GUNS AND AMMUNITION 



US 



That little gun was the best 1 ever used. 

 T have made better targets with it, but have 

 no more of them left. I would like to see 

 something in Recreation in regard to tele- 

 scope sights. I once owned a Sidle scope, 

 mounted on a 30-30 Windish. It was built 

 for hunting, and it was the prettiest sight I 

 ever looked through. The telescope cost 

 $13.50 and the mountings, $6.50. Both were 

 worthless, a few shots would loosen the 

 clamp-nut on the receiver plate. The tele- 

 scope was mounted on the side of the barrel, 

 so that the sight would do its own elevating. 

 This was Sidle's best rear mounting. At 

 least, he said so, and charged accordingly. I 

 made a few good shots with this combination, 

 and some of the worst shots I ever made with 

 any gun. I would not take one of those 

 telescopes as a gift. 



I would like to hear from some one who 

 has used a Duplex telescope on either a hunt- 

 ing or target rifle. If I ever get another 

 telescope I will have it mounted on top of the 

 barrel, and have open sights on top of it for 

 quick shooting. 



J. C. Anderson, Sacramento, Cal. 



DISAGREES WITH ROWLEY. 



Editor Recreation : 



I am very much interested in the articles 

 of my brother "pistol" cranks which you have 

 been publishing, and now would like to say 

 my little say. To start with, in my opinion, 

 we will never have an all-round revolver — 

 that is one that would be just right for the 

 cowboy, the army, the civilian, and last but 

 not least, the target-shooter. Brother Row- 

 ley in last month's magazine kicks like a bay 

 steer at what he calls fancy sights. In the 

 regular shoots of the Louisville Revolver 

 Club rapid fire matches are always in order, 

 and the men shooting with target sights in- 

 variably beat the open-sight users. That 

 proves to me, at least, that the target sight is 

 not a drawback in fast shooting. It is all in 

 getting used to it. 



And, likewise, he ought not to get angry 

 with us poor gallery shots because we prac- 

 tice on a one-inch bull's-eye 15 or twenty 

 yards, instead of an eight-inch bull at five 

 yards, as he suggests. If I was that close to 

 an opponent I would feel more like hitting 

 him over the head with the gun than shoot- 

 ing at him. 



Then he discusses penetration. Does he 

 know that the .38 special S. & W. is one of 

 the very hardest shooting revolver cartridges 

 made, and the penetration an inch or more 

 than the .44 Russian? 



However, we all think different, and it is 

 a very good thing for the manufacturers. 

 Personally, I ought to be in the very front 

 row of "cranks." I have a .22 Remington 

 target pistol which I carry on my fishing 



trips for shots at occasional turtles, green- 

 frogs or snakes. Then I use a .44 Russian, 

 Bisley target model, Colt 7 l / 2 in. barrel in tar- 

 get matches. It is a single action, and is very 

 accurate. Last, but not least, I have a .38 spe- 

 cial S. & W. revolver, target sights, which I 

 carry in a shoulder holster when needed. 

 This is a splendid weapon, and is about the 

 nearest approach to the ideal revolver. 



I load shells for both calibres, using L. & 

 R. "Bull's-eye" powder — reduced loads and 

 the small conical bullets for short range 

 work, and full load and heavy bullet for long 

 range. Will be glad to send exact load to 

 any of my brother "target" shooters if they 

 wish. 



Recreation is a very good magazine these 

 days, and I eagerly await my current number. 



"Kentucky." 



WANTS INFORMATION. 



Editor Recreation : 



In reference to the remarks of Mr. Raw- 

 lings in your issue of September, 1905, re- 

 garding the respective killing powers of the 

 Mannlicher 8 mm. and 6.5 mm. rifles, it 

 seems paradoxical that the 6.5 mm. rifle 

 should give more satisfactory results than 

 the 8 mm., since the theoretic striking force 

 in the latter weapon is so much superior, but 

 these results may be accounted for by the 6.5 

 mm. possessing the more suitable bullet. The 

 English gunmakers, Holland, Jeffries and 

 others, manufacture patent bullets possessing 

 great powers of expansion and, probably, the 

 Englishmen who were accompanied by Mr. 

 Rawlings were using some such bullets. Fur- 

 thermore, the quicker twist of the 6.5 mm. 

 might cause it to give a more deadly wound. 

 Having followed very closely and with in- 

 tense pleasure and interest the large and 

 small calibre discussion in your journal, I 

 have been induced to make the above sugges- 

 tions. Presumably some of your better in- 

 formed contributors might throw further 

 light on the subject. "Vindex," 



Pittsburg, Pa. 



KILLING POWERS OF SHOT. 



Editor Recreation : 



I have just received the back numbers of 

 Recreation and cannot refrain from saying 

 a word or two. I am agreeably surprised at 

 the improvement. 



I notice the arguments as to the killing of 

 deer with No. 4 shot. Several years ago I 

 shot a white-tail buck with No. 4 shot, and it 

 only ran about fifty yards and dropped dead. 

 On stepping the distance from where I 

 was when I fired the shot to where the buck 

 stood, I found it to be 86 steps, and they 

 were not short ones. On skinning the deer I 

 found that two of the shot had passed be- 



