Mvrcii 2, 1883. 1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



89 



expansion by force of powder, but there is a limit in this 

 to gel the greater accuracy. 



Many people have a notion that' the ribs formed on a ball 

 by the 'rilling affect its accuracy by catching the air in its 

 spiral motion. This is not so; 'the' ball passes through the 

 air the same as though there was a spiral passage cut for it. 

 Old style, short, conical balls have, to be much softer than 

 those used in the long-range system, and consequently are 

 found more imperfect and bruised after being fired. 



The majority of target-shooters do not pretend that their 

 short conical balls (which are the. most accurate up to three 

 hundred yards) will compete with a hall double their weight 

 at one hundred rods. Mr. Palmer speaks of one Joseph 

 Brinton beating so many of the old target muzzle-loading 

 rifles in their farce shooting, as he styles It. The reason is 

 plain to me why he came out victorious. It is a well-known 

 : I i.ii a ball three times heavier than balls used in the old- 

 style target rifles will beat them in the wind at moderate 

 long range. 1 presume that any of those old style guns used 

 on that occasion would beat 'Mr. Briuton's breech-loader 

 when tried in a favorable time. They would shoot more 

 shots to a horizontal line than his, and when well engineered 

 would make a much finer target than he could ever do with 

 his breech-loader. He simply blazed away without using 

 any of the engineering skill required to do good shooting with 

 the old target rifle, He speaks of Homer Fisher being there 

 with Ins pet muzzle-loader. That may not be a criterion to 

 judge fcv' l'::>r the question ic, whether Mr Fullers rifk was 

 made oil the correct principle of a muzzle-loader, or whether 

 it was like those foreigu muzzle-loaders made on the same 

 principle as the long range breech-loader, when the hall took 

 the grooves by force of powder instead of being properly 

 Qtteq to the grooves by driving them through a contracted 

 muzzle-piece with the cross-paper patch as herein described. 



In regard to loading a breech-loader at the muzzle to get 

 greater accuracy, that depends entirely pn how the gun is 

 rifled — whether for round or conical balls. I could give many 

 line points on the subject, but 1 decline to do so, for I have a 

 son who may work at the business after I am gone. I would 

 have been about the first one to perfect the breech-loader if I 

 could not see six reasons why one cannot be made to shoot as 

 close as a muzzle-loader, I am in favor of a breech-loader 

 where rapid tiring is required; but for a target rifle they can 

 never be brought, to the same perfection as a muzzle-loader. 

 There are many fractional points that can be put into a muz- 

 zle-loader that 'cannot be got in a breech-loader. 



I will eXplain to "F. ,1/' one of the reasons w T hy a gun will 

 shoot, well at long range and not at short range, "it is known 

 by many of our old target shooters that we cannot cast balls 

 that are of uniform density on all sides. Swaging them does 

 not change or break the crystal braces that are formed in the 

 cooling of the metal. A ball that is weak, or less dense on 

 one side, will not expand m line with the bore; the rapid 

 twist required to use those long balls causes them to wabble, 

 so the ball takes what might be called a spiral-parabola curve; 

 its greatest distance from the centre would depend on how 

 much it wabbled on the start; it finds its equilibrium before 

 it gets 800 yards, and takes the true line of flight. A muzzle- 

 loader can be made to shoot a very long ball much finer at 

 short range than a breech-loader. 



