May 15, 1884.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



307 



instance, it be made .40, with the usual charge of 80 grains 

 and a hollow bullet of 220 grains, the trajectory up to 150 

 yards is equally good, and, from the dirniuutiou in recoil, 

 the accuracy may be slightly better, but the immediate effect 

 of the bullet is not sufficiently paralyzing upon dangerous 

 animals like tigers or bears, or even upon deer the size of the 

 American elk. 



If, on the other hand, the gauge be increased to .50, there 

 is only a choice between two evils— cither the powder charge 

 must be so much smaller in proportion to the lead thai the 

 trajectory is spoiled, or the recoil must be so great that the 

 accuracy* is spoiled. With onlv 3 25 grains of powder aud a 

 hollow "bullet of 340 grains," a .50 express must weigh at 

 least 9i pounds to be fixed with any comfort, and cannot be 

 used beyond about 120 yards without making allowance for 

 the curve of the bullet's flight. 



Rifle makers' assistants, accustomed to heavy charges, and 

 employed constantly in sighting rifles, will make good shoot- 

 ing from a dead rest after fixing themselves in a certain posi- 

 tion, even with light weapons, but a sportsman who is often 

 obliged to fire quickly without thinking of the way he holds 

 his rifle, will find a marked difference in the practical accu- 

 racy obtainable with great instead of moderate recoil. 



For many years I used rifles with rouad bullets of about 

 an ounce in weight, and even now am by no means sure 

 that they are not, on the whole, equal to expresses for shoot- 

 ing in thick woods. Their striking surface is sufficiently 

 great for most purposes, aud they cut through twigs which 

 will turn conical balls out of their course, while their pene- 

 tration is so great that they usually go clean through large 

 animals lengthwise. In nine-pound rifles they can be made 

 almost as accurate as express bullets up to 150 yards, and 

 with a very flat trajectory up to 110 yards. 



Of late 3 r ears I have chiefly confined myself to two rifles 

 for game shooting, viz. : a double central fire, 16-bore, and 

 a "Cape gun," with the right barrels 16-gauge and smooth, 

 for shot or ball, and the left .45 express. " The latter weapon 

 was manufactured to order by one of the best English 

 makers, for a purpose which it completely fulfilled, that of 

 shooting for food in remote districts, where it was often un- 

 certain whether large or small game would be met with. 



The double rifle weighs ten pounds, and has barrels 26 

 inches long. The bullets are round, weighing 472 grains, 

 and are fired naked with from 96 to 100 grains of Curtis & 

 Harvey's No. 6 powder. One of Eley's felt wads -fa of 

 an inch thick, is placed between powder and bullet. Fired 

 from a rest the rifle will hit a square 4i inches wide almost 

 every shot at 100 3 r ards, and I once put 14 successive bullets 

 into that space from alternate barrels without any rest, but 

 sitting down with an elbow on each knee, the 100 yards be- 

 ing measured, and the charge 110 grains of powder. At 150 

 yards the accuracy decreases considerably, the bullets being 

 seldom in a smaller space than a 10 or 12-inch square, and 

 the best shooting I have made from the sitting position was 

 to put 7 successive shots into an 8i-inch square. At 200 

 yards no reliance can be placed upon the rifle. 



The express barrel of the Cape gun takes brass conical 

 cartridge cases holding from 110 to 125 grains of powder, 

 over which are placed a card wad, a lubricated felt, and then 

 another card. The bullets are cast slightly too large and 

 passed through a swedge. They have cannelures for" hold- 

 ing lubrication and are used naked. They are of three kinds 

 — a hollow conical weighing 270 grains, a solid of the same 

 weight with a flat point like that of the Winchester repeater, 

 and one with a hollow less in diameter than that of the first 

 and weighing 290 grains. At 100 yards there is no differ- 

 ence in the accuracy of the three bullets, but the solid one 

 performs best at 200. Eley's machine-made papered bullets 

 fit equally well, but do not give better shooting, and any 

 number of shots can be fired at a time without the least 

 necessity for wiping out. 



The rifle weighs 8 pounds 12 ounces, and the barrels are 

 28 inches long, with rebounding locks aud pistol-grip stock. 

 Fired from a rest a number of successive bullets go into a 

 square 4A inches wide at 100 yards. The best continued 

 shooting from the sitting position that I have made was put- 

 ting four bullets into a square 3* inches wide by 2| deep, 

 and six into 4 wide by 6 deep. At 150 yards I have not been 

 able to shoot closer than four bullets into 9 inches wide by 

 5 deep, six into 11 wide by 5 deep, and six more into 11 by 

 of on the same occasion. I once put five bullets into 4£ by 

 of, but the sixth struck six and a half inches below the 

 square. At 200 yards the shots are seldom less than about 

 20 inches square, and the best work I have done was putting- 

 six into 17 inches wide by 9 deep. The bullets make a curve 

 3+ inches high between the muzzle and 150 yards, and the 

 block sight is so arranged as to make them strike LJ to 2 

 inches high at 80 yards and drop the same at 150. 



