286 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Mat 8, 1884. 



' 'where he got it from. It is the finest piece of work I have 

 examined for years." Soon after the painter came in. The 



judge, asked hirn, "Mr. , is that picture, yours?" The 



painter said it -was, "Will you sell it?" "Yes." "How 

 much will you take for it?" "Five dollars." He put bis 

 hand in his pocketbook and drew out a V, while the painter 

 unhung the picture, and he whispered in the Doctor's ear, 

 "Why, what a fool he is; it is worth a hundred." Then 

 turning to the painter he inquired if he knew the history of 

 the picture and who painted it. "Yes," said the painter, 

 "I did." The V was returned to the pocket and the painter 

 lost the sale, while the Doctor's opinion of his friend's judg- 

 ment in matters of art, you may know, was considerably 

 less. He had Tead hut did not know anything of the old 

 masters and their creations. So with the gun judges; with 

 the coolest assurance they will say to you, "There is no use 

 in your saying this or that to me, for I have handled a gun 

 all my life." So had the gentleman above seen pictures all 

 of his life, and so have 1 carried watches for thirty years; 

 but 1 have better sense than to put my opinions against a 

 watchmaker's, or to state in public print which country 

 makes the best. I will leave that to men in the business 

 who are judges, and I will not injure any country or indi- 

 vidual through my ignorance. 



Now, understand me, I do not mean to say that the best 

 guns are manufactured in America. "What I do say is that 

 the best gun for the money is made in America. A $50, or 

 $75, or $100 American gun will outwear any foreign gun of 

 the same price, and in purchasing them there is no danger 

 of ever being swindled, as you often are with those of for- 

 eign make. The reason why the finest guns are not manu- 

 factured here is that in nine cases out of ten, if an American 

 is able to buy a $500 gun, he would not have it made here 

 even if he knew it could be made better, and why? Because 

 it is not fashionable, and would lack the name unless he 

 could get one manufactured at half price and have an Eng- 

 lish maker's name stamped on it, like the chap who wanted 

 me to erase my name for an English maker's. And, lest 

 your readers may think I write this to advertise my business, 

 you will have to excuse my name and accept my nom de 

 ■phime, Vitus 



SOUTHERN SHOOTING GROUNDS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In pursuance of your idea of investigating new fields for 

 sportsmen in the South, I took special notes by the way be- 

 tween St. Augustine and this city, coming by the Waycross 

 and Pensacola & Atlantic Railroad from Jacksonville. Since 

 the line has been opened between Waycross and Jackson- 

 ville, it is much easier to get into the rich hunting grounds 

 of the Okefinokee Swamp than formerly. Now, those daring 

 hunters who want to test their bravery and skill can do so 

 by following bear, wildcat, panther, and other dangerous 

 animals in the depths of that splendid field for game. 



Going southwest from Waycross, there are numerous points 

 in the. neighborhood of which game of a most enticing char- 

 acter abounds. Within easy reach of Valdosta, Quitman, 

 Thomasville, Bainbridge and Chattahoochee there are plenty 

 of small birds, fox-squirrels, wild turkeys, pheasants, quail, 

 deer, and occasionally bear and panther. 



Among the knobs and numerous streams that abound west 

 of Thomasville to the river, there is as wild country as a 

 hunter ever trod, and it requires the quickest kind of eyes, 

 quicker powder, and dead shot work to bag any kind of 

 game in those jungles. Those sportsmen who have been 

 haunting the section, report that the sport is lovely and ex- 

 citing beyond anything that can be imagined. Much of the 

 interest that attends a season of shooting in that section, lies 

 in the spice of danger and adventures that occur daily to 

 those who indulge in that kind of pleasure. There is a deal 

 of jungle in the region, in the lairs of which it is very neces^ 

 sary to travel with eyes wide open and ready fingers to call 

 on the trigger in sudden emergencies. This is in broad con- 

 trast with hunting in the pine forests in the eastern part of 

 Georgia, where there is comparatively no undergrowth, and 

 where a deer can be seen a mile away browsing on the low 

 grass, and where they see the hunter and are smart enough 

 to keep beyond long raage. 



