106 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



rSEPT. 2, 1886. 



WIFLED CHOKEBORES. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



My attention has just been called to a letter from New 

 Orleans, in which your correspondent, misled by a simi- 

 larity in name, confounds the invention, of which you 

 published a description on the 5th inst. , with the choke 

 rifling of M. Henry Pieper. of Liege; and thereupon, off- 

 hand, declares the device to be an old one, and one, too, 

 to which I have no right or title. He evidently does not 

 know in what Mr. Pieper's "choke rifling" consists, or has 

 not intelligently read the somewhat brief description I 

 gave of my own. 



Mr. Pieper wisliing to be able to fire a round ball from 

 barrels which would also act somewhat in the same man- 

 ner as chokebores, i^roperly so called, and not being- 

 aware at the time that a buUet could be fired safely from 

 a barrel contracted ia diameter at the muzzle, formed on 

 the interior of a true cylinder-bored barrel a series of 

 straight ribs extending its whole length, between which 

 the spaces were contracted near the muzzle of the gmi, 

 thereby dimuiishing the area of the barrel at that point 

 without decreasiag its diameter. Such barrels were then 

 grooved without being, properly speaking, rifled in the 

 ordinary acceptation of the word. They carry small shot 

 very well, and also carry a round buUet with fair accur- 

 acy for short distances; but of com-se impart to it no ro- 

 tation whatever, and are incapable of firing a conical ball, 

 for which, indeed, they were never iatended. I am well 

 acquainted with Mr. Henry Pieper, who makes a very 

 admirable gun, and have frequently handled and shot 

 with the barrels ui question, tsoth at Liege and in this 

 GOimtry ; and was familiar with them before making the 

 invention which, to avoid reference, I wiU describe 

 shortly once more. 



My rifled choke consists in a barrel which, up to within 

 about two inches of the muzzle, is an ordinary cylinder. 

 Next comes a true cone, dimuiishing the diameter by 

 about aVin., and again a cylinder in. less in diame- 

 ter than the main portion of the bore. In this short cyl- 

 inder grooves are formed having the requisite degree of 

 twist, and these grooves, being less than n^^-in. in depth, 

 necessarily die away in the cone before arriving at the 

 larger cylinder of the bore. Thus, as I said before, the 

 shot receive their modified direction before aniving at 

 the grooves at all and are therefore not aft'ected by them. 

 Tlie conical ball, however, is forced to enter them, re- 

 ceives at the last moment the necessary amount of rota- 

 tion and makes very good shooting. 



If your correspondent can see any sunilarity of princi- 

 ple between these two inventions, I shall be glad to learn 

 what it is. 



For the correctness of my definition of the Pieper choke 

 rifling, I will also refer to Messrs. Schoverling, Daly & 

 Gales, of New York, with every assurance that they will 

 indorise my statement regarding it; and when yom- cor- 

 respondent has satisfied liimself on these xjoints, I shall 

 trust to his fairness to acknowledge that in contesting my 

 right to tlie honor he speaks of, he has been misled by a 

 mere similarity of name. Geo. V. Fosbert, Lieut. -Col. 



NEW ENGLAND GAME. 



BEFORE these lines reach the eye o^ the reader of the 

 FoKEST ^m) Stream the open season for game birds 

 in the most of the New England States will have begun. 

 In Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont the oi^en season 

 on grouse, the principal game bu-d of those States, begins 

 Sept. 1, while in Massachusetts, by act of the last Legis- 

 latm-e, it was put ofl: to Sept. 15. This Avas done chiefly 

 through the influence of the Fish and Game Protective 

 Association of this State, because its best informed mem- 

 bers believed that under the existing laws the ruflied 

 grouse was tending toward extinction. It was deemed 

 best to extend the close season, if possible, and since the 

 market influence was not brought to bear very strongly 

 in. that direction, the bill parsed. It will tend to keep 

 rtr-ffed grouse out of the Boston market fifteen days longer, 

 and thus give a longer respite to the gradually disappear- 

 ing partridge. The non-transportation laws of both Maine 

 and New Hampshire make it diflicult for these market- 

 men to become possessed of grouse to sell from tliose 

 States during close time, or, in fact, any otlier time, and 

 last season it was a curious fact that might be heard men- 

 tioned almost any day of the open season in the market : 

 "Partridges were never so plenty in this State before.'' 

