— 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
27 
“Just 82 geese and 19 ducks,” he laughed, ‘and we had 
fun getting them, too.” 
“Well, ’m going to take the team after I get a bite, and 
go after mine,” I said, as we returned to the fire, and Paul 
Taughed as he said, “‘I thought it queer if Ad had only got 
those two miserable dyspeptic brant; how many have you 
sot, and how far off are they?” he continued, as we went 
over to the team and hooked themup. ‘‘I don’t know ex- 
actly,”’ I replied, and in a few minutes we went off. After 
a brisk drive through the darkness, over logs, boulders, etc., 
we arrived at the laguna, and crawled up as I had in the 
afternoon, as we could hear the geese distinctly on the sur- 
face of the water. 
“T’m dashed if there aren’t a thousand geese there,” says 
Paul, in a whisper, as we cocked our guns (of course we had 
them along), and bang, bang, bang, bang, went four barrels 
into the demoralized bands of geese, brant and ducks which 
rose clamorously from the laguna. ‘‘This beats it all,” Paul 
continued, as the dogs commenced to retrieve them, and in 
a few minutes had laid at our feet 4 fine geese and 3 brant. 
“Good enough in the dark,” I rejoined, as I commenced to 
uncover and carry my 27 geese and ducks over to the wagon. 
“Well, you did ‘get to’ ’em,” said Paul, as he assisted me, 
and we had the wagon just comfortably filled when we 
finished. On arriying in camp, we astonished Morg by 
piling them out on the ground, and on counting up found 
altogether fifty-six geese and twenty-seven ducks—a good 
enough afternoon’s work for anybody. 
“Well, Morg, how’s the river Platte now?” 
“Oh, this place will do to pass off time,” says Mors, try- 
ing to appear as indifferent as possible, “‘but this ain’t a big 
hunt. Why, i’ve killed over fifty geese a day myself, and 
brought whole wagon loads into town and couldn’t get ten 
cents a piece for them. The farmers only use them for their 
feathers. You couldn't hire me to eat goose while I was in 
Nebraska and Iowa.” 
“Why don’t some of those fancy sportsmen Hast take a 
run out there and kill a few thousand,” says Paul, “‘if they 
are counted a nuisance and are so thick?” 
“Well, they do organize systematic hunts once in a while, 
but the geese seem to be as thick as ever immediately after, 
and nothing can thin them out it seems.” 
“Well, Paul, let’s all go to the Platte next season,” said 1, 
jokingly, ‘‘and get some goose hunting; this is rather small 
business anyhow,” I continued, where three men go out in 
an afterncon and only bag eighty-three geese and ducks,” 
and Morg got sulky again as he caught my jocular tone, 
and I could see that he felt almost like getting ‘‘hot,” but it 
was late and we felt tired, and soon dropped off to sleep, 
The next morning we hooked up and drove down to 
Soledad station on the California Southern, where we found 
a woman and about sixteen children guarding the station 
house. Riding up I asked, ‘‘Is there a station master here?” 
“No,” she replied, *‘the road is too poor to afford one, and 
they let us live here for taking care of things.” 
“Can you receive some freight?” I asked again. 
“No, I can’t receive it for the company, but you can 
leave it and when the train comes by maybe they will stop 
and take it on.” 
‘Don’t the train stop here then?” 
“No,” she said, ‘‘only when they have freight or know 
that some has been left for them.” 
“Well, how can we Jet them know that there is freight 
here?” I asked. 
“T don’t know,” she replied, ‘‘unless you stay here and 
signal them?” 
“But we want to get into San Diego to-night and it’s forty- 
five miles off, and the train don’t get along here until about 
4 o’clock this afternoon.” 
‘Well, pile up something on the platform and put your 
game on that, with the direction and 1 guess they will get 
it,” she sugeested, and I tore around and found about half a 
dozen dry goods boxes and piled them upon the track and 
put the game on the platform with a card for Conductor 
MeNeal, and left them with the sincere wish that that even- 
ing would find our game safely in town. 
We drove down the valley, toward the ocean beach where 
we were told we could drive along for thirty miles, as far as 
Loup’s watering place, distant about fifteen miles from 
town, and getting an occasional shot ‘in geese or ducks as we 
disturbed them along the road. 
On arriving within about.a mile of the beach, we came to 
an immense marsh, on one side of which ran a slough about 
200 yards wide and extending down to the beach. The 
marsh was literally covered with ducks feeding—I never 
saw anything to beat it. We could see thousands of them 
in every direction and.could have killed, it seemed like thous- 
ands more by staying by them, but we were bound for home 
and couldn’t stop. 
“What are those away off there?” suddenly said Paul, 
pointing off to our left. : 
“They are swan,” said Morg, and I grabbed the Kennedy, 
as Paul stopped the team. 