Although shooting from the sitting position gives rather 

 inferior results to that from a fixed rest, it will be seen from 

 the above account that the accuracy of the rifle falls off very 

 materially at 200 yards, and almost every express has the 

 same defect, according to my experience. The problem yet 

 to be solved in hunting rifles seems to be the proportion of 

 powder to lead which can be used without producing inac- 

 curate shooting. T. f. M. 



London, England, April 16, 1884. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



With respect to "G. H, M.D.'s," communication in your 

 issue of March 27, it may interest him to know that there 

 is a miniature rifle cartridge made by Messrs. Kynoch for 

 the Morris tube, which is almost perfect for the work it 

 is intended. The little cartridge of drawn brass is bottle- 

 shaped, .295 reduced to .230, central fire, f of an inch long; 

 it takes a charge of 5 grains powder and a hardened bullet 

 of 40 grains; .45 inch long, perfectly cylindrical at its rear 

 end, which is not reduced to fit the shell. 



This bullet has no cannelures for lubrication, a jute disc 

 and greased wad doing this work most efficiently. It is 

 cupped at the base. This cartridge is said to have an initial 

 velocity of over 1380 Is., and to carry well to over 500 

 yards in the Morris tube. It makes splendid practice, and 

 has a fairly flat trajectory up to 100 yards. I was shown 

 a tube out of which more than 4,000 shots were said to have 

 been fired, and it showed scarcely any signs of fouling. The 

 little bullet penetrated over three inches of pine at thirty 

 feet and splashed on an iron plate behind. There is a 

 shorter cartridge, taking 31 grains of powder with the same 

 bullet, A cartridge of this kind, lengthened to take a 

 bigger charge, would, I think, satisfy "G. H., M'.D.'s," 

 wants. It is beginning to be used a good deal this year for 

 rook rifles, and is displacing the large sizes in this country. 

 The most popular sizes here are the .295 or .300, which 

 carry 10 grains powder and 80 lead, and are very accurate 

 at short ranges. 



The Morris tube is used with the Snider or Martini rifles, 



for musketry instruction ; it fits inside the rifle barrel, and is 

 in two pieces. The tube itself is inserted from the muzzle, 

 and its breech end from the breech of the rifle, and the two 

 are then screwed together. A collar screwed on to the muz- 

 zle of the tube keeps it steady. An extractor is worked by 

 that of the rifle, aud ejects the cartridge on the breech of the 

 rifle being opened. A tube of .800-bore can be fitted to shot- 

 guns. The Morris tube is rifled only for about half its length, 

 the rear half is smooth-bored, on account, I suppose, of 

 manufacturing difficulties, as it is so long. The cost of the 

 .230 cartridge Is 2s. 6d. and 9s. 9d. per hundred, that of the 

 .22 rimfires being 2s. 



Perhaps the following particulars of the usual weights, 

 charges, etc., of English express and other rifles may be of 

 interest to your readers. 



Caliber. 



Weight, 

 Pounds. 



Express. 



.45 7% to 10 



Large bore. 



.73(13-bore) 



.77(10-bore) 

 .835 (8-bore) 



lOfcS to 12^ 



About 14 

 About 16M 



Charge of 

 p owd e r, 

 Krains, 

 appro x i- 

 uiate. 



230 to 270 

 370andover 



Weight of bul- 

 let, gr a i n s. 

 approximate 



150 to 180 



580 spherical to 

 X) conical. 



700 spherical to 

 1,000 conical. 



860 spherical to 

 1,360 conical. 



Wat trajectory to 

 110yds. Suitable 

 for small ante- 

 lope, bustard, 

 etc. 



Suitable for ante- 

 lope and small 

 deer. Very flat 

 trajectory and 

 high velocity. 



Suitable for all 

 antelope and 

 deer, but many 

 prefer the .500. 

 Trajectory flat 

 to 200yds. with 

 large charge. 



The best "all- 

 round" rifle for 

 all game. Great 

 penetration with 

 solid bullet. 



Suitable for dan- 

 gerous game. 

 Very effective 

 with solid ball. 



Suitable for dan- 

 gerous game, 

 preferred by 

 some to the 

 heavy express. 



Suitable for heavy 

 thick-s kinnea 

 game. 



Suitable for heavy 

 thick-skinned 

 game. 



