388 
: ee 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Dec. 11, 1884. — 
ee, 
a a eS ee 
well as I could judge, fully 1,200 yards distant, though it 
was all guess work. To see how near the ball would go, I 
threw up my rifle, elevated the muzzle to fully fifty feet 
above the bird and fired. The ball struck the water about 
200 yards short of its mark, glanced and killed the bird, sv it 
fell without a struggle. 
_ On another occasion, was hunting deer in Lake county, 
this State, A deer was started in the thick brush. A dozen 
shots failed to stop it, and it circled around with the dog 
after, Iwas standing in brush high as my head with gun 
under my arm, when suddenly I heard a rush and saw a 
brown object within six feet, coming at fullspeed. There 
was no time to raise the sun to my shoulder, but simply 
elevating the muzzle, I fired, and the deer fell in my arms 
witha bullet, down its throat, I had just time to grab it by 
the ear to save a fall. M. F. 8. 
PreraLuma, California, 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Luck can account for the remarkable shots that kill, but 
what will satisfactorily account for those which miss. Here 
is a case in point. My companion and I were out after ducks, 
we had been over «a large marsh, had entereda creek and 
had shoved our boat near the bank among the rushes so that 
we could unobserved waich for any ducks which might be 
moving. While we were discussing the advantages of our 
location I saw in the distance down stream, what J knew to 
be a large flock of teal, They were flying low and and very 
rapidly, and were coming toward us upon our side of the 
creek. 1 said to my friend: ‘‘Here are some teal coming up 
the creek, keep down, get ready, and be sure and don’t let 
us fire until they have passed by us,’’ In less time than it 
takes to read these lines the ducks were upon us, when op- 
posite our boat where we could almost have touched them 
with our oars; we shot four barrels into what appeared to us 
to be a solid mass of ducks. Our surprise at not stopping a 
single duck or ruffle a feather can be_better imagined than 
described. 
I have seen my companion bring down many a single 
duck at long distances while in rapid flight, I have downed 
two single mallards one with each barrel, and have had two 
geese tumbling in mid-air at once,, and yet we both having 
plenty of time to get ready and having been cautioned to let 
the ducks pass by, shot through this flock and did not get a 
bird. Who can beat this for bad shooting? Docror. 
Osweao. N, Y. 
SMALL-BORE SHOTGUNS, 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I saw with pleasure an editorial in a late numher of For- 
Est AND STREAM, in favor of small-gauge shotguns. I have 
watched the craze for large-bore guns with a good deal of 
amazement and amusement in the last twenty years, since 
the introduction of breechloading shotguns. The use of 
large bores, and recently of chokvbores has, to a great ex- 
tent, ‘‘befoggled” the question of the proper charges and 
proper execution of shotguns, and I wish to state a few 
points that are often lost sight of. Ido not desire to enter 
into any discussion on such a yexed matter, but what I state 
is the result of experience of a good many years, and is sus- 
ceptible of proof. What follows only applies to cylindrical 
bores, and not to chokebores. 
First—The smaller bore scatters less than the larger bore 
(with the same charge of shot). 
Second—The small charge of powder used in small-bore 
guns, shoots coarse shot better than too fine shot, This will 
appear paradoxical to the users of 10-bores, with big charges 
of powder and small charges of fine shot, but it is true, For 
instance, with the same amount of force a man can throw a 
handful of coarse gravel further than he can throw a hand- 
ful of sand; or it may be stated differently: More force is 
needed to throw a handful of fine sand a certain distance 
than a handful of coarse gravel. 
Third— With the small charge of powder used in small 
bores, coarser shot must be used to obtain force and pene- 
tration, than in a large bore. 
Fourth—We do not lose in pattern, 7. ¢,, the gun does not 
scatter too much when using coarse shot in small bores; but 
in large bores, with the big charge of powder, coarse shot 
containing but few pellets scatters too much, 
Fifth—The small powder charge of the small bore does 
not do well in large bores. There is more pressure exerted by 
the powder per square inch on the charge in a small bore 
than in the large. 
