-grain. 



I do not see why anyone wants to use 

 black powder in the revolver, but if Mr. 

 Lyman chooses to use black powder use the 

 70-grain round ball and 6 grains of powder. 

 By all means, try Bullseye and the mid-range 

 bullet. 



I note with interest that I do not see or 

 hear of Anderton, Sayre, Hudson, Mimmels- 

 baugh and the rest of the experts calling for 

 a new revolver. When I can master the gun 

 I now have I may consider calling for im- 

 provements in a revolver. At present I need 

 to improve myself. The gun is O. K. 



I would suggest to C. A. Thomas that the 

 load of Bullseye in S. & W. Special 38 is_ 3 

 grains and in 44 Russian is 4 grains, while 

 in the 38 long Colt 3%. to 3V2 grains are 

 needed to get the proper upset for long- 

 range accuracy. 



W. M. Robertson. 



HIS CHOICE FOR DUCK. 



Editor Recreation: 



In your January issue "Black Duck" asks 

 information in regard to shotguns for duck 

 shooting. There are several good guns for 

 that kind of shooting, but my choice is the 

 Winchester repeating shotgun, 30-inch bar- 

 rel, 12 gauge, weight 7^4 pounds. A good 

 load for ducks is 28 grains Laflin & Rand 

 "Infallible" smokeless and 1% ounces of No. 

 4 shot. 



I should like to hear from users of the 

 Savage rifle. I have one, .32-. 40 calibre, full 

 octagon-barrel pistol-grip stock, fitted with 

 three Lyman sights. It is the finest shooting 

 gun I ever saw. 



Henry Thomas, Ava, N, Y. 



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