Crossing the Chattahoochee River, we came by the new 

 railway to Pensacola, and found the route one of the most 

 delightful that we have aver traveled on in the South. The 

 Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company owns the line, 

 and have provided ^the trains with buffet and sleeping cars 

 and every modern appliance necessary for the comfort of 

 travelers. Finding that this new line will be popular with 

 hunters and anglers, especially from the North, Superintend- 

 ent Harahan has arranged matters so that sportsmen shall 

 have every advantage they may desire to pursue their object 

 in that quarter. Mr. Chipley, the superintendent of the line, 

 has a fondness for dog, gun, rod and line, and consequently 

 a kindred feeling for brethren of the craft. Hence, the 

 order stands that dogs and guns must be well cared for on 

 the P. & A. R. R., and those who hunt along the line will 

 find royal treatment, kindly favor and attentions that will 

 surely make the mest exacting fall in love with the manage- 

 ment that provides for their enjoyment. 



With regard to the quality of sport and game ground 

 within convenient reach, it is only necessary to state that 

 the field is entirely new, has never been pot-hunted, and 

 seldom invaded by professionals or parties of amateurs. 

 Those who go would have to take camp equipage, but so 

 little is required for shelter and cuisine that the equipment 

 need not be anything more than each person can readily 

 carry. Among the pines, there are no musquitoes or noxious 

 insects to worry one, and the balsamic odors always pervad- 

 ing the atmosphere are simply charming. Pheasants abound 

 in all portions of that region, and quail are plentiful in the 

 vicinity of every old plantation throughout that section of 

 South Alabama. There is plenty of big game also to the 

 north and south of the line in the vicinity of Westville, 

 Crestville, Marianna and Mflton. Along the streams in this 

 region, there are old plantations, in the surroundings of 

 which game of the most attractive kind abounds. 



In the vicinity of Milton, Escambia Bay and all of the 

 broad and magnificent sheets of water that' are in that re- 

 gion, there is more fine duck and snipe hunting than can be 

 found in any other area of like size on this continent. This 

 kind of game has seldom been disturbed in their haunts, and 

 finding safety they have increased to astounding numbers. 

 The hunters who have investigated this new field report ex- 

 travagant results of their shooting, and what they say is 

 t erupting beyond all measure to an old hand who likes to try 

 Mew ana prolific ranges to test waning skill and work within 

 the limits of our lessened powers of endurance and fatigue. 

 Oh, it is very nice to hunt lazily and yet make bags in an 

 hour that in other lands and years required a day of hard 



work to fill. In this land of soft sunshine and sleepiness, 

 where even the fish and game take their siestas carelessly, it 

 is charming to hunt without much labor, and snooze beneath 

 the light of tropical starlit skies. With regard to fish, I do 

 not think there is another such stretch of water on the globe 

 for varied_ and delicious fish as that body of soft blue and 

 green which lies to the east of Pensacola. Just think of 

 pompano and kindred fish, the very name of which delight 

 epicures beyond all that the eloquence of words can express, 

 and to sail on those waters, drifting with the soft winds that 

 blow odorous from isles where the tropical sun distils thous- 

 ands of perfumes from myriads of richest flowers. There is 

 nothing outside of heaven that one can imagine so delicious, 

 so balmy, so elysian. I am in love with that glorious south 

 coast, for in its sweet airs there came to me healing balsams, 

 which drove the demon of fever from my blood. Its forests 

 gave to me appetite for the tender and rich game with which 

 they abound. Its waters have supplied delicious fish, and 

 hence it is with the zest of a pleased taste and renewed 

 health I write this record, that others may go there and do 

 likewise. Dr. I. E. Nagle. 



New Orleans, La. 



