206 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



f April 5, 1888. 



RIFLES OF DIFFERENT KINDS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



My interest in the rifle commenced at the age of eight 

 years, when the teacher explained to a class of which I 

 was a member, the manner and effect of the peculiar 

 boring of that arm. The first one I ever saw was of the 

 Minie pattern, and the statement tnat its killing range 

 exceeded the distance between our house and that of our 

 next neighbor (500y<ls ) tilled me with something akin to 

 awe. It never occurred to me that few could hit any- 

 thing with it at that range. A little later a friend who 

 always allowed me the free use of his goods and chattels, 

 came into possession of a flint- lock rifle, 30in. barrel, and 

 carrying a ball running about 20 to the pound. It enjoyed 

 the distinction of having killed the first man in the great 

 1So2 riot in St. John. 



We used it a great deal at the target, but I think never 

 got out of it the best work of which it was capable, for a 

 20-gauge shot gun I then owned cjuld stay in with it 

 edsdy over a 50yds. range. Then I picsed up a muzzle- 

 loading rifle musket carrying a large conical, hollow- 

 butted bullet, which was sent home naked. The theory 

 (thrown in with gun) was that during the passage of the 

 ballet through the barrel the gas expanded the hollow 

 butt, thereny causing it to take hold of the grooves. It 

 m ty tie true, but I am suspicious. This gun was used 

 exclusively at marks, and never excited any particular 

 admiration on account of its accuracy. During a part of 

 th9 season of '74 I used my first breechloader, a finely 

 sighted .33 rimSre Frank Wesson, which, on account of 

 its lightness and px>r marksman behind it, never got a 

 chance to do its best. It was succeeded by an army 

 Snider-Eu field, the action of which is like that of the 

 Springfield, and this gun still occupies a place in our 

 battery. Its most objectionable features are excessive 

 length and a point-blank of 125yds. 



In the place where my father fives, it has always been 

 a commm hab't of the dogs to get together and go on 

 sheep-killing expeditions. In June, 1870, 1 spent a week 

 hunting down a band, and enjoyed it better than hoeing 

 potatoes. Tlie advent of the Snider made it much more 

 difficult for the dogs; foe we were often able to calculate 

 distance by the width of lots and so direct a telJing fire 

 at long range. After we commenced the use of explosive 

 bullets, a few shots would scatter them. They did not 

 fancy being within range of a missile that kicked up such 

 a racket, turowiug dirt and splinters around, if it did no 

 worse, and so sought safety in individual flight. I have 

 since in turn made the acquaintance of the Retnington- 

 Hepjurn, Ballard, Martini -Henry, and Stevens. My ex- 

 perience with rifles leads me to the conclusion that be- 

 tweeu them, it is largely a choice of breech actions. Any 

 of the ai>ove uientioaeJ barrels will do good work; and 

 e.tch individual make offers a wide field for choice as to 

 caliber or cjitiid^e. On my list of single-shot actions, I 



flice the Martini nr-t, and toe Remington-Hepburn next, 

 thin k I would like the Winchester single-shot, but have 

 never used it. Ad these years I had been slowly imbib- 

 ing a prejudice against the repeater. Every word to its 

 discredit, m thuse columns, was greedily swallowed; 

 while its praises were calmly di->mi-sed with the 

 remark, "I nave seen it jam'' — based merely on observa- 

 tion. 



I spent last summer and fall in northern Maine. There 

 the ride is the favorite weapon, and there are five repeat- 

 ers to every single-shot. Before the open season I par- 

 ticipated in two matches, in each of which all contest- 

 ■ ants Used the sanij gun; in one a .38 Winchester, and the 

 other a .4-1 Kennedy. Though I never heard the accuracy 

 of these weapons questioned, so strong was my prejudice 

 that it was a source of surprise that my shooting was 

 much the same as if I had used my favorite Stevens, with 

 open sights at the same range. When a young man 

 offered to exchange a new .38 Winchester for my old 

 shotgun, I accepted, not because I was converted, but 

 because I got more market value than I gave. Meeting 

 Jimmy Henderson the next morning, his fir»t words weie, 

 "So>ou have Frank B.'s rifle?" '"Yes." "He says he 

 could do nothing with it on account of the jamming of 

 the breech action. "Very likely; a repeater is equal to 

 nearly any deviltry you can mention. ,f At the first op- 

 portunity I took the gun and a belt of reloaded cartridges 

 — part of the legacy that came with it— and sought a 

 secluded spot for a test. Sure enough, the second cart- 

 ridge jammed. After backing it out through the spring 

 cover, an examination showed it to be badly swelled from 

 the base to the smallest part of the bottleneck; and a 

 search revealed four more of the same stamp in the belt. 