From my experience, the manufacturers of breech-loaders 

 stand on the same grounds now that the makers of muzzle- 

 loaders did thirty years ago. At that time an inferior rifle 

 maker could make a gun that would shoot seven shots in ten 

 as close as the best maker, but their three stray shots would 

 measure about as much as the whole ten shot by the best 

 maker. Then.' are so many causes for those stray shots, that 

 it requires a lifetime experience to make a rifle that will not 

 make them far from the centre. I do not write this letter in 

 the interest of muzzle-loading rifle makers, because with the 

 bullseye measurement and controling interest in that class of 

 shooting, there is nothing to be, gained over the breech-loader 

 at. long range. But if they used string measure, (an average, 

 from the centre) the well-made muzzledoader would beat the 

 best breech-loader that was ever made. I don't say that many 

 rifle makers could produce a gun superior to "the long-range 

 breech-loaders, for it is a well-known fact that we never had 

 more than eight or ten in the United States that understood 

 the business well enough to make a gun to any certainty. If 

 there are any that don't believe it, let them inquire of some 

 of the old crack shots, and not of those that have come up in 

 the use of breech-loaders. I can show finer shooting done 

 thirty years ago with guns made by a few makers, than can 

 be done by any breech-loader of the present time; and I be- 

 lieve as Mr. Van Dyke says, that "the man who has grown 

 up with the breech-loader is only a callow youth, who knows 

 nothing of what a rifle can do." 



If any man thinks he can make a very long ball shoot as 

 close at short range, say 300 yards, as our short target balls, 

 he will find his mistake after a few years' experience. A 

 man who has had ten years' experience' in rifle making, just 

 begins to find out that he knows nothing about it. 



* Geo. H. Ferris. 



Uticw, New Sort, 



I heartily sympathize with "Byrne" in his efforts to dis- 

 courage the men who tell such marvelous stories of their 

 skill with the shotgun or rifle. They are a social evil, but I 

 think not a necessary one, and the* best way to .combat it 

 which has ever occurred to me is to so enlighten the public 

 mind in regard to the results obtainable in the use of fire- 

 arms that unreasonable stories told of them will meet with 

 discredit e very where. 



I believe few men will be found who care to relate their 

 improbable yarns to an audience showing plainly that they 

 know them 'to be all "wind, simple wind." But I would 

 like to caution "Byrne" on one point. I am afraid he has 

 too little faith in the average rifleman's skill. His statement 

 to the effect that he had'not been so fortunate as to find a 

 man able to place ten consecutive shots at 75yds. that would 

 be covered by a saucer, even using a "dead rest ." staggered 

 me a little at first, but I soon recovered, and, firm "in the 

 belief that I could do that much myself, seized my little. 

 squirrel rifle and, taking a SQQyds, ta rg'et reduced to 50yds., 

 d om io see about it- I placed the target, measured off 

 55yds., and. sitting on a stone, but using no "artificial rest for 

 the rifle, tired ten shots. I did not go to the target until the 

 string w.is finished, when I took it home and measured up. 

 Result ; A string of 1 5 ,-';, -in. , average each shot from the centre, 

 1-Vpn. A ring 4^m- in diameter encloses all the shots. Now, 

 a , mm i ion tea eaueer measures Bin. in diameter, and will cover 

 tin -'ten shots, with l, 6 r; in. to spare. I enclose the target, to 

 give additional weight to my statement. The rifle used 

 was a ;2sin. ,22-cal. Ballard, with peep and globe 

 sights, I am sure I can do much better with my pet 

 target rifle— a new Maynard midrange— but all I care to do is 

 to show that e person hot by any means proficient in the use 



of the rifle may easily do what "Byrne" thinks, or appears to 

 think, quite a 'feat. 



Compare the above with the splendid score made by Mr. 

 F. J. Rabbelh at Walnut Hill, recorded in Forest and 

 Stream of January 20, aud it sinks into insignificance. 

 That gentleman, shooting with a "dead rest. "placed nine out 

 of ten shots, at .2110yds.. in the centre ring of the bullseye, 

 3fin. in diameter, and the tenth inside of the 5; t L in. ring, all 

 easily covered by a small tea saucer. 



In this shooting, mirage and windage, two highly "impor- 

 tant factors in the rifleman's problems, enter; whil- at 75yds. 

 both may be practically overlooked. 



The best way I know of for a person to obtain a clear idea 

 of what may be done with a rifle, is to learn the sizes of the 

 rings on the various targets in use and their respective counts, 

 and then read the weekly reports appearing in the rifle 

 columns of Pobest and St&teAM of the shooting done at the 

 different ranges. 