 Well, there is a question there. Had tlie grouse suddenly 

 increased m Massachusetts, or is there too much of a 

 border ibetween that State and New Hampshire? Perhaps 

 it is easy to bring game over from Maine by some under- 

 groimd railroad, without troubling the regular trans]iorta- 

 tion companies, which will not take it — bring it over to 

 where it becomes "Idlled in Massachusetts." But now 

 until fifteen days later than ever before, the Boston 

 mai'ketmen will not care to openly have partridges in 



But ill spite of all that protection has done, I fear that 

 gi-ouse shooting is to be very poor in both Maine and New 

 Hampshii-e this season, while in Massachusetts it can 

 amount to but little at the best, since the strain of persist- 

 ent hunting by such a multitude of sportsmen, with the 

 best trained dogs, has rendered the birds so scarce and so 

 exceedingly wHd as to make then capture something of 

 a rarity in most parts of the State. All the reports I have 

 from Maine indicate that partiidges are scarce. This is 

 doubtless the case in the section noted for the greatest 

 abundance of grouse, viz., the sparsely set-fled portions, 

 where the birds have the advantages of cleared land, on 

 the borders of which they delight to feed. But in the 

 dense woods, fm-tlier north, it may be hoped that gi-ouse 

 are rather more plenty than usual. It is a singular fact 

 that a plenty of partridges in the neighborhood of the 

 settlements can never be taken as an mdication that they 

 are plenty in the unsettled portions of that State. The 

 reverse is" apt to be true. A plenty of partridges in the 

 remote and unsettled portions of the State would rather 

 convey the idea to one familiar with shooting m all parts 

 of Maine that his favorite game bu-ds were not plenty 

 nearer the settlements. The reason for this I have never 

 heard explained, beyond the actual fact that an abund- 

 ance of berries, naturally found near the habitations of 

 man, and which abundance of berries is not a part of 

 every season, draws the birds out of the thick woods and 

 nearer to the settlements. 



From fishing parties and others who have penetrated 

 the thick woods late this season, comes the report that a 

 good many grouse have been seen. This is particularly 

 true of the Tim and Seven ponds region. The same story 



also comes from the Parmacheene region, Avhile in the fur- 

 ther Aroostook and Penobscot counties grouse are reported 

 plenty by the few who have been there. But at the best 

 reports from sections so remote are meagi-e and unreliable 

 inasmuch as they can cover only a small tract, seen Avith 

 but a few pairs of eyes, and perhaps not imder favorable 

 conditions. 



In Maine and New Hampshire a pretty general obedience 

 to the grouse protection law is being lived up to in all 

 sections of those States where any degree of loyalty and 

 good sense prevails. In fact, so far as shooting too early 

 is concerned, the boys watch one another. They make 

 good detectives, Avhere any poacliing is attemx:)ted by out- 

 siders, from the fact that they know and have guaxded 

 the flocks, almost from the day they were hatched, Avith 

 the full intention of "having a pull at them as soon as the 

 law is off;" and woe betide the fellow who dares to attack 

 the birds too soon. 



As has before been mentioned in the Forest and 

 Stream, deer at least of the larger game is remarkably 

 plenty in Maine, but since the open season for these ani- 

 mals does not loegin till Oct. 1, it looks as though the 

 September shooting in that State might be poor. As for 

 duck shooting there, though the open season begins Sejit. 