 Soon there came another jam, and this time it was a 

 cartridge with a bullet so poorly seated that when the 

 head was hard against the rear of the carrier the point of 

 the bullet was still in the magazine. I found that one- 

 third of the remainder were like this, and fired them 

 by inserting through the mortise, using the gun as a 

 single shot. With factory or carefully reloaded ammu- 

 nition I have never had any trouble. 



A great deal of the difficulty with reloaded cartridges 

 arises from the use of too much powder. The 40gr. 

 charge of the Winchester Co. holds more than can be 

 safely put in a .38 shell without a liberal allowance for 

 leakage, and in seating the bullets the cartidge swells. 

 The shell should be tapped to settle the powder as much 

 as possible before inserting the bullet, after which it is 

 placed in the reioader, the handles of which are then 

 brought together, or as nearly as would be possible were 

 there no cartiidge in the chamber. 



The Henderson Bros., of Forest, Me., who hunted with 

 me, were about to give an order for a new rifle. The 

 performance of mine and one of the same model loaned 

 them by Capt. Pitts induced them to send for a .38 Win- 

 chester 20in. barrel. In answer to my freely expressed 

 opinio tis as to the desirability of more powder and lead 

 they Baid: "If they could place the bullet in the right 

 place (something they are in the habit of doing) they 

 could kill any animal found in Maine; that the ammuni- 

 tion was cheap, and the 73 model had a much better 

 shaped kiuck than some later models, while the price 

 charged for any alteration from standard was exorbitant." 

 It is a puzzle to me why some makers adopt as a 

 standard a pattern of slock that will not fit one man 

 in five. 



My prejudice against the repeater is overcome. If 

 some people make fools of themselves by working it like 

 a Gatling I do not consider it anything against the gun. 

 It increases my coolness immensely to know that I have 

 several shots behind the one I am about to deliver, 



and this makes the first one more liable to be a 

 "finisher." 



I always disliked a loaded gun around camp on the 

 score of liability to accidental discharge. But I put a 

 half dozen cartridges in the magazine of the repeater, 

 and turn the button of the lever. Then it is safe as a 

 stick; but in event of it being suddenly needed. I can 

 throw a cartridge into the barrel while you would be 

 cocking a single-loader. For deer, bear, etc., I think I 

 would choose a .45-85 to 90 repeater, if I could find one 

 with any perceptible drop of stock. In Maine, the .38 ap- 

 pears to be the favorite caliber. For open sights I prefer 

 the clover leaf rear and German silver bead front to any 

 that I have used; but dislike the "step ladder" commonly 

 used to elevate the rear sight. I have a Stevens Expert, 

 mounted with peep and open rear sights, and Beach com- 

 bined front. For distances less than the point blank we 

 have learned to use the Beach pin-head with the open 

 rear, and find it very effective. With the tang peep, and 

 Beach front, we can do good target work in the proper 

 light, but for hunting they are nearly useless. My expe- 

 rience with the Lyman is confined to a few shots from a 

 Winchester mounted with it, owned by a gentleman of 

 Houlton, Me. I intend to put one on my Winchester. 



In choosing a hunting rifle, I would advise the novice 

 to get as much knowledge as possible of the leading stan- 

 dard patterns, and then rely on his own common sense. 

