Jan. 27, 1887.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



3 



always bo harped uoon as If it were their weight which caused 

 IJiein to beat. .Eleven out of the 31 breechloaders weighed Kilos, 

 or more— wiiv not harp on this fact'/ 



Die Merrill rifle was lest.- d in a wind of 18 miles rn hour, and 

 the Rein. -Hep. in one of 7 miles. I lenow a wind of IS miles will 

 affect steadiness of curves, and I notice my curves wera affected 

 a little by it, and I think i he screens were also, "cut it is all right 

 and I accept It all in the best of faith. The muzzle loaders were, 

 of coun.e, bound to beat, for it was iu them and their ammuni- 

 tion. 1 bare often and ofteu, in years past, given a reason for it. 



Now to compare the errors for inaccuracies) at 25yds.: 

 1 2 3 4 5 



Kern, errcn +1.U18 +.t)s2 +.W +.934 +.983. String 4.SGr.. 



Merrill errors -.685 -S.ii -.S'8 —.675 Strug 3.178. 



Merrill beats +.3S -K'.'83 +.41U +.'?53 +.447. 1.687. Av. ,34in. 



Thus the muzzleloader ceats at each shot for 25yds., and this 

 quite badly, the least beat being in shot No. 2, .24. say one-fourth 

 of an inch. Th'sbentis in vertical trajectory error (commonly 

 called accuracy) and is entirely independent of target accuracy, 

 the latter is measured for a string, all around from the center of 

 aim to the con* er of bullet hales, while the former is measured 

 vertically from the lino of sight or aim. Target accuracy is found 

 at i he end of the range, wliil" trajectory accuracy is found all 

 along the range. As before stated 1 would prefer to write error 

 fcr accuracy. 



Next pass on to 50yds. to examine the same shotc: 

 Rcmin^tni-Hen. Ri "e, at r-Ords. 

 Height of Traj's... 1.815 1,870 1 770 l.?r-7 I.nM above base. 



Negative -.a-0 -.3£0 -.320 -.350 -..TO above line "f s'ght. 



Errors 1.485 I. "40 1.U0 1.127 1.474. String 7.C6Cin. 



Thus this ri do shoots over the line of sight at mid range, the 

 measurements being vertical, and from N, the. center of aim on 

 the 2in. bullseye, up to the trajectory. 



Merrill rifle at 50yds,: 

 HtTmj's.... 1.373 1.498 1,391 1.051 1.210 above base. 

 Negative....— .33 —.33 —.33 —.33 —.33 below lino of sight. 

 Errors 1,043 1,108 1.069 . 721 .SS0 string 4.881 above u. S. 



Thus this ride shoots over at miorange, the measurements beiuu 

 vertical from N, the center of aim in the 2in. bulkeye. See the 

 diagram for the common base and for the. line c r " a i m on n at the 

 center of the 2in. bullseye, and for the Rem. -Hep. and Merrill 2 

 mean curves at 50yds. 



The five individual curves here considered would, if plotted in 

 the d'agram, fall a little above and below their mean curve 

 plotted m the diagram. 



Now to compare the errors at 50yds.: 

 Rem. errors.. 1.485 l.JVJO 1.410 1.427 1.471 string 7.366 

 Merrill errors 1. 343 1.168 1.06!) .721 .88 string 4. SF1 

 M. mil beats... -443 .372 .371 .706 .591 2.485 Av. .50m. 



Thus the muzzleloader again beats every shot at. ro.rde. As be- 

 fore stated, it beats in vertical measurements or trajectory accur- 

 acy, and this is entirely independent of target or screen accuracy. 

 If at another trial specially for target accuracy the muzzleloader 

 should again beat, then fiis amount must be added to the trajec- 

 tory accuracy beat to get the total amount. The muzzleloader lias 

 always been a wonder for its close and constant shooting; the 

 charge of fickleness has never been made against a good one. 



Rem.-Hep. Rifle, 7"yds. 

 Heights of traj's. l."14 1.560 1..T4 1.477 1.4^8 above base. 



Negative —.185 —.185 —.183 —.185 —.185 below L.S. at O. 



1.359 l.b73 1.369 1.202 1.S03 sf ring 0.6!»8in. 



Thus the rifle shoots overOthc center aimed in the common line 

 of sight at 75yd 3. S30 the diagram for the line of sight and O and 

 the common base for the mean eurveof the s shots: the individual 

 curves are not in the diagram, but only their representative, the 

 mean curve. 



Merrill Ride, 75 "ds. 

 Heights of traj's. 1.270 1.205 1.419 1.051 1.421 above base. 