I take 10-gauge as the type of the large bore and 16- 
gauge as the type of the small bore in the foregoing. The 
tharge of powder for the 16-zgauge being 2% drams with 14 
ounces of shot. This may seem a large charge of shot to 
the users of 10-bores, but repeated experiments with 16-gauge 
guns have shown me it gives better pattern as well as pene. 
tration than smaller charges. 
It has been, unfortunately, fashionable to copy after the 
English in sporting matters, and this, to a great extent, 
accounts for the unreasoning craze for 10 and 12-bores in this 
country. But in France and other countries, especially 
among the Latin races, 16-gauge is as large a gun as is gen- 
erally used. In 1865 I was in Brazil, and wishing to get a gun 
in Rio, (a city of 275,000), 1 went through all the gun stores, 
and one gun of 14 gauge was the Jargest bore gun in the 
whole city, Mostof the guns were 20 and smaller, and yet 
in Brazil just as many ducks and geese are killed with those 
small gauges as with the ponderous cannon of 10-bore and 5 
drams of powder used in this country. Three things always 
strikes an American sportsman in countries where small bores 
are used. They use less powder, more shot, and coarser shot, 
than we are accustomed to. I have before me a catalogue 
and price list of one of the best (if not the best) gunmakers 
of Paris, France. He gives a table of the proper (approxi- 
mate) charges for his guns. He has tables for 12, 16, 20, 24 
and 28-gauge shotguns. (He only makes 10 and 8-bores 
specially as punt guns for ducking, where large numbers of 
ducks are killed out of flocks, 
The powder used in France is stronger than our American 
powder, so the charges of powder he gives are somewhat less 
than I would recommend in this country. 1 have reduced 
the charges from French weight to ours. He gives for 16- 
gauge, 24; drams powder, 14% ounces shot; for 2(-gauge, 
2,42 drams powder, 1;9%, ounces shot. ; 
I have a 16-gauge cylindrical bore, not choked in any Wat, 
which, loaded with 2? drams powder and 14 ounces Nv. 6 
shot, at 40 yards, put 21 pellets in a book 6x9 inches, with a 
penetration of the pasteboard cover and 81 leaves (162 pages). 
I mean by penetration that some of the shot went through, 
lodging in the back cover (not. merely breaking leaves). This 
wun carries close enough with No. § shot even for snipe, and 
I therefore see no reason for using finer shot, neither do I, I 
have made better penetration with the aboye load than a 10- 
bore gun using same size shot and 5 drams powder. I use 
No. 6 shot for the two kinds of quail we have here, The 
scaled quail (Cullipela squamata), and the Massena quail 
(Cyrtonyx massena) (not to be confounded with a very dif- 
ferent bird, the small European quail, imported in the east 
a few years ago, and called Messina, from Messina, in Italy, 
where they were obtained). 
A chokebore gun is not as good an ‘‘all around gun” as a 
cylindrical gun, for though the choke shoots the smaller 
sizes of shot well, they do not shoot larger sizes as well as 
cylindrical bores, Again, the chokebores are nearly worth- 
less for buckshot, as compared with a cylindrical bore. The 
small-bore gun shoots close enough, and nothing is gained 
by choking it; and on the other hand much is lost, as the 
choke prevents its shooting well the sizes of shot best adapted 
to small bores, 
It requires more skill to use a small bore than a large bore. 
as it carries much closer, and for this reason the small bore 
isnot popular among poor ~ving-shots. Many a man who 
does fairly well at birds flying with a 10-bore will miss right 
along with a 16-gauge, You have to hold on the bird with 
the small bores; there’s no trusting to luck and the scatter- 
ing of the charge to make up for shooting; therefore the use 
of the small bore gives more pleasure to the true sportsman, 
as it calls forth more skill on his part. I haye owned and 
shot many guns in my life, but the best and hardest shoot- 
ing gun I ever had was an 18-gauge gun that I used in the 
fall of 1866 in Illinois, for prairie chickens and ducks (mostly 
mallards), The shooting was late in the season, and much 
of the game killed at long range, but the gun did just as 
well as the large puns. 