THE PERFORMANCE OF SHOTGUNS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Two of your correspondents have spoken of using a pink- 

 edge wad on powder. I think this a poor plan if shells re- 

 main weeks or months loaded, as the grease will certainly 

 escape and affect the powder to a certain extent. Will some, 

 one please try the following, and report success through your 

 columns: Over powder place one Baldwin wad, then two 

 pink-edge wads or one felt, and then one Baldwin or card- 

 board wad; over shot, one Baldwin and cardboard. This 

 last, over shot, is to prevent wads from starting, as two are 

 more liable to keep in place than one. I use 3 J drams pow- 

 der for small game and 3f drams for larger; 1\ ounces shot. 

 My gun is a Parker 12-30, 8 pounds 5 ounces. It is certain 

 death at 40 to 50 yards, and if I do miss, I blame the gunner 

 and not the gun, and when I make an extraordinary shot I 

 credit neither gun nor gunner, but attribute it to the god of 

 chance. M. M. 



f Girard Manor, Pa., April 10. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



When I first commenced to collect, several years ago, I 

 used a 12-bore double-barrel muzzleloader. I next bought 

 a single-barrel gun, 12-bore, and with this small, light gun I 

 did some very good work. The last gun, one I am now 

 using, is a 14-bore double-barrel gun weighing 6 pounds 



13 ounces. I have done some good shooting with this gun 

 this winter, and have found it large enough for all kinds of 

 birds and animals. The last deer I shot was a large, fine 

 buck. 1 shot him 30 yards off, putting ten very large buck- 

 shot into his side, all of which went in back of the fore 

 shoulder. The shell was loaded with 4 drams powder and 



14 shot. Can many of the 12 and 10-bores beat this? I 

 am well aware that for shooting at large bunches of birds a 

 10 or 12-bore gun will kill more birds than a 14-bore, as 

 they can use more powder and shot in the large bores, but 

 for single birds of any kind give me the small bores. I think 

 the next gun I buy will be a 16-bore. Chester. 



Editor Forest and Strewn: 



My own experience of some thirty years with the shotgun 

 of various makes convinces me that if the best results are 

 sought — close pattern and hard hitting, the shells should fit 

 the gun chamber perfectly, being neither too long nor short; 

 and there should be sufficient wadding over powder to pre- 

 vent the escape of gas. My guns have never indicated that 

 one wad would do it effectually, except it was a heavy felt 

 wad. 



A short time since I fired a few experimental shots from a 

 10-bore Parker, for the purpose of ascertaining difference, 

 if any, in result between 2f-inch and 2^-inch brass shells, 

 gun being chambered for latter. The shells — four of each — 

 were loaded with 4 drams Hazard FG powder and l£ 

 ounces (actual weight) Tatham's No. 4 chilled shot, with 

 two pink-edge wads No. S over powder and one brown 

 No. 8 over shot. I fired two shells from each barrel, then 

 cleaned the gun thoroughly and fired the other lengths in 

 like manner, distance 40 yards from muzzle of gun, at 30, 

 24, 18 and lM inch rings, using same center for each. Aver-, 

 age result of 2f-inch shells was: 30-inch ring, 112f pellets; 

 24-inch, 88|; 18-inch, 634, and 12-inch, 33£. Of 2finch 

 shells: 30-inch ring, 1234 pellets; 24-inch, 104f; 18inch, 

 77|, and 12-inch 44f. Not a shot but showed in favor of 

 the long shells, the small-sized rings showing greater per- 

 centage of increase, that of 12-inch averaging some 35 per 

 cent., 18-inch 22 per cent., 24-inch 18 per cent., and 30-inch 

 9| per cent, over short shells. I had no means of determin- 

 ing penetration, but as most of the pellets went through a 

 three-quarter-inch pine backing on which the targets were 

 tacked, think either showed force enough. The rings were 

 made after shots were fired, so as to get the center of pat- 

 tern in each target. E. M. G. 