 1, it is confined to the seashore, or entnely dependent upon 

 the time when the birds stop for a season in the inland 

 waters on their mi,gration south, which rarely begins 

 before Oct. 1. Yet in some seasons the black or dusky 

 duck is sometimes found in good numbers in the lakes 

 and ponds in the northern and eastern jiart of Maine late 

 in September, but the larger flocks, on then way south, 

 do not come in tiU nearly a month later. Here they will 

 sometimes remain, especially if feed be plenty and the 

 weather pleasant, for three or four weeks. As for the 

 noble wood duck, huntmg has driven him almost to ex- 

 tinction, except in the very remote waters of Maine. For 

 the first time for several years, I saw last June a wood 

 duck entering its nest in a hollow tree on the border of 

 one of the Richardson Ponds, in the Androscoggin Lake 

 region. This beautiful game bird needs gieater protec- 

 tion. Special, 



MUSKRATS IN A FLOOD. 



[Complementary to the account of Sam Level's muslcrat shooting, 

 as described in our last Issue.] 



ONE afternoon diu-ing the heavy rainstorm in Febru- 

 ary last, by which the most of New England suffered 

 by floods and washouts. Jack came tearing in with, 

 "Just look at this telegram I have received from Uncle 

 Jolm," and he handed me the following message: "Water 

 highest for thh-ty years. Come." "Yes, sn," continued 

 Jack, beginning to warm up on the subject, "it is pouring 

 now, but the moniing jiaper says clearing weather to- 

 night, and to-morrow will be the time to shoot muskrats 

 by the htmdi-ed." In one hour from that time we had our 

 traps and duffle ready, and a ride of fifty miles from Bos- 

 ton took us to Bluestone River. Jack carried a Winches- 

 ter .32 repeater, whde I had a .32 home-made rifle. This 

 arm has a heavy 26in. barrel, made from the best gtm 

 steel (carbon 5 per cent.), the bore is .312in. , with 8 grooves 

 .08in. wide and .005in. deep in the forward or loading part 

 of the ratchet cut. The twist is increased from one tmm 

 in 72in. to a 15in. twist at the muzzle. It is chambered 

 for the .32 Smith & Wesson revolving rifle shell, and 

 carries a home-made bullet of llOgrs. with o grooves. As 

 this rifle has done such extremely fine work at hunting- 

 distances, 1 give the readers of Forest and Stream these 

 points, hoping that some of them may receive some bene- 

 fit from it. The twist is to the left instead of right, as in 

 most of our modern rifles. This, in a measm-e, coimter- 

 acts the "drift" of the bullet in off-hand work, as, unless 

 the trigger-pull is very light indeed, many marksmen are 

 continually pulling the muzzle around to the right, and if 

 the bullet is drifting to the right it makes quite a percep- 

 tible difference in 150 or 200yds. 



Jack had made all arrangements with Uncle John to 

 have a boat ready to launch at daylight the next morn- 

 ing, and at the call of "Come, boys, breakfast is ready 

 and there is not a drop of rain falling," we hastily tum- 

 bled out. After a hasty breakfast, we loaded the boat 

 into the wagon and started for the rivei' with the assur- 

 ance that Uncle John would meet us at noon at the first 

 dam on the sti-eaiii five miles lielow. Jack geiierouslj- 

 offered to use the paddle and give me the bow to do tlie 

 most of the shooting, but I would not accept it. So after 

 some argument I consented to try a few shots and then 

 give hun the place. We had not more than fifty rods to 

 go before we came to a meadow well overflowed, and 

 soon I discovered a fine fellow with the tip of his nose 

 just out of the water. I raised the rifle carefuUy and 

 through the large hole in the Lyman sight I quickly 

 caught the iA^ory bead of the front sight, but I soon found 

 that shootmg off-hand from a moving boat is rather diffi- 

 cult, and as the report rings out over the water, the rat 

 makes a very low bow and bids me good-day. He soon 

 comes to the surface 40yds. aAvay, and again I miss him. 

 Jack savs he Avill keep the boat as still as possible for the 

 next one, an<l just as I am about to pull lie coolly "wijoes 

 my eye" from the stern and om- first rat is bagged. I in- 

 sist at once that we change places, and Jack reluctantly 

 gives up the paddle. 