Negative —185 — .185 — .1S5 —.185 — .185 below hno of sight. 



Errors 1.085 1.020 1.2o4 .866 1.233 string 5. tflio. 



Such are the errors or would be vertical measurements 1 rom the 

 line of sight to the traiecto ies if the f raioetories were pl-tfed in 

 diagram, but only their mean curve is in it. 



Now to compare the errors at 75 /ds. 

 Rem.-Hep. errors.1.859 1.375 1.309 '1.292 1.303 string n.098in. 

 Merrill errors ...1.085 1.0.0 1.234 .,860 1.330 string !\44Un. 

 Merrill beats 274 .355 .155 .426 .067 1.2"7, Av. .,25iu. 



Thus the muzzleloader a rain beats, this time at 75yds. As be- 

 fore stated it beats in trajectory accuracy, which is ontirelv inde- 

 pendent of screen or target "accuracy" or more properly of screen 

 and target error. I repeat these terms so as not to be'misunder- 

 stood iu my meaning— the bullet has no error when its center is in 

 the line ot aim, and its deviavous therefrom are properlv errors, 

 not accuracies as generally called. 



The. rifle which shoots strong and steady will always beat in ac- 

 curacy for the whole range the ri fie which does not shoot strong and 

 steady, and if we add to the former rifle (which imparts a great 

 velocity aud power to its bullet) the gieat merit of but little re- 

 coil at the same time, then such a rifle is worth a mint as a hunt- 

 ing rifle for all kinds of game, both large and small, and I his, oven 

 thougu it shall require ten minutes to load it; quick loading with- 

 out great and constant accuracy amounts to but a very little in- 

 deed, except for a very few special purposes. Of course the bullet 

 in weight and diameier must be adapted to the purposes of ihe 

 rifle. But nowder it must have and enough of it too to give ahivrh 

 velocity to the bullet, the higher Jie. better, provided it ilies steady 

 along the same course very nearl?. 



The diagram will teach better than all wr'ting why the errors 

 diminish each way from nr.d range to zero at the 2 points blank. 

 It will tell why the muzzleloader baato all the breechloaders and 

 ttiis one oy about one-third. 



Summary of the Individual 5 Shots: 

 Point 1. We have now at considerable pains mathematical! v and 

 practically proven that the Merrill muzzleloader bear the Rem- 

 ington-Hepburn breechloader in trajectory accuracy (less error) 

 fcr each of the 5 shots in this test, and that, too, at 25, "0 and 75yds. 

 We have also stated from your report that this breechloader made 

 the flattest trajectorv ot any of the American broeeldoaders 

 tested. 



Point 2. The muazleloader having thtr? beaten, with a heavy 

 margin in its favor, the breechloader which made the flattest tra- 

 jectory of any of the breechloaders, it is mathematically and 

 practically true, that it beat the remaining CO of them. Where 

 docs this leave the critics? 



Many suppose that because the heights of the individual curves 

 in your taules in the series of r< shots wi .h the different rifles dif- 

 fer but a very little (-bout W-n., more or less), this conclusively 

 shows and is proof that the bullets of each rifle were near together 

 in their Hue of flight, and therefore mas'; have made very close 

 clusters in the screens and targets, so much so, as to cause the ob- 

 server of the table heights to conclude they must have cut quite 

 into the same common hole or break in the screens at midrange, 

 and consequently that the rides must have shot with great steadi- 

 ness and accuracy (see some of the tables). 



An examination of the ta'des very naturally leads almost anv 

 one to these conclusions, and we presume that 19 in 20 who have 

 looked at them aud hastily compared the heights of the curves, 

 have formed a belief about as expressed above. 



And yet such a belief as to tho r roof part is widely erroneous. 

 The small difference in the heights of these curves docs not prove 

 cither screen or target accuracy. Die test itself, most fortunately, 

 furaishes direct proof of this i act, as the 'arge screens at mid- 

 range, as well as the large targets, have the 5 shots well scattered 

 over them. Tho report tea Jies this fact, hence there is no neces- 

 sity for seeing them oa this point. The shots, the report savs, were 

 purposely scattered, and yet the heights of curves, m-asurcd from 

 their bases, differ but a very little, and are just the tame as if the 

 bullets had not been scattered. The test was made on this theory, 

 wh-.ch is a correct oue where the liue of lire is a low cne, as was 

 the case in the test. 



The tables are but the former scattered curves gathered and 

 huddled together, as if on a common base. 