“Can you reach them?” said Paul as I commenced to fill 
the magazine. 
“T don’t know, but 1 am going tohave some swan’s down 
for the women at home, if this gan can shoot,” | replied. 
“Away we go,” said Morg, as the beautiful white birds 
came swinging along about a foot above the water, and Paul 
said, ‘‘They are coming this way. Try themonthe wing, 
Ad,” and as they got directly opposite to us I dropped on 
one knee, pulled up the rifle, and judging the distance ahead 
aud the elevation as well as J could, I let her slide and— 
flip—came the middle swan, end over end on to the water, 
shot square through. 
“A seratch,” yelled Morg, but I was too busy firing bullets 
at the remaining two, which were just making the air hum 
as they cut through it, on their way to safer climes, To say 
that I was delighted would not express my feelings. But 
there lay my swan in the marsh grass and shallow waiter, 
about a hundred and fifty yards off, and we couldn’t, for 
some reason, get the dogs on toit. They would go so far 
and return, and as the siough formed a curve and to go 
around would probably take an hour or more, I decided to 
peel my clothes and swim it, for to have that swan I was 
determined. As TI had never seen a wild one yet, and they 
are very scarce In our section of the country, so in I went. 
Cold! I guess not—middle of January, too, Why, I never 
was so cold in my life, and before] had swam across and 
back I had repented me of my rashness; but I retrieved my 
bird in good shape, towed him clear across by the neck, 
haying an excellent grip with my teeth, and you ought to 
have-heard Paul and Morg laugh as I floated up to the bank, 
plumb exhausted (but I had my swan). 
Well, the boys rubbed me down well and I dressed, and 
after “hitting” the '‘chokebore” deep I felt better, but Morg 
still jokes me about my “derned fool swim after a pelican,” 
as he terms it. But I had the chap nicely skinned, and 
secured a beautiful piece of down which J yet have as a 
memento of my first swan. 
About noou it commenced to blow a gale, and riding 
along the beach as we were, and the wind blowing directly 
from the ocean, it was far from pleasant. Finally it biew 
so hard that I was afraid we should be compelled to seek 
shelter from it until it abated, as the velocity was so great 
that the horses couldn’t travel faster than a slow walk. 
“How’s this, Morg?” I said, after a long silence. 
“Oh, this is pleasant; suppose one of our old eastern 
cyclones should strike this place, you would take all such 
little breezes as this as a summer zephyr.” 
“Did you ever see anything to beat this?” I asked in 
disgust. 
“Beat this?” he rejoined, lifting his eyebrows, ‘‘well I 
should smile. Why, in Nebraska, just before I came out here, 
a cyclone struck the village in which I lived, and in one house 
they were just cooking dinner, when everything turned 
black and—presto—no more house, yillage, and only three- 
fourths of the people were left. And where do you suppose 
they found the stove that was in this house where they were 
cooking dinner?” he coetinued. 
“Quen sabe,” Paul said. 
“Out about a hundred yards from the remains of ihe 
house, right side up, and the tea kettle was still on it and 
the water boiling,” 
‘This didn’t happen on the river Platte, did it?” 1 asked 
again. 
We halted at San Dieguito for water and dinner, and drove 
slowly down to Loup’s and from there to town, getting in 
about 7 o’clock. Tired! oh, so tired, but thoroughly satis- 
fied over the biggest and one of the most enjoyable hunts I 
ever had, We look forward to another next winter, which 
we hope to make more successful, as we now know the 
grouud and how to huntit. To-day I look back and see 
and hear the geese and ducks again, as we kill once more (in 
memory) our 226 ducks and geese in a three days’ hunt on 
the Santa Margarita Rancho, in Southern California, during 
the winter of 1883. Nos-RA-EP. 
San Dinco, Cal, 
THE CHOICE OF HUNTING RIFLES. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Having in a previous communication spoken of some of the 
points of a hunting rifle as affecting the trigger stock, etc., 
let me now resume by calling attention to the barrel and its 
fittings. Heretofore in all the discussions, nothing has been 
said about the rifling. Everything has been caliber and am- 
munition, and all the experiments, so faras I know, have 
been with invariable twists, which twists may and probably 
have been calculated for a different bali and different pow- 
der charge than that finally adopted. 
I would therefore invite discussion on this point, z, ¢,, have 
y} we the right twist forthe short and light hunting bullet? 
Have we not the same twist that was adopted for a long- 
range rifle, shooting a long and heavy bullet that had to have 
ahigh rotary velocity to keep it from tumbling? And is 
such a twist needed for the shorter bullet, meant for shorter 
range, whose trajectory needs to be as flat as possible? And 
cannot the requisite rotation be given by a less rapid twist, 
the bullet being driven out of the piece so much quicker by 
the heavy charge of powder, and greater velocity and flatter 
trajectory result? In all the rifles I am familiar with, the 
twist is very great, being a uniform twist of from one turn 
in eighteen inches, to one turn in twenty-two inches. These 
guns are all intended for accuracy at long ranges, and of 
course are accurate within certain limits at short ranges, but 
have too high trajectory for successful use as hunting guns. 