 He should not be wholly influenced by the experiences of 

 any one man. For though these be related in the best of 

 faith, he might find it difficult to make his subsequently 

 acquired knowledge square with them. Some years 

 since, in an article written for a Maine newspaper by a 

 well known contributor to Forest and Stream," a new 

 magazine rifle was recommended as the best in America, 

 " having been used by the writer in competition with the 

 Winchester, Sharp, and Ballard." I afterward knew it 

 as a clumsy concern, carrying a light charge. It often 

 jammed so badly with its own factory ammuuition that 

 it was necessary to cut off the point of the bullet with a 

 chisel to liberate the mechanism; and it has since disap- 

 peared from the market. L. I. Flower. 



Queens County, N. B. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Much has been, and still will be said about the respect- 

 ive merits of different rifles. The .44^40 Winchester, model 

 1873, comes in for its fud share of obloquy. I have hunted 

 on the plains and in the mountains west of the Missouri 

 River for fifteen years. During the years 1872 and 1873 1 was 

 hunting buffalo in western Kansas with a 141b. Sharps 

 .50-1'JO. I have used nearly all the best arms of large cal- 

 iber manufactured in the United States, but have suc- 

 cessively cast each aside in favor of the .44-40 Winchester, 

 model 1873, 26in. barrel. 



Other guns will rank higher as target guns, having 

 greater penetration, etc., but as an all-round reliable 

 sporting gun I do not think it has any equal. It is of 

 light weight, can be conveniently carried in a scabbard 

 under the leg on horseback, can be handled quickly, and 

 is always loaded. I use this gun with the Lyman front 

 sight, and the Rocky Mountain rear sight filed down 

 nearly level with the notch. 



I would almost as soon think of hunting without 

 a gun as without my horse. With me the aid and com- 

 panionship of this dumb friend increases the pleasure of 

 hunting tour-fold. Not that my firing is done from his 

 back, for it is impossible to take accurate sight from the 

 saddle. In the buff do days I used occasionally to accom- 

 pany a hunting party of Indians on one of their round- 

 ups. When a hei d was discovered a detour was made 

 until the herd was surrounded, when the paity contracted 

 the circle until the great brutes were within less than 

 100yds.. when the firing l>egan and many were killed 

 with the short light guns held within afew inches of their 

 shoulders. But this slaughter soon revolted one and can 

 not be considered sportsmanlike. Neither among the 

 deer, antelope nor elk — now our principal game — could it 

 be practiced with the same success, f inding the game 

 on horseback is a pleasure in itself, and bv taking advan- 

 tage of the inequalities of the surrounding country, the 

 approach can generally be successftdly made to within 

 shooting distance. Then dismount, throw your long bri- 

 dle rein over your horse's head, draw your gun from its 

 place of repose, send forth its death-dealing messengers, 

 and, when your game has retreated out of range or disap- 

 peared over the adjacent ridge, mount and follow. If 

 they be deer or antelope they wfil not run a great distance 

 from one on horseback before they will stop to see 

 whether or not they are pursued, when the same tactics 

 can be repeated. When the hunter's ardor is satisfied 

 his trusty hor,-e is at hand to bear the result of his day's 

 sport to camp. 



If your horse is not a hunting horse, and is afraid of 

 the report of a gun, extra care should be taken. Tie a 

 few feet of rope to your bridle rein. When you dis- 

 mount take a few turns around a sage bush, not tying 

 the rope. This can be quickly disengaged when ready to 

 mount. Practice shooting from the horse's back and his 

 fear of the report will soon disappear. 



In this style of hunting one of the heavier guns would 

 be unwieldy, as much of the hunters' success depends on 

 the celerity of his movements. 



Arms have been brought to such a state of perfection 

 that a person of steady nerves and a. quick eye can take 

 almost any rifle of modern matufacture and so please 

 himself with its practical results that he will straight 

 way proclaim it to be the gun par excellence even though 

 he may not be familiar with other guns. 



In this country where the game retreats in the fall to 

 the sage bush and canons of the desert, and is each year 

 breaking up into smaller and smaller herds, I tliink my 

 mode of hunting will be generally adopted. 



Probably seventy-five per cent, of our game is shot 

 running. * Much of a hunter's success depends upon his 

 judgment of distance. This he can only ascertain at 

 times by firing several shots. A herd of antelope run- 

 ning from a hunter can often be turned and brought 

 within range by firing beyond and raising the dust 

 in front of them. Twenty -five per cent, of the 

 hunter's ammunition can be used successfully in this 

 manner. 