The barrels of the small bores are usually of steel, those of 

 the large bores mostly of twisted metal. Their length is 

 from 26 to 28 inches. Double rifles usually weigh a little 

 more than single. Solid bullets weigh from 20 to 60 grains 

 heavier than hollow-pointed ones. The muzzle velocities of 

 the .40, .45 and .50 expresses with the heaviest powder 

 charges are close on 2,000 f.s. Recoil with the expresses is 

 not severe, but they require a long, straight stock, and should 

 be held properly; with the large calibers recoil heel plates 

 are necessary. 



The following tables (see the Field, Sept. 8, 1883) show 

 the powers of a .45 express and long-range rifle in com- 

 parison : 



.45 double barrel express 

 by Messrs. J.& W.Tolley 



.45 Gov't Martini-Henry. . 



«l 



F 



^ 



ta 



kfl 



g 



s 



■■n 

 •- 



I 



gS"S 



• ft* 



si 

 Pr 





=18,3 



ill 



r 3 2. 



III 

 cr < 



: o 



a 



: ° 







: g-5' 





10 



26 



150.37 



274 



1 to 1.822 



2,000 



9 



333-16 



85 



480 



1 to 5.64 



1,315 





2,431 

 1,841 



.45 Express. . 

 .45M.-H 



Velocity at 



yards 



100 

 yards 



1759 



150 

 yards 



1611 

 1167 



1439 

 1104 



Time of Flight 

 (seconds) to 



60 

 yards 



.09612 

 1419 



100 



yards 



150 

 yards 



.1675 



.2418 



.2661 

 .3759 



Striking energy at 



60 



yards 



100 



yards 



1880 

 1590 



150 



yards 



1578 

 1450 



1258 

 1297 



.45 Express 



.45 Martini-Henry . 



Heights of trajectory in inches. 



At 100yds. range. 



40yds. 60yds. 



1.2673 

 2.6713 



1.3260 



3.7384 



At 150yds. range. 



60yds. I 80yds. 



3.1560 

 6.4128 



3.4176 

 6.8308 



The 276-grain bullet loses velocity very rapidly, and much 

 better work would be done by a heavier ball of about 320 to 

 350 grains weight, the loss of flatness of trajectory would be 

 practically nothing, and the gain in striking energy at the 

 longer sporting ranges very great. Double rifles shoot well 

 enough at sporting ranges. A double .40 express, by Messrs. 

 D. & J. Fraser, put seven out of eight shots into a 3-inch 

 bull at 110 yards at one of the Wimbledon competitions a 

 few years ago ; but I have mentioned this subject already in 

 one of my letters. Lancaster's four-barreled .45 express, a 

 beautifully made, though very costly weapon, is only 10 

 pounds in weight, and very haudy, Its action is similar to 

 that of a double action revolver, the hammer, an inside one, 

 being cocked, and each barrel fired in turn by the trigger; 

 but the '-pull off" is beautifully light and better arranged than 

 that of any double action revolver. Bengal Sepoy. 



London, Eng., April 7. 



Snipe About Rochester.— Eochester, N. Y., May 8. 

 — Those of your readers who are opposed to spring shooting 

 will not be pleased to hear the fact that the snipe shooting 

 has been excellent in this county the present season. There 

 was the usual strife among sportsmen to get the first bird, 

 and numerous trips were taken to the fields before the snipe 



had left the south. But the reward of the ardent ones came 

 at last, and for the past two weeks they have been knocking 

 the birds right and left, in numbers sufficient to satisfy any 

 reasonable person. The best bag T have seen was in the 

 possession of Secretary Ilartman of Greece, who brought in 

 thirty-six as the result of one day's shooting. Various other 

 men have been almost as successful in thinning the ranks of 

 the feathered passengers on their way to the breeding 

 ground. We have all done it, but it docs not seem right to 

 carry out in this way the sentiment "after us the deluge."— 

 E. Redmond. 



Cost op Shells. — Washington, D. O., May 9.— Editor 

 Ferry/ ami stream: Yesterday, when I began to lay in my 

 supply of ammunitiou for spring bay bird shooting, I found, 

 to my dismay, that the paper shells had risen, and the rise 

 took'my breath away. The second grade, N. M., for which 

 I had all along been paying 65 cents a box, had jumped to 

 95 cents. Now I for one deplore that the speculators have 

 turned their attention to the sportsmen's goods. If they suc- 

 ceed in this venture there will soon be a corner in shot, 

 powder and caps. I kicked aud bought nickel shells, and I 

 hope the fraternity of sportsmen will combine and not sub- 

 mit to any imposition. — Chasseur. 



"Wake Robust." — Will Mr. Riddick allow me to correct a 

 slight misapprehension into which be has fallen, in his pleas- 

 ant article "Concerning Robins," in the issue of Forest and 

 Stream for May 1, of the current year? The title of Mr. 