The adoption of the lighter bullet and heavier charge of 
powder is of course astepin the right direction; but can- 
not a step further be taken, and a twist be adopted especially 
calculated for the light and short ball, and higher velocity 
and flatter trajectory result, through the less resistance that 
the longer or lesy rapid twist gives to the ball? In some 
English express rifles the twist is very slow, being one time 
in from 100 to 150 inches, or even greater length. [am not 
familiar with the twist of either the Winchester or Bullard 
express, or with that of the doublebarrel rifles built by the 
Colts, but I am inclined to believe they are more rapid. 
The character of the rifling has also a great influence upon 
the velocity of the bullet and its consequent trajectory. 
The tendency appears to be to shallow grooving, and I think 
this is right, for a very little resistance is all that is needed 
to give the bullet its rotary motion. With shallow grooves 
there is less tendency to leading, and if they are made right 
there appears to be but little danger of strippiug. The gun 
can also be more easily cleaned and kept clean, and the bullet 
will haye a much tighter and more accurate fit than with 
the deep grooves. 
Every one is familiar with the *‘shoulder” at the mouth of 
the chamber, and how vexatious this is in many guns from 
not being of the proper shape. I have seen guns whose 
chamber was so badly constructed as to leave the ends of the 
landes as sharp cutting edges, that cut their way through 
the ball as it was forced into the barrel. Have we yet ile 
proper shape for this throat from the chamber to barrel? 
‘Would not greater velocity result from having the thickness 
of the landes vanish to nothing, on the surface of a loug 
cone, teward this throat, to haye their full thickness at the 
muzzle? Would not the bullet then start on its path easier 
and quicker, gradually ‘take the grooves,” as it is called, and 
have its full rotary velocity when it left the muzzle? There 
is one objection to this being carried to its fullest extent 
perhaps, and that is that the sudden jump of the ball, under 
the impulse of the burning powder, might cause it to strip 
across the landes partway before its inertia had been over- 
come by the landes and rotary motion set up. But could 
not this vanishing extend from a short distance in front of 
the chamber, backward to the chamber, say for 3, 6, 9 or 12 
inches, aS experiment might determine to be best, so as to 
get effectually rid of the shoulder? Experiment only can 
determine these points, and have such ever been made? 
How many rifle shooters haye not been bothered by ex- 
tractors? And haye we yet the best form for them, particu- 
larly with magazine guns? Are not these extractors nearly 
always so placed and of such a form as to give a side pull, 
instead of a straight and direct pull backward? And donot 
extractor hooks frequently slip off or cut through, and so 
disable the sun from this very side pull? I haye had a Win- 
chester so disabled on the target range, the rifle having been 
first perfectly cleaned, the shells properly cleaned also, and 
the gun taken out purposely to test for this very point, from 
its having failed me in the field, Experiment there showed 
me that it was not from dirt nor foulness, but from an im- 
proper extractor principle, and | sold the gun as soon as pos- 
sible to get rid of it, Jmproyemenis since then haye made 
better and stiffer extractors, but the principle is the same, 
and the hook is on top, there isonly one; there is a side pull, 
and only a little stud underneath to hold the head of the 
shell against the extractor hook. Cannot two hooks be put 
in, one on each side of the bolt, and yet be so arranged as to 
let go of the shell at a certain point? 
With singleloaders I know of but two models that haye 
double extractors. All the rest have but one, and T have © 
seen rifles thoroughly disabled from the shell refusing to ex- 
traci, or the extractor cutting through. In one Indian fight 
we captured an Indian whose carbine (a Springfield from 
the Custer massacre) was so disabled, and he had dug off the 
entire head of the shell in his efforts to get it out with his 
knife. I have yet to see the singleloader that cannot be fitted 
with double extractors, and I know they will prove beneficial, 
not only from the straight and direct pull, but also from the 
sreater strength and less liability io a breakdown. Suppose 
one does break? The gun would not be helpless, for it would 
then be as good as all are now. 
Let us lool at the exterior of the barrel. We have them 
round, half-round, half-octagonal and full octagonal. Which 
is the best, or is it a matter of fancy? The element of 
weight first presents itself, for here are the weights and 
different balances, depending upon the weight we select. 