Tiie table differences show only in regard to regularity In the 

 fall of the bullets. And regularity in i all is a good sign for accur- 

 acy, but it is not proof of it, for scattering bullets give small dif- 

 ferences in heights, and the same differences, shot for saot, as if 

 they do not scatter. Such was the correct thet ry of the test. The 

 above principles apply to muzzle ar.d breechloaders. 



Close Shooting— What splendid shooting is here to be seen; this 

 rifle misses (at mos;) only nine-tenths of an iuch for 114yds. Proof, 

 see tho column of "reduced errors" and the diagram. 



The trajectory curved liue corresponds to the center of the 

 bullet, and hence the greatest trajectory error is but one inch aud 

 one-tenth (1.103) for 114yds. Proot, see columu of errors and the 

 diagram. 



Question— Does the muzzleloader shoot close? 



Question— And can the sceptic or quibbler truthfully deny it? 



Question— Can the breechloader ever hope to beat it for both 

 target accuracy and trajectory accuracy, both to he made at the 

 same time, wi-jh the same shots, in a trial of 50 or 100 shots? I am 

 free to say I do not believe it can. I am writing as to hunting 

 rifles and ranges only. 



Test Shots 1 and 2— At the test mv rifle for shots Nos. 1 and 2 had 

 the same aim. Consequence; At ?5yds. both bullets cut into the 

 same hole, at 50 and 7oyds. the centers of each bullet «re within 

 the Bize of a nicMc, ana at lOOyds. both centers are within the size 



of a twenty-five cent piece. Proof, see the three screens and target. 

 After shot No. 2 the aim was shifted by request at each shot, if 

 otherwise a very close target would have been made. 



If it had been tested at 200yds. it would have beaten the thirty- 

 oue breechloaders. Pmate trials with the same charge prove 

 this to be so. Betides the charge of powder and weight of tho 

 bullet show this should be so. Ma j . H. W, fti-ERttiLL. 



[to de continued,] 



§en mul ^it er fishing. 



Address all communications to the Forest and Stream Pub. Co. 



SALMON ANGLING. 



Editor Forest and Stream : 



The subject of salmon fishing has been written about 

 until there is little left to say that is new, but yet there 

 remains a very little that will bo new to some of the 

 authors at least, and one or two little matters I propose to 

 suggest with your permission, referring more particularly 

 to Mr. Wells and his recent work, "The American Salmon 

 Angler," which I have just read with keen pleasure. He 

 advises, page 147, that after a fish has risen but refused, 

 or missed the fly, the line should be gathered into the 

 canoe by drawing it by the hand through the rings and 

 allowing; the dsck to fall into ths bottom of the canoe 

 "thus preserving the exact range of the fish" while "rest- 

 ing him." Then, after the proper time has elapsed, he 

 directs that casting should be resumed, paying out line in 

 the ordinary method, except that it will' not be off the 

 reel but out of the coil, or more likely heap in the bottom 

 of the canoe, until the exact spot where the fish rose is 

 reached. This would be a capital plan if one could be 

 sure that the fish he was after was the only one in the 

 pool, but with fifty or perhaps a hundred feet of line off 

 the reel, if a fish should rise and fasten, with a considerable 

 portion of it yet lying in the bottom of the boat, the 

 angler would be in a sorry fix. If he should attempt to 

 hold the line in his hand while recovering the loose portion 

 onto his reel, one of two things would occur, probably 

 both. He would almost certainly get his loose line into a 

 bad tangle, since he would bo recovering from the bottom 

 of the pile instead of the top, which would be fatal if the 

 fish remained fast, but the chances are that he would 

 have broken loose before that event could happen, cer- 

 tainly if held with a rigid hold. If the angler should 

 attempt to give line by allowing it to slip through his 

 fingers as the fish made a rush, he would probably have to 

 resort to his medicine chest for sticking plaster for his 

 lacerated fingers. 



The writer tried this plan once in his callow days and 

 the recollection has been a w T arning ever since. 



A better way is to reel in properly and start fair, the 

 range can easily be found again, or he may cast on the 

 other side of the canoe for a, little time if the conditions 

 favor such a course, or if the fish run well ou one side or 

 the other of the boat he may simply allow his fine to 

 drift squarely astern until the proper time has elapsed, 

 when he can make one or two preliminary casts in the 

 air to free the line and fly from water and then drop it 

 over his fish as gently as his skill will allow. 



On page 130 Mr. Wells bas furnished a diagram to illus- 

 trate his remarks on casting. His directions are clear and 

 exact and his diagram is mathematically correct; theo- 

 retically they leave nothing to be desired except a rise, 

 and it would appear that by following the directions 

 closely all the water within reach would be perfectly 

 covered: practically, however, it is not. 