We are now coming to good hunting ground, and Jack 

 shoots four rats from the boat when his rifle becomes dis- 

 abled, the spring catch or extractor is broken, and 

 although he tries to pass the cu-cumstance lightly by, I 

 can see that he feels his disappointment keenly. I im- 

 mediately offer him my rifle and carti-idges, but he 

 declines, and it is evident at once that the pleasure of the 

 trip has received a wet blanket. "No," said he, "you do 

 the shooting; I Avill paddle as carefully as I can, and per- 

 haps you may kill one before we get to the dam." As J ack 

 was out of sorts I forgave him for the slight tinge of sar- 

 casm which accompanied his remark, and soon we were 

 at work again. I resoh-ed to shoot carefully and try to 

 redeem my poor shooting. Soon we find a place where 

 four rat houses are nearly submerged, and the occupants 

 are roosting arormd in the alders as best they can. There 

 goes one across the bow 50yds. away s wimmin g for dear 

 Hfe. Tlie rifle cracks and he gives up the race, and is 

 soon gathered in. Another one shOAvs himself on the 

 bank f uU size, and his head is spHt. The rats are seen 

 thicker and faster, and the sport begins in good earnest. 

 As I happen to think of a small watchmaker's screAV- 

 driver that I have in my pocket. Jack takes it and finds 

 that he can extract his shell, so he opens fire once more, 

 and the sport would have made him happy again had it 

 not been for an incident, which, although comical enough 



for any one else, put the finishing touch upon Jack's 

 spu-its for the rest of the trip. 



We had passed the meadoA\' and were going doAvn be- 

 tAveen the high river banks where the water was a boil- 

 ing, seething mass of foam, which looked wicked enough 

 to swamp anytliing in the shape, of a boat. We bo^th 

 knew the channel perfectly Avell, and in order to keep in 

 it must pass close to some large rocks in the middle of 

 the stream. Just as we were opposite the rocks the boat 

 struck a snag or something under water, and Jack, think- 

 ing that Ave Avere going to be swamped, gave a leap from 

 tlie boat and landed on the rocks first on his feet and then 

 sat doAAm with a whack Avhich, he afterward affu-med, 

 shook every joint in his spinal column; and as he sat 

 down in about Iavo inches of Avater it did not make it any 

 more agreeable. The impetus that Jack gave the boat 

 Avhen lie jumped cleared it from the snag, and as it 

 righted I swept down the river rapidly away from Jack 

 on the rocks. As soon as possible I landed, and working 

 the boat back up the bank, threw Jack a stout line, and 

 making my end fast to the boat he hauled it to him and 

 made out to get into it from the lower side of the rocks. 

 When he came down where I could get in I plainly saw 

 that he was someAvhat agitated. Once more we started 

 doAvn stream and coming to another large meadow we 

 had sport in earnest. Crack, crack went the rifles, and 

 although we would 'occasionally miss one we had all the 

 booty Ave Avished for, and when we arrived at the dam 

 Uncle John was there waiting for us, and loading the 

 boat and duffle into the wagon Ave were soon home with 

 Uncle Jolm, and after a dinner relished \Aath an appetite 

 wliich only outdoor exercise and recreation can give, we 

 boarded the 3 P. M. express and were soon back home 

 again after an absence of less than twenty-four hours. 



SoMEHvrLLB, Mass. Iron Ramrod. 



TARGET TESTS AND SHOT. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



To a person less familiar than myself Avith the manu- 

 facture and use of shot, it might seem difficult to reply to 

 the implied queries contained in two communications in 

 your last issue, of Aug. 26, under the head of "Target 

 Tests." 



While it may be barely possible that the manufactm'er 

 of shot should have made a mistake in bagging up the 

 wrong size, I think it more reasonable to infer that 

 "Dixons' measure" and the manner of filling it is at fault. 



"The American standard" for shot is based upon avoir- 

 dupois weight, 437^ Troy grains to the ounce, not upon 

 any measure of capacity. 