In this way a person may soon learn what the best marks- 

 man in the country are capable of doing; but. like "Byrne," 

 he will never see the man who can hit a silver dollar every 

 time at 75yds. off-hand. Let us have plain facts. 



• N, E. Maxson. 

 Westerly, Rhode Island. 



Mr. T. S. Van Dyke writes in the number for Jan, 12 

 "the problem for the' rifle maker of the future is this: How 

 to adjust the ball fully, firmly and gently to the grooves 

 before firing, and do it' quickly enough to retain the great 

 advantage of rapidity of fire'" To do this seems to me 

 simple enough. Any- rifle in which the cartridge is not 

 pushed home" by the thumb could be made to seat the ball as 

 well as a muzzle-loader, simply by shortening the chamber 

 for the cartridge so that the ball will be pushed into the 

 grooves of the "rifle. There is plenty of the lever power in 

 rifles of the Winchester style to force a bullet into the 

 grooves, but the ordinary cartridge would hardly suit this 

 style of loading, because 'the bullet might, instead of going 

 into the grooves, get pushed back into the shell. Common 

 rim-fire factory cartridges would suit on account of the 

 bullet being firmly held hythe extreme end of the cartridge so 

 that almost the whole bullet could be bedded in the grooves. 



J. F. 



Glexpobd, Quebec, 



Ohio.— Strongsville. O.. Feb. lB,— T Mditor Forest and 

 Stream: Our partridges have wintered well so far, and they 

 are more plentiful now than 1 have ever known them at this 

 season of the year. I know of twelve or fifteen birds within 

 a radius of one mile of my house. Our shooting is mostly 

 over the hills and gullies of the Rocky River, with" consider- 

 able underbrush. I have been remarkably lucky with what 

 little shooting I have done this season. Rabbits were not 

 very plenty this fall; they were hunted ton much Avith ferrets 

 last winter. We have a fair supply of email left. So far w T e 

 have a fair show for good shooting next. fall. Foxes are 

 quite plenty and afford us fine sport on the light snows. 

 Five have been killed. Pigeons have commenced flying in 

 quite large flocks, but few have been shot as yet. Snipe 

 have not put in an appearance yet. They don't often come 

 until the last of March. Have seen some large flocks of 

 ducks going north. One of your correspondents, a few 

 weeks ago, writing of squirrels laying up their store, says: 

 "Who ever saw a squirrel with a nut, in his mouth but that 

 he stopped and ate it at the first convenient place?" If he 

 has not, I have frequently cut trees in which I have found 

 upwards of half a bushel of good hickory nuts. On Feb. 19 

 I found four more partridges that I had not known of before. 

 They were on my farm. My neighbor says they hatched 

 there.— W. S. A. 



Chicago, Feb. 23, 1882.— We had some very good duck- 

 shooting here until the cold wave struck us last Monday and 

 froze the marshes up and drove the ducks south. Geese 

 have been very plenty this year, but they are in a wretched 

 condition and not fit to eat. Mallards are selling at ; $1, 20 

 per dozen on South Wall street. The Riverdale and" the Blue 

 Island Clubs had a shoot at Blue Island yesterday 7 (Washing- 

 ton's Birthday); the Riverdale Chili worn The Lake George 

 Sportsman's Association, of this city, will be obliged to 

 vacate their shooting grounds tit Lake George, Indiana, as 

 the land their club and'boat houses stand on has been bought 

 by the "East Chicago Company" and the Chicago Belt Rail- 

 way Company, these companies having bought ten thousand 

 acres of marsh land — which includes Lake George and Wolf 

 Lake — and will erect immense iron works, factories, etc., as 

 soon as spring sets in. The surveyors have already com- 

 menced their work, and in a few mouths one of the best 

 ducking grounds in the western country will be destroyed, 

 and the "outlet," Blue Bill Point and Rice Island, will be 

 things of the past. — Ten-Bore. 