I think the best dimensions fora 16-gauge gun are 7 
pounds weight, 31-inch barrels. Most of the 16-cauge guns 
imported from England are 28 inches, which ‘s too short to 
get the best results. I personally find No. 6 shot the best 
size for quail and even snipe, while No. 4 does for ducks, 
The charge of powder is 22 drams and 14 ouncesshot. Each 
gun though has itsown peculiarities, which have to be found 
out by repeated trials at the target. CYRTONYX. 
Fort Stanton, New Mexico. 
A CALL FOR A CREED, 
Eiditor Forest and Stream: 
I have noticed a great many articles in your paper from 
time to time, about ‘‘a true sportsman,” or what constitutes 
a “gentleman sportsman.” I must confess that I have failed, 
so far, in being able to judge of what really constitutes a 
sportsman in the sense entirely distinct from what we call a 
“sporting character.” We all admit that there is a wide and 
material difference between a sportsman and a sporting 
character. In fact, we do not consider that there is any 
similarity between them. Itis plain tomy mind that we 
.must either properly define our calling or change the nomen- 
clature. Some choose to adopt one standard, and others are 
disposed to supplement or detract therefrom. So that, in the 
general summing up, we have a kind of heterogeneous mass, 
that does not mean anything, or what is worse still, means 
too much. 
I propose, Mr. Editor, while I have the floor, to offer this 
resolution: That a committee of one from each State and 
Territory be appointed to draft a constitution and by-laws, 
together with a code of ethics to goyern the sportsmen of 
the United States. 
I know that it will be argued by some that the natural in- 
stincts of a gentleman isa sufficient guide in matters of 
ethics, and no attempt to make acreed will be tolerated 
where the moral sense is of Such a high standard. To this 
I will say, that a rule of conduct can only apply to violators, 
and will not operate to the prejudice of the innocent. It is 
not every one who may be fond of a dog and gun, especially 
when you furnish both, that can be admitted into the family 
of the true sportsman. 
Some men are exceptionally good shots, and may own a 
dog and gun, but still they will render themselves very un- 
pleasant in the field by popping away at every bird that 
may Tise, right and left, without any regard to the rights of 
others. Again, when birds are plenty, they neyer stop 
shooting as long as their dog will make a stand, and then 
depend upon chance to recover dead birds. Others, worse 
still, will meander themselves enough into your good graces 
until you offer them a seat in your rig atime or two, and 
then when you refuse to turn over your dog and gun to them 
for an independent hunt, you are simply damned for your 
pains. Another set claim every bird down, notwithstand- 
ing that three or four others may have shot at the same bird ; 
and if the contest becomes at all exciting, they will not hesi- 
tate to rush through hedges and climb staked and ridered 
fences, with their guns at full cock, and their comrades 
probably more numerous than the birds around them, 
Again, there are some who claim to be gentlemen sports- 
men who would fight ina minute if you would even inti- 
mate that they were not, who will, with their fine guns and 
well-trained dogs, bag from one to two hundred birds a day, 
two-thirds of which spoil; yet they do not think this ex- 
travagant or wasteful, leaving out altogether the ethical part 
of the subject. 
Again, other would-be sportsmen, who are: very fond of 
field sports, buf somehow or other never have a gun and 
dog at the same time, must depend upon a friend who takes 
a pride in keeping both gun and dog in good order for per- 
sonal use. Now, Mr. Editor, in view of all this I move you, 
sir, that a committee be appointed, OCGIDENT, 
Editor Forest and Stream: k 
There is necessarily a connection between the questions, 
What is a “true sportsman?” and How many birds may he 
shoot? 
As to some of the characteristics of the true sports- 
man all will concur, He hunts game solely for the pleasure 
derived from its pursuit and taking. Its cash value has not 
the slightest influence on his actions. His method of pur- 
suing and killing game is the one which affords the greatest 
ratio of sport to the quantity killed, He observes the spirit 
as well as the letter of the game Jaws, and is thoroughly 
awake to the cause of game preservation and every ready to 
do all in his power to further the cause. His conduct toward 
his fellow sportsmen and all others is generous and gentle- 
manly. The motive that sends a man afield with dog and gun 
is an important factor in determining whether he Is a true 
sportsman, The details of his style of hunting are of less 
consequence. ' . 