There are two ways by which shot may be tested as to 

 size; by weighing it accurately and counting the pellets, 

 or by measuring the diameters of the iiellets. The sizes 

 are scaled by yhj^ of an mch between every siz6, ti"ap 

 numbers being lialf sizes. Shot that measures correctly 

 will always be found correct in count. 



With these few suggestions I will leave the gentlemen 

 interested to work out" the puzzle to their satisfaction, 

 and advise them to hang on to any gun that AviU put 

 more pellets into a target than are contained in the load, 

 and always to buy the shot that gives them more than 

 they pay for or expect. Chas. Richards. 



New York, Aug. 27; 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Mr. C. M. Stark thinks there is something wonder- 

 ful in the tai'get record of August 19. I made the 

 folloAving ofl'er, and now make it once more: If 

 any one will send me a .gim that Avith l^oz. No. 8 

 Tatliam's Standard shot, 399 pellets to the ounce, that wrU. 

 average 400 in a 30in. circle at 40 measm'ed yards, 20 con- 

 secutive shots, 1 will give |25 to shoot such a gun twenty 

 shots and guarantee to retm-n the gun in as good order as 

 when received. I say there is nothing very remar liable 

 that a gun should put in the circle more shot tlian there 

 ought to be in the entne charge, as I have had a good 

 many patterns sent me that counted more, and even bet- 

 ter than this, have had a target over 3ft. square sent me 

 and every shot ui the oOin. cncle, not one outside. This 

 is without doubt a Avonderful pattern and looks well, but 

 the distance was less than 40yds. and how any man can 

 ha.ve the aiidacit)' to send such a pattern to any one who 

 ought to knoAv what a gun will do is, to say the least, a little 

 surjirising. A good many Avant to knoAA^ why I make the 

 above offer and answer that is my alTair. I also state 

 that every target made by all gunmakers in tliis country 

 and by all or nearly all others is simply guess work, poor 

 at that. Cannot agree Avith Mr. Stark when he tells us it 

 is only necessary to cormt one charge, as I know from ex- 

 perience if you "want to know what a gun wiU do it is 

 necessarj'- to count every charge of shot used. No one 

 can measure shot and have them correct. These patterns 

 published are aU wrong, and not one of them Avas ever 

 made mider the above conditions. Each gunmaker is 

 anxious to outdo his neighbor in gun patterns, and targets 

 his guns Avith a heaping measm-e of shot, some at 35yds., 

 some at 40yds., (so they say) and publish results that can- 

 not be obtained. Let us be more honest, count our shot 

 and tell things as they are. Who will be the fii-st gun- 

 maker to do this? Alas. I fear none of them dare do it. 



Cazenovia, n. y. Will H. Ceuttenden. 



Shore Birds and Wildfowl.— Nantucket, Mass., Aug. 

 28. — Plover shooting has been fine here for the past week. 

 We had a southeast storm on Aug. 24 and 25, which 

 landed thousands of the birds and afforded sport for all. 

 One of om- sportsmen sliot 135 in a few hours, others 

 shooting from 40 to 100. Duck shooting promises to be 

 fine when the season opens Sept. 1. I rode by a pond 

 vesterdav where hundi-eds of ducks were feeding, and 

 thev never attempted to leave the pond. I saw in your 

 last a querv from "Z.," asking "Were they brant?" I sup- 

 pose I saAv the same flock about 5:30 P. M, the same day, 

 and I iironounced them geese, although as "Z." says it 

 was an imusual tiling for geese to be flying at this time of 

 the year. I afterward f omid out that quite a number saw 

 them and they also called them geese. I remember it 

 caused a considerable talk around here, for we do not 

 look for them until November.— W. N. F. 



Red Bank, N. J., Aug. 30.— Bluewings are making 

 their appearance, but too warm for good shooting. This 

 duck has not been disturbed on the fiats for ten or twelve 

 years, but a new law gives permission to shoot from Aug. 

 15 to Oct, 1.— G-eo. Wild. 



Barnegat .Snipe Shooting is reported good. 