Foxes on Ice.— Baltimore, Feb. 20.— In your issue of 

 Feb. 2 "Sancho Pauza" says that a friend of his asserted 

 that a fox left no scent on crystal ice. Yon, also, corroborate 

 his assertion. I know very little about fox hunting, but I 

 witnessed a sight last winter that certainly does not verify 

 this assertion. Three of us were engaged in breaking the ice 

 in front of om- blind on the Dunder river, which is a branch 

 of the Gunpowder, so as to get a, hole large enough to put in 

 our decoys. The ice was about an inch oi* an inch and a 

 half thick, and as clear and smooth as glass. W e heard the 

 music of the. hounds across the river in the woods, and pres- 

 ently saw Reynard come out on the shore, and, after looking 

 at us for a moment, he took to the ice and made' a beelihe 

 for a point about half a mile off. He got across and out of 

 sight before the hounds came out of the woods: but as soon 

 as they did they struck the trail and went across the ice in 

 full cry. making a beam i fill sight. The morning was quite 

 cold, and the ice did not thaw 7 any until several hours later. 

 The fox was run into his den and dug out by those chasing 

 him.— E. A. R. 



Connecticut. — South Norwalk. Conn., Feb. 10. — Mr. Gil- 

 lespie, of Stamford, has a bill before the Legislature to pro- 

 hibit the shooting oi quail, partridge and woodcock in the 

 county of Fairfield for three years. As woodcock are migra- 

 tory and don't remain in this county after the 15th of Novem- 

 ber, to protect them longer than "the law does now would 

 seem absurd to say the least, as they would be shot as soon as 

 they migrate in the fall by Sportsmen of other comities aud 

 States. In view of the scarcity of quail and partridge it 

 would be a good idea to prated them for one year, and I 

 think every one would Stand by sueh a law, but to do any 

 good it should cover the State, not one small county. There 

 are too many complications iu our game laws now without ad- 

 ding -ach a'one as Mr. Gillespie pi eposes.— Oald Honker. 



Onto. — Harmar, O. Feb. 18, 1882,— We have just organ- 

 ized a sportsman's club composed of the best sportsmen or our 

 town, and have, for our object, the protection of game by law. 

 We will this week publish a warning in our local papers that 

 after tins date we will prosecute all'persons violating any 7 of 

 the game laws, also all grocerymen for selling game killed 

 out of season. We mean business, as there are a class of pot- 

 hunters here who kill all kinds of game in almost: all times of 

 the year, and if they still persist in so doing it will be dear 

 game for them. Quail are very scarce here and must lie pro- 

 tected. Grouse are very plentiful, but so shy that it is al- 

 most impossible 1o gel a shot at one. These with a few squir- 

 rels and rabbits is about all our game. Om- club numbers 

 twelve members, all of whom have breech-loaders. W r e 

 occasionally indulge in an afternoon at glass ball shooting, 

 making very good scores, as twenty-eight out of thirty is not 

 an uncommon occurrence. We have sent for some clay 

 pigeons and a trap, and will try our skill at pigeon shooting 

 thfs week.— H. S. 



Didn't-Kn0W 7 -it-was-Loaded. — Editor Fores! and S/rrdm: 

 I thank you for the scoring you are giving the fools that for 

 amusement point, firearms at their friends. If there is any 

 act that w 7 ould justify ' 'shooting on the spot" this is one of 

 them. How many innocent victims have gone down to the 

 grave, leaving scores of bleeding hearts to mourn all through 

 life, the results of this worse than insane folly. I am confi- 

 dent that every person familiar with the use of firearms, and 

 the dangers attending such use, even in the hands of the most 

 cautious, will thank y 7 ou for the position you have taken. An 

 insane asylum is the only safe place for those that can find no 

 other amusement. Keep it before the people. — D. T. C. 



HoRNELt.svn.iai; Association. — Hornellsville, Feb. 23. — 

 The Hornellsville Fish and Game Protective Association has 

 just been organized. Articles have been drawn up and filed 

 with the Secretary of State so the Association will be in a 

 position to enforce' the laws. Our river and streams have 

 been stocked with bass and trout ; the supervisors have stop- 

 ped all fishing for three years. W r e propose to see the laws en 

 forced, and give the fish" and game a chance. The following 

 officers were elected— .1. W. Robinson, Pies. ; H. Leach. Vice- 

 Pres. : G. W. Griswold, Sec. ; L. T. Charles, Cor. Sec. ; T. 