These facts all speak in favor of the lighter and maga- 

 zine gun with which I have killed two antelope at one 

 shot, shooting broadside through both of them. 



F. T. W. 



Sulphur, Wyo. 



YELLOWSTONE PARK PETITION. 



WE present this week another list of names in favor 

 of the bill to protect the Ye lowstone Park, which 

 is now before the House of Representatives. We hear 

 from Washington that these petitions are being sent in 

 to many Senat rs and Representatives, and they are sure 

 to have their effect. Btlow we give one or two letters 

 referring to the interest felt in this subject by the people 

 at large. 



LIST OF SIGNATURES TO THE PETITION FOR THE PROTEC- 

 TION OF THE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. 



A'eie York state. 



Hon. O. L. Barbour. A. Gerald Hull. 



Wm. May Roekes. H. W. Smith. 



Chas. F. Fish. J. W. Crane. 



Hon. A. Bockes. Geo. H. Giltis. 



J. E. Hodgman. W. H. Hall, M.D. 



B. J. Goldsmith. G. T. Knight. 

 Willard Lester. John M. Eddy. 

 J. M. Davidson. F. H. Hathorn. 

 Geo. W. Langdon. R. H. Trim. 



E. R. Stevens. Hon. Cliarles S. Lester. 



James H. Reagan. Chas. C. Lester. 



Geo. K. Thomas. C. D. Thurber. 



Le Grand C. Cramer. H. Newoll. 



Chas. H. Gage. Hon. E. H. Peters. 



E. H. Holden, Jr. W. B. French. 



C. B. Eastman. Fred Monges. 



F. M. Penneyer. James L. Scott. 

 S. F. Terwilliger. A. D. Leavy. 



B. F. Hudson. W. H. Ducrow. 

 John L. Barbour. Arthur O. Dowd. 

 F. A. White. L. A. Sharp. 



J. Shepherd. Geo. M. Crippen. 



Wm. Ingham, Jr. Edgar T. Branslett. 



A. C. Schuyler. L. Varney. 



C. H. Holden . C. H. Sturgis. 

 Hon. James M. Marvin. Samuel F. Corey. 

 James li. Chapman. F. M. Gardner. 

 C. Sheeban. C. E. Black. 



C. A. Wood. Waldo L. Rich. 



Richard Murgay, Jr. Jas. A. Dexter. 



J. B. Cooke. Chester Evans. 



F. S. Coles. T. L. Font. 



A. G. Mendoza. Daniel L. Jackson. 



P. Warsliauer. D. Kent. 



John K. Johnston. E. Smith. 



Edwin Hardy. Charles T. Cooke. 



Geo. T. Paige. Harris Lee Cooke. 



L. E. Raw-son. F. E. Musm. 



N. Clark. D. Yglesias. 



L. E. Ludwig. E. C. Barnes. 



F. G. Austin. J. P. Blodgett. 

 T. N. Farley. Sydnev B. V/est. 

 John Brown. Ed. B. Doran. 

 Arthur A. Simpson. Henry C. Codman. 



G. A. Prediger. John R. Nelson. 

 Wm. Bur Hall. Ed win L. Denton. 

 John Bush. H. H. Servosw. 

 Richard Crowley. Chas. H. Bamber. 

 Willard A. Cobb. Wash H. Cross. 

 T. E. Ellsworth. F. T. Lewis. 



A. K. Potter. A. L. Homer. 



John E. Pamel. Wm. E. Jenney. 



L. P. Gordon. John Piersen. 



James F. Fitts. E. P. White. 



M. S. Ktttinger. Chas. Sprecht. 



Charles Hickey. Theodore Bennett. 



A. T. HopHns. A. L. Bentis. 



A. A. Bradley. H. F. Gaskell. 



Wm. C. Greene. E. C. Hart. 



C. E. Dmikleberger. Peter H. Lindsley 



C. H. Soutoworth. D. E Bror.g. 



Chas. Molyneux. W.A. Williams. 



Cbas. C. DeLerde. W. H. Upson. 