 Burroughs's book, "Wake Robin," is derived, not, I am as- 

 sured, from Tardus mir/ratorius, as Mr. R. states, but from 

 the flower Trillium canadensis, one of spring's earliest har- 

 bingers in New England, and which is known to Northern 

 children by the name of "wake robin." Of the derivative 

 philology of the name I am not sure, but think it may possi- 

 bly be derived from the early coming of the bird.— H. P. U. 



Buffalo Spring Shooting. — Buffalo, N. Y., May 6. — 

 The spring duck shooting is over and our shooters have oiled 

 and laid away their big duck guns for the summer. The 

 shooting on the whole was not satisfactory. The ducks 

 were few and far between, while there was no lack of 

 hunters. One morning a few days before the season 

 closed, your correspondent shot nine bluebills and whistlers, 

 which was not considered bad under the circumstances. 

 Swivel guns have been used by certain parties living on the 

 Canadian shore, slaughtering and driving away a good many 

 ducks. — W. A. A. 



Bellefontatne, O., April 22. — A gun club was organized 

 here last evening with thirty members, for the protection of 

 game, trap-shooting, etc. The club will be known as the 

 Fountain Gun Club of Bellefontame, O. The following 

 officers were elected for the ensuing year: President, J. C. 

 Brand, Jr. ; Vice-President, H. C. Garwood; Secretary, C. C. 

 Lane; Treasurer, J. H. Hornberger; Executive. Committee — ■ 

 W. H. Taylor, S. Faris, B. Laport.— C. C. Lane, Sec. 



Iowa Prairie Chickens. — Woodbine, Harrison County, 

 Iowa, May 5. — Prairie chickens are more plentiful than they 

 have been in a number of years, so those that live here tell 

 me. Some quail left, too. — L. A. R. 



\m mtd Ikr 



CAMPS OF THE KINGFISHERS. 



Black Lake, Michigan. 



PART I. 



UNCLE DAN SLOAN and the Writer, with four other 

 good fellows, spent our summer vacation of 1882 on 

 the old stamping grounds, the ever lovely upper and lower 

 waters of the Intermediate chain of lakes in Charlevoix and 

 Antrim counties, Northern Michigan. It appeared to be an 

 off year with the fish, and the trip did not prove as entirely 

 lovely and satisfactory as some of our former camps on the 

 same chain, so that when Brother Bert. Hughes, of Hamil- 

 ton, Ohio, in November of the same year, filled Jim 

 (ye Editor) chock full of marvelous yarns about the beauties 

 and charms of Black Lake, the prodigiousness of the black 

 bass stiffening its waters, and the enormous proportions of 

 some of the Mote nobilior infesting its dark depths, the old 

 place lost its sweetness; the current of our thoughts was 

 changed, and we resolved to kindle our flickering camp-fire 

 somewhere on its, to us, unknown and unexplored shores. 



When Jim had been charged until he could hold no more, 

 he hied himself down to the city to pour into the willing 

 ears of Old Knots (the. Scribe) and I the wonders and attrap- 

 tions of this lake of the dark waters, and soon after we paid 

 Hughes a visit and received from him many choice morsels 

 of information, that Jim, in his inability toehold everything, 

 had failed to bring down and impart to us. Hughes, with a 

 party, had fished this lake a couple of weeks in September 

 of that year, and had some wonderful stories to tell of the 

 size and numbers of black bass and pickerel taken, notably 

 of an afternoon's sport when they took fifty-six fish with six 

 frogs, and how their lines were repeatedly snapped and their 

 rods smashed into countless fragments by powerful but un- 

 seen fish that never slopped to say good-bye when they 

 started for some other part of the lake, or even to drop them 

 a hint about the inefficiency of their tackle, or the masterly 

 skill they displayed in not stopping them. And then he told 

 us that he had seen three or four tingerling trout in a spring 

 branch that flowed into the lake within a rod or two of their 

 camp. 



This meant trout, at least in some of the streams in the 

 vicinity, and when he told us that a settler, their nearest 

 neighbor across the lake, had given them a pointer on a 

 stream, seven or eight miles from the head of the lake, that 

 literally swarmed with grayling— so thick in fact that the 

 water had to be changed twice a day to keep them from 

 famishing— we were ready to throw up our hats and shout 

 "Eureka," or anything else that woidd serve as a safety 

 valve to ease the pressure that was nigh bursting our "pisca- 

 torial bilers." It appeared, however, that the'pointer had 

 been given them only a day or two before breaking camp, as 

 is usual in such cases, and they were unable to pay the 

 stream a visit. 



According to the settler's story, the tangles of this stream, 

 the "Ocqueoe," had never been penetrated except by a stray 

 mossback now and then. No city feller had ever thrashed 

 its quiet pools with "a sunfish pole and a bunch o' fool 

 fethers,'' or polluted it by squirtin' tobacker juice into its 

 limpid waters. 



It was wild and pure almost as when the sun first shone 