Salmon casting is almost never practiced in still water, 

 but in sections where there is a moderately swift current, 

 say from three to four miles an hour; now when the 

 angler casts directly across such a current with a long 

 line the inevitable result is that the line sags and the fly 

 as it drifts down the stream, approaches the boat, until it 

 is nearly astern, when of comae the line straightens with 

 the current and the fly reaches the furthest possible point 

 from the caster, the course of the fly being indicated in 

 the accompanying diagram by the dotted lines, while 



the solid line indicates the course which tho fly would 

 pursue except for the influence of the current, while the 

 line remains at a considerable angle with it. Now let the 

 angler, having reached the extremity of his cast, make a 

 cast or two, before reeling in, in the direction A C and 

 A D and he will have covered all the water within reach. 

 In the diagram A shows the position of the angler in his 

 canoe and the arrow the direction of tho current. 



Now as to clogged reels, Mr. Weils gives on pace 4G a 

 graphic description of a calamity which has befallen 

 most of us more than once, and* very few of us know 

 why. In such cases we curse the maker of the reel, and 

 with some little reason, too, but we do not blame hirn for- 

 th c right thing. We lay the blame on some defect about 

 the click or the mechanism connected with it. In ninety- 

 nine cases out of a hundred that part of the reel is all 

 right and trying to do its duty, but cannot for reasons 

 which I will try to explain. Every one has probably 

 noticed that calamities of this kind over take us of tener 

 on rainy than on bright days. They may happen on any 

 clay, but more often on rainy ones. It is the crowding of 

 the side of the spool against the outer case of the reel 

 that does the rnischief , and this is caused either by very 

 close and hard packing of the line on the spool during a, 

 hard and long fight with a fish, or by the expansion of 

 the lino by reason of too much moisture, either of which 

 will crowd the sides of the spool outwardly, and friction 

 does the rest, This happens more frequently on a wet 



than on a dry day because tho line remains wet. On a 

 dry, w T arm day the line, as it comes home to the reel, has 

 most of the water brushed off as it passes through the 

 rings, and reaches its place on the reel in a comparatively 

 dry condition, while on a wet, rainy day it icmains wet, 

 packs harder and expands more after it is preked. 



I shall never buy another shop reel, but shall have them 

 made to order, and the sides of the spool shall be twico 

 the usual thickness, or there shall be small anti-friction 

 rollers set into tho outer case for tho edge of the spool to 

 play on; probably the former will bo the more practical, 

 as it cannot add more than an ounce or two to the weight 

 aud will bo far more simple of construction, Theee are 

 little things of themselves, but success or failure often 

 depends upon attention to a great many little things all 

 kept in mind, I dare say I could think of many others, 

 but I have written enough for once, I think. One thing 

 I will add, however: I indorse most heartily Mr. Wells's 

 opinion of spliced reds, and of dowels as well; I shall 

 continue to fasten my joints together so as to prevent 

 throwing apart, however. 



If any one dotrbts the correctness of my theory of the 

 cause which makes the salmon reel refuse to work at 

 times, let him try the experiment, which he can easily 

 do by wedging the sides of the spool apart by moans of a 

 stout stick very firmly pressed in between the sides of tho 

 spool, and he will soon bo convinced. Of course, the 

 narrower and deeper the spool the more danger from this 

 source. Salmon Angler. 



SALMON IN THE HUDSON. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Mr. A. N, Cheney's communication to the Eastern New 

 York Game Protective Society, which appears in your 

 impression of the loth January, is most interesting. 

 There are, however, some conclusions in it which my ex- 

 perience compels me to differ from, and these 1 will 

 briefly enumerate. 



Mr. Cheney doubts that the fish feen by Hudeon in 

 1609 were salmon because they were low down the river 

 in September. I do not knew I hat the fish seen were 

 salmon, but the above is no reason against the supposi- 

 tion. In Canadian rivers there is always a run of spawn- 

 ing fish in September, and these fish spawn all along the 

 rivers, sometimes even in salt or brackish water (when, 

 of course, the eggs are killed). As a rule it is only the 

 early fish that reach the headwaters at all, unless tho 

 river be very high, when the later run fish get helped 

 along wonderfully. 



As to the average height salmon can clear being 12ft., 

 a bagglt heavy with spawn will not clear that height, I 

 feel sure, and these are the must valuable fish. California 

 salmon have been "planted" in the St. John and Tobique, 

 but do not seem to thrive in our rivers. Certainly some 

 other cause than temperature must be at work, as these 

 rivers are fully as cool as the Pacific coast rivers in which 

 they thrive. Chas