Freemant Dempsey. Wm. Gunman. 



R. A. Feagles. Chas. E. Lacker. 



Geo. S. Palmer. W. S. Camp. 



J. E. Robinson, Wm. H. Higgs. 



J. H. Sraats. Owen Bud. 



WilUs H. Howes. F. J. Mever. 



E. W. Gauit. W. F. Claik. 

 W. C. Plinsted. C. H. Peck. 

 C. C. Barne. John tiodge. 

 A. J. Damary. H. C. White. 

 W. E. Tuttle. C. M. White. 



J. J. Arnold. Wm. Richmond. 



Seth P. Millard. C. T. Raymond. 



H. C. Tovell. J. W. Zimmerman. 

 Joseph Arnold. J. L. Aakins. 



A. R. Helmer. George Smith. 



C. G. Rogers. R. James. 



Spalding Evans. F. J. Evans. 



F. M. Ashley. Joshua Giskell. 

 E. Ronmi 1. B. F. Standish. 

 Geo. W. Batten. J. A. Hubbard. 

 A. H. See. J. L. Davison. 

 J. K. Snick. Wm. J. Bulger. 

 George Maun. 



New Hampshire. 



Edward SpaMing. E. P. Brown. 



Geo. F. Andrews. Virgil C. Oilman. 



Oilman C. Shattuck. G. A. Ramsdell. 



W. H. Beasom. Caleb Richardson. 



M. R. Buxton. Bradford Allen. 



C. W. Hoitt. J. W. Howard. 



Frank A. McKean. W, W. Bailev. 



W. A. Farley. Rut us Fitzgerald. 



E. M. Oilman. A. J. McKean. 



W. E. Spalding. Geo. B. French. 



Fred W. Hatch. W. li. Wilcox. 



Mansachiisclts. 



John C. Cahoon. C. C. Cahoon. 



E. W. Deau. F. R. Washburn. 



F. F. Walker. H. N. Spear. 



C. E. Cahoou. H. W. Piukington. 



F. G. Huntley. J. F. Barien, Jr. 

 David McAdams. E. A. Johnson. 

 Chas. H. Andros. H. Bennett Soule. 



Pennsylvania. 



S. S. Hudepohl. W. J. Siebert. 



J. R. Watt. Humphrey Mount. 



Thomas Watt. Samuel Atkinson. 



Herman Paumier. L. E. Hankey. 



Thos. D. Hudepohl. John H. Beam. 



Hite Enrich. John M. Hazlitt. 



Geo. A. McGaffln. Alex. Stuart. 



W. G. Kinnedy. Geo. Norris. 



H. A. Davis. Chas. Gledhill. 



Ed. Davis. James H. Jack. 



E. L. Thompson. Paul Rudert. 



Max Rudert. R. F. i oyd. 



C. G. L. Pefter. Wm. McFetridge. 



A. D. Buck. S. Klingensmith. 



David Singleton. Wm. R. Harn. 



David Smith. Chas. Uhlinger. 



John K. Howe. Alex. S. Patron. 



S. C. Kier. Oliver Laird. 



H. M. Klingensmith. Samuel R. Hite. 



Samuel S. Lindsey. John R. Hoak. 



Edward Pitcarin. Rolf M. Hite. 



A. S. Waruer. David Davis. 



R. C. Biatty. James J. Finney. 



G. R. Ross. Thos. Norman, Jr. 

 M. R. Pepper. John E. Davis. 

 Edward Ford. Patrick Ford. 

 Harry Hudepohl. Morris Barry. 

 Geo. Thompson. James Smith. 



Indiana. 



H. F. Wood. T M. Bly. 



E. T. Gough. L. E. Painter. 

 N . E. Gray. N. P. Burnes. 

 M. M. Weiler. M. W. Digys. 

 A. J. Pursley. W. H. Watson. 

 R. C. Shaw. R. A. Watson. 

 Wm. Chromer. W. W. Wilson. 



F. P. Shaw. H. S. Siemans. 

 O. H. Warren. J. H. Smith. 

 F. L. Shaw. C. C. Wrigbt. 

 A. M. Wright. J. H. Painter. 

 O. P. Jones. 