I think it is possible for a man to sell his game and yet 
be a true sportsman, though he is liable to the suspicion that 
the “returns” he expects to receive for his game are an incen: 
tive to his hunting. I believe that under certain circum- 
stances one may shoot a bird silting without forfeiting the 
- 
title of sportsman. As, for instance, if after hunting nearly — 
all day with poor success you happen to get sight of a sitting 
grouse, £0 surrounded that he will almost certainly escape if 
permitted to fly, it would be entircly permissible to knock 
it over (unless you take a pride in keeping your record clean 
of all sitting shots). 
Of the number of birds a man may properly shoot there is 
a limit. It would be ciearly wrong for sportsmen to wage a 
war of extermination on the birds, though they kill them 
ever so artistically. Of course, the limit varies in different 
localities according to the abundance of birds and the num- 
ber of shooters, To fix the number one may shoot, even for 
a particular locality, would be another case of ‘ine draw- 
ing,” and a matter of opinion, on which opinions would be 
pretty sure to differ, During a season’s shooting, every 
sportsman should judge for himself from his own obserya- 
tions, when the supply of game has been reduced as much as 
it will bear, and then forbear further shooting, Always 
taking care to stop in time, and allowing a liberal margin of 
birds for contingencies, in order that next year’s supply may 
show no diminution. 
Ilike large scores—that is, when I make them, and the 
enjoyment is proportionate to the quantity of..game killed, 
But to one accustomed to a scarcity of birds and to consider- 
ing a single ruffed grouse a prize, itis rather grinding to 
hear a sportsman of a more favored region bewailing his ill 
luck, and declaring a day in the woods a failure when he 
bags only a half dozen grouse or a paltry dozen woodcock. 
It makes one think there is being ‘‘sweetness wasted oa the 
desert air.” It is hard to repress a feeling of respect for the 
man who does not measure a day’s sport altogether by the 
number of birds killed, and who can enjoy glorious sport 
even when the weight of his game bag does not draw him 
out of the perpendicular. Equally repulsive is he whoshoots 
simply for count. 
With the game of all kinds in this country’ steadily ap- 
proaching extermination, all good sportsmen will join with 
“Nessmuk” in execrating the skin-butcher, the pot-hunter, 
and the grouse hog. J. M. BE. 
New Ornueans Sipu-Hont,—In the side-hunt of the New 
Orleans Gun Club the points allotted to each head of game 
killed were: Robin 1, dove 3, snipe 10, quail 10, duck 10, 
mallard 15, squirrel 1(), rabbit 25, woodcock 25. The fol- 
lowing were the scores: 
‘ LECHE’S TRAM. 
Capt. EH. T. Leche, 24 quail, 1 hawk, 4 doves.....-... ......cc00 2-207 
Mayor J. V. Guillotte, 29 quail, 2 doves,-... 2. 2.2... cece ycee cease 296 
Judge Buisson, 13 quail, 6 doves.._.-... web y Sew phir Lente tart eee 148 
W. T. Wingfield, 25 quail, 1 hawk........2...,...+-++ 
Jobn Stumpf, Jr., 50 quail, 6 hawks, 6 rabbits 
A. M, Aucoin, 32 snipe, 1 woodeock....,....-......... BAe 
N. D. Wallace, 24 quail, 1 hawk...................... eee ts. Be 365 
Walter Saxony 1744 snipe.208 io. non wecisemestlcet heels sep sucky oon 175 
Capt, J. L. Harris, 10 snipe, 6 doves, 1 hawk, 1 ’coon............... 148 
Hon. R. N. Ogden, 37 quail....... Be niclopee cee Oe Del fda lan ie eave 37 
Chas, H. Wood, 3 snipe, 3 quail, 8 doves........ af ANE SASS 4 awit) 
Judge Wm. Voorhies, | hawk (disappointed on deer)........... ..- an 
Chas: Ballejpjdidn'tchunt. Sy sis) sans poeeeewulumeeuourunmusnee es 
John G. Bach, failed to hunt. t. 22.2. ashes ethos e wees ck sees cone 
Total score.....,....4.. rrmres et pat utecclshes ha cae Aimee ee end 1. 3,219 
RENAUD’S TEAM. 