 FitzGibbons, Game Warden.— J. Otis Fellows. 



West Boylston, Mass., Feb. 24. — A strange animal has 

 been seen by a number of people in the easterly part of the 

 town. Attempts have been made to capture itj but without 

 success. It is somewhat larger than a cat, with long hair 

 standing outward from its body. Mr. Albert B. Pierce has 

 a record of seven foxes which "he has bagged this winter, 

 besides a large amount of other game. He has made the 

 best record, although others have killed several. Last week 

 Mi\ Pierce started up two, but they reached a burrow 7 which 

 he could not dig out, _ 



Bangor, Me., Feb. 24. — At the annual meeting of the 

 Noromlega Sportsman's Club for the Protection of Fish and 

 Game, held Feb. 22, the following officers were elected for 

 the ensuing year, viz: Chas. York, President; H. N. Fair- 

 banks. Vice-President; Fred. T. Hall. Secretary and Treas- 

 urer; John P. Tucker, H. W. Durgin and Th'os. F. Allen, 

 Executive Committee. The club is in a prosperous con- 

 dition, and great interest is manifested in seeing that the laws 

 are strictly obeyed. — No-Ram. 



Cart. Bogaudtjs writes from Elkhorn, 111., that there are 

 more ducks there now than at any other time within ten 

 years. The Captain and his sons, Eugene and Henry, have 

 joined Cole's Circus for the season. Now the country fences 

 will be placarded w 7 ith twenty million dollar challenges to 

 all other biggest shows on earth to produce an equal family 

 of fine shots. 



Shtnnecock Bay. — Good Ground, Long Island. Feb. 20. 

 — During the last w 7 arm weather redheads and broadbills came 

 into the bay by thousands, and as there is plenty of spring 

 feed, the chance for sport looks better here than for years, 

 especially for redheads. No geese yet, — William N. Lane. 



The Evans ville, Ind., Argus reports: "The blue bird has 

 been here. He only stayed one day, however, and then had 

 his valise checked back* to New Orleans, where the wind 

 didn't blow the feathers of his tail over his right eye twenty- 

 three hours out of the twenty-four." 



A double-tailed goat is one of the products of Walton 

 County, Ga. The other goats regard him as a kind of oleo- 

 margarine butter. — Commercial Advertiser. 



A Sensible Dog Law. — A bill has been introduced into 

 the Maryland Legislature which has some novel features. It 

 provides for an inventory of all the dogs in the State before 

 the 12th of May, each year. The county commissioners be- 

 fore the 1.2th of April are to divide each election district into 

 as many divisions as there are constables in the district, who 

 are to perform the work of their part under penalty of $500 

 for failure so to do. Upon the return of the lists the county 

 commissioners will assess each dog at $25; the owner of said 

 dog can place a higher value on him and pay the same as on 

 other property. The owner can recover damages if any one 

 injures his dog, unless the dog was engaged in the desl ruc- 

 tion of stock or poultry or was killed or injured by some one 

 in his own defence. The bill further provides thai owners 

 of dogs are liable for damages done by them to property or 

 person. * 



Gamblers in 7 Convention. —A great concourse of gamb- 

 lers is now in convention in this city. The occasion is a six- 

 days' pedestrian match. The walking is only a wheel in the 

 gamblers' machinery to wheedle money into their purses. 

 The style of betting now carried on at the walk is clearly 

 against the law, but by some hocus-pocus or other an injunc- 

 tion has been obtained, restraining the police from interfer- 

 ing with the unlawful proceedings of these blacklegs, aud 

 the injunction is to be argued March 6th, tlw f 

 the Ji/tish of the tealk! The whole affair is a disgrace to the 

 community. Pool-room, horse-race and walkiug-match 

 sharpers have manipulated the law. and the police too long, 