New Jersey. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



My gun is a 12-30-8i. I load for ducks 4 drams powder, 

 1 ounce No. 6 chilled shot, two pink-edge wads over pow- 

 der, one over shot. For small game 3j drams powder, 1 

 ounce shot. I incline to chilled shot at all times, as it gives 

 better penetration with the same amount of powder. I think 

 coarse powder gives the best results in breechloaders, also 

 the finer size9 of shot. I find no trouble in killing ducks 

 with No. 6 chilled shot up to 50 yards, killing wood ducks 

 often, when hunting snipe with No. 9 chilled shot. I gen- 

 erally fasten the top wad with a little mucilage, having no 

 trouble with them starting. Another thing 1 notice, that 

 most persons like a 30-inch barrel. I once owned a gun with 

 a 23*-inch barrel that was a splendid shooter, and the gentle- 

 man I shoot with uses a 25-inch. H. E. H. „ 



Bridgeport, Conn. 



Editor Forest and Slrea/m: 



Your correspondent "S. S. W.," in issue of April 10 says 

 — speaking of my remarks in reference to 10 and 12-bore 

 guns:— "Now if he will tie the 12-bore down to the proper 

 charge for a 20-bore, the 12-bore will be in the same place as 

 the 10." I reply, not quite. "S. B. W."is mistaken. A 

 charge of 24 drams of powder and 1 ounce of shot with a 

 12-bore, will give a closer pattern at 40 yards than can be 

 got out of a larger charge of powder, with suffleient pene- 

 tration to kill a duck at that distance and even ten yards 

 further. I have killed a black duck sitting at fully 40 yards, 

 with barely 1 dram powder and H ounces of shot, "sroue 

 dead," too.' For duck shooting with a 20-bore, the charge of 



powder should not be less than 24 drams, and that of shot 

 not less than 1 ounce. With this charge, and careful hold- 

 ing, a 12-bore gun. choked on the same principle as myham- 

 merless, will give a good account of itself every time', up to 

 50 yards and even 60 yards when held straight. A 10 bore 

 with heavy charges and consequently larger killing circle is 

 better, I readily admit, for shooting at flocks— a little better 

 only— but I cannot see the necessity of a weapon heavier 

 than 74 pounds and 12-bore, to kill a single bird at all 

 ordinary ranges, ending, let us say for certainty, at 80 yards 

 as the maximum. By this I do not mean to admit that a 

 flock of ducks, either sitting or flying, would be quite safe in 

 front of a 12 bore gun charged with either No. 1 or No. 3 

 shot. 



From the drift of opinion as indicated by many articles in 

 your journal, it seems to me that the day of unnecessarily 

 heavy guns and wasteful shattering charges is rapidly draw- 

 ing to a close. I have given a pretty fair trial to both the 10 

 and the 12, and I must confess to a preference for the latter,, 

 not because popular opinion is now largely in its favor, but 

 on account of its being — taking it all in all — according to 

 the tangible and practical resfelts of my experience, the 

 handier and the better gun. Algonquin. 



Ottawa, April 14, 1884. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I have been not a little amused in reading the article by 

 "Byrne" in your issue of April 24. I again assert the "truly 

 wonderful fact, preposterous as it is," that a heavy charge of 

 coarse, slow-burning powder, fired from a 26-inch barrel, 

 will blow some of it out without being burnt. In regard to 

 his lunar tube experiment, I think if he stayed here among 

 his friends and would close the end of that tube with his 

 hand, it would be torn to pieces by the grains of unburnt 

 powder, "although gunpowder is notably sensitive to fire." 

 I do not state this as "a fact, as my personal experience has 

 not proven it." Now, about what "A." finds in the snow. 

 I admit that "powder is a compound substance, made up of 

 three very different things, with no two things exactly alike." 

 I also admit that, with some gunners even their first shot in 

 a day's hunt is from a foul gun, and the marks in the snow r 

 are from "the loosened powder scale left in his gun from 

 former charges," but I again assert that a heavy charge of 

 slow-burning powder, forced from a short gun barrel, will 

 stain that snow with its unburnt grains. I have lived for 

 many years in the anthracite region of this State and have 

 had some experience in the mines', and on several occasions, 

 when the miners have been" injured by premature blasts, 

 have picked from their flesh grains of powder that have been 

 blown there by the force of the explosion. I invite "Byrne" 

 to come over here among these Blue Bidge hills and hunt 

 quail and pheasants with me. My guns, dogs and team a re 

 at his service. While we differ we can be friends. 