Capt. J. K. Renaud, 87 quail, 1 rabbit............ 0... .0.. cece eee ees 895 
LP Chandety 65-quiai lve. = uo teipeeeer sui saa) Djdcns meee tania ene 650 
Po2A Cousin; 50 snipes Teduck: -yarre,cec anu ee cia san dace tne cieiia me 510 
H, B. Febinger, 61 quail, 1 woodcock, 3 hawks..........-..........- 703 
A.M. Bickham, 28 quail, 4rabbits.................-4- susie Mees 380 
John 7, Grodnax, sick at home. .... 22.20. coke ype were reesactes Eis 
Chas, J. Lewis, 40 quail, 1 hawk, 3 doves 
WV Bry. QV y que dU. os cater emrere cde dee bole te ote Wintel eee gt A oe 
li Sctoler,.44 ducksiarid snipe ais eg woke eo aieetet bit cae ooo erguioare 345 
J.-Uy Payne, arr, 1b quail, 2 doves ray) hl Bee Lea 
Major.C. L. Walker, failed to himtys. 22 oe. a Iya 
Rene Sarrazin, 6 ducks.......,... . Net Meee ABA, ane te ee | 70 
Col. G. A. Williams, 23 green trout (n0 competitor on other side).. 
E. Wash Vinet, 6 hares, 4 hawks, 20 dueks.....,.......--,.008 veya 655 
otal SCOR 58 oo beter emma ene (ates few holm Carico, bee ets pene eee 4,907 
Mr. J. K. Renaud, who won the gold medal for best score 
last year, took it again this year. 
Lone IsuaAnp Duox ,Nertrinc.—Dec, 8,—Hditor Forest 
and Stream: 1 applied to the Board of Supervisors to enact 
some law that would give the game protector the power to 
seize nets containing ducks, and thereby supply a deficiency 
which the lawmakers no doubt intended. The law part of 
Section 5 reads thus, ‘‘or use any net device or instrument 
with intent to capture any such birds.” The nets are prop- 
erly called fish nets, but in reality are set to take ducks, the 
fishermen claiming the nets are set to catch bass and other 
fish. If the supervisors would declare that fiading a net 
containing ducks is sufficient intent, I could then seize the 
nets, and the burden of proof would fall upon the owners 
of the nets that they were set for fish only, Iam willing 
and anxious to seize the nets the moment I get the author- 
ity. Iam not put in office to infringe on private rights, 
whatever they may be, and I should not bé expected to do 
so. I see by the papers that a boy killed a deer out of sea- 
son near Sayville, L.I. I wish to correct this. The season 
for killing deer expired the 1st of December, and this deer 
was killed in November, If the hunters understood the act 
for killing deer ended the 15th of November, which I helieve 
to be the case, so much the better for the deer and all those 
who wish to see deer all over the island as they once were. 
No deer were killed before the Ist of November, when they 
could ouly be killed without hounds, which has prevented 
the total destruction of deer on the island.—G. W. Wuit- 
TAKER, Game Protector. 
Turkny SHoot ExrraoRDINARY.—Sanford, Fla,—On 
Thanksgiving Day, Judge Nolan lost a fine turkey, which 
has been seen about town several times since, until to-day it 
was found in the room over Loud & Barrett's store. All at- 
tempts to capture it failed. Mr. Draudy, one of Sanford’s 
crack shots, offered to bet $20 that he could kill it with a 
rifle, and if the ball struck below the head he was to lose the 
bet. His bet was taken at once, and he coolly brought out 
his .32 Remington, took a stand in the center of the street 
about fifty yards from the turkey, and blazed away. It is 
needless to say that Mr. Draudy won the money, as the fowl 
was hit squarely in the eye.—W oopcock. 
OnTARI0.—Belleville, Dec. 3.—Deer have been very plen- 
tiful in the northern townships this season. Upwurd of 
one hundred were killed in the townships of Dungannon and 
Faraday alone, A party of four local sportsmen secured fif- 
teen deer and two others got eight. The hounding system 
is followed, and the numbers of the deer do not seem to de- 
crease materially.—R. 8. B. 
FT te a see, 
« un in California,” by T..S. Van Dyke, is the best th 
se pacar estas For Sis at this a ytibe. Price a0 
Us > 