The round will be the lightest as a rule, and may have the 
same balance as the full octagonal; the half-round and half- 
octagonal will be the next in weight, and will have a differ- 
ent balance from either the round or full octagonal, from the 
greater weight of metal next the breech, and then comes the 
full octagonal. But independent of weight and balance, 
does not the round or octagon form have some influence 
upon the shooting qualities? With the round barrel we 
have an equal distribution of metal.around the axis of the 
bore of the piece, and all of the same thickness, section by 
section, from breech to muzzle, and we have the stiffest 
form that can be given for the same weight of material. I 
do not mean to say that there will be as much metal or the 
same thickness at the muzzle as at the breech, but that in 
any one cross section there will be no iron on the surface of 
the barrel at one point further away from the axis than at 
another point, With the octagonal barrel, however, there 
will be metal unevenly distributed about the axis, the form 
is: not the stiffest, for the same weight of iron in a round 
form will be stiffer, and do not the eight ‘‘ribs” that he 
around the barrel cause unequal expansion as the sun warms 
up, and therefore cause defiection that would not be found 
in the round barrel? Jivery target shot knows that his gun 
when hot shoot differently from its work when cold. Which 
will show the least difference, the round or octagonal form? 
Aside from mere form of barrel exteriorily, are there not 
other points that have great influence upon this even or uneyen 
expansion? Are the fittings to the stock always so placed 
that they do not pinch and bind when the gun warms up? 
Do not the front and rear bands sometimes become too tight 
from the wooden fore-end swelling from moisture? Are 
there not lumps and excrescences that have their effect, and 
that can just as well be dispensed with as not? 
Who in shooting at game in the blazing sun has not been 
troubled with the radiation from the top of his gun barrel? 
I haye seen my front sight look asthough dancing a jig, 
because of this wavering of the air. QOan nothing be done 
to prevent or overcome this? Suppose we ‘‘check” the top of 
the barrel like a ‘‘dead smooth” file, as I have seen on some 
English rifles, would not this overcome it to a great meas- 
ure? Round barrels as well as octagonal ones could be so 
checked along their top line, and [have no doubt with a 
good result. 
Who has not wished that they had something on the fore 
end to give as good a grip for the left hand as the pistol grip 
does to the tight hand? Cannot this be done by cutting out 
the places where the thumb and fingers naturally lie, so that 
each has a resting place in the wood, to be checked or rough- 
ened to prevent slipping? 
Ti is said to be a “‘poor workman that quarrels with his 
tools;” but have our rifles yet arrived at that degree of per- 
fection that nothing further is needed or wanted by any one? 
We have been improving for the last 500 years, but more 
particularly in the last twenty-five, and yet 1 think there are 
some points that still need attention. I probably have not 
mentioned all, but I have sought to call attention to a few of 
the points that haye come to my notice, hoping thereby to 
induce others to also mention any they may have found to 
be faulty. 
T leave the matter of diffe‘ent style of breech mechanism 
for others to discuss, Doubtless many are good and some 
bad; but this I think to be. mainly a matter of taste and - 
safety, and not as seriously affecting the shooting qualities of 
the gun, Hach have their preferences, and 1 for one have 
mine and do not desire to force them on any one, as 
familarity with my favorite movements would cause me to 
prefer what some one else may think abominable, and vive 
VETS. 
So it is with sights. J have never seen an Hastern-made 
sicht that suited me yet, and doubtless the sights I use would 
not be liked by the majority. For a hunting rifle I want no | 
changeable rear sight at all, butarigid fixed sight with plain | 
open bead front sight. I think all fancy and changeable rear _ 
sights or combination front sights an abomination for hunt- 
ing, When we go to target shooting then it is another mat- 
ter. Cc. D, 
WYomina. 
THE PERFORMANCE OF SHOTGUNS, 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I had hoped some able and experienced gorrespondent 
would have summed up the results of the discussion on '“The 
Performance of Shotguns.” But it seems that ‘Major 
Joseph Verity,” by a Jittle innocent irony, has alarmed the 
whole of them. 
The subject seems to have degenerated into a variety of 
kindred subjects—who can stuff the greatest number of wads 
into a shell? two-eyed shooting, cross-firing or firing from 
the left shoulder, pulling triggerS before the gun is in posi- 
tion at the shoulder, or while in the act of bringing it there 
(this last is particularly brilliant), and various other topics 
which I might touch upon, If not in error, I think Mr. 
Greener is the original author who has ventilated some of 
these matters. It will not detract from the merit of Mr. . 
Greener as a maker of guns. nor from his authority as an 
author, to say that some of his dicta concerning the use of 
guns and how to become an expert shot, etc., should be taken 
cum grano suis, I would not go to Mr. Greener’s shop to 
learn how to stop 2 pheasant, as with impetuous rush and 
whirl he scudded through a laurel brake; nor yet to stop a 
canvas-back skimming along at his best at 40 yards, with the 
wind in his favor, Hundreds of sportsmen know infinitely 
more about that than Mr, Greener does, They know exactly 