Sficewood. 



Centralia, Pa. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I have used shotguns for the past twenty -Ave years, often 

 owning at some times two or more of different gauge, length 

 of barrel and weight, some of them chokebore more or less, 

 others cylinder, including muzzle and breechloaders, and 

 have made many experiments in the matter of testing the 

 shooting qualities of different gauges as shown by pattern 

 and penetration on target, the only true test. Some of my 

 experiments in loading will be found recorded in Forbst 

 and Stream, issue of March 29, 1883, page 169, entitled 

 "Hints About Loading. " I believe, for the reason there 

 stated, that better results can be obtained as to pattern, and 

 especially penetration, by loading either breech or muzzle- 

 loading guns substantially as described than by any other 

 mode, viz. : Use about five parts coarse and two parts fine 

 powder, always putting fine powder on top of the coarse ; 

 for wads, use one heavy cardboard wad one gauge smaller 

 than bore of gun, then one good felt wad one or two gauges 

 larger than bore, on this and next to shot put a firm leather 

 wad of same gauge as cardboard wad, with a charge of shot 

 properly proportioned to bore of gun and amount of powder 

 used (and this must be ascertained by a series of experi- 

 mental shooting with the individual guu), with a felt wad 

 on shot. I recommend this mode of loading for both muzzle 

 and breechloaders, unless paper shells are used, when the 

 large felt wads might cause the shell to bulge. Of course, 

 it takes a little more time to load, but it produces clean 

 killing. 



I do not believe there is any great difference as to the ac- 

 tual killing range as indicated by penetration of the several 

 gauge guns in common use, while there is a great difference 

 fn the hitting circle or range in favor of an 8 gauge, loaded 

 with 6 to 7 drams of powder snd large amount of shot, over 

 the 20-bore, with its light charge of powder and shot. One 

 of the hardest hitters I have ever seen shot is a 16-bore, 23- 

 inch barrel, single breechloading gun converted by a country 

 gunsmith from an army carbine. Weight 6£ pounds. But 

 little inferior to this gun is a semi-hamraerless of 12-gauge, 

 30-inch barrel, and of not quite 6 pounds weight, made by 

 the American Arms Company, of full choke, muzzle being 

 contracted by swedging. It "is a cheap twist gun, but the 

 pattern and penetration is extra. Both of these guns are 

 worthless for any shooting except sitting shots at long range. 

 One. of the best field guns I ever used had been a 32-inch bar- 

 rel, 10-bore, of about"8 pounds weight, a muzzleloader, the 

 muzzle of one barrel had been blown off through the care- 

 lessness of the user, who accidentally filled it with mud 

 which was not removed uptil it was carried away with the 

 muzzle attached. Previous to the accident the gun was 

 nothing extra as a shooter. As an experiment, the barrels 

 were reduced to 26 inches in length, nothing further being- 

 done to them. The right barrel proved to be extra, both 

 for pattern and penetration, whde the left lost nothing by 

 the change in length. 



My preference is for a full 12-bore, 28-me.h gun, of 7£ 

 pounds weight, right barrel cylinder, left modified choke- 

 bore. I chose such a gun after having tested several 

 different gauges, length of barrels and weight of gun, on 

 woodcock, grouse, rabbits and other game fouDd in cover 

 shooting in Central New York. 



Will some one who has examined a Pieper ^rifled choke 

 inform me through columns of Forest and Stream what 

 form of lifting or grooves is used, and how many are put 

 int© a 12-gauge gun; also state how broad and deep such 

 grooves are. 



I quite agree with "Green Wing" and "Vox" that there 

 should not be a shoulder at inner end of shell chamber, espe- 

 cially if metal shells are to be used. There was none m the 

 16-bore I have mentioned, and but little in the semi-hain- 

 merless, and no guu of any gauge, either muzzle or breech- 

 loading, will give better penetration. 

 Is the pistol grip in its several forms an improvement on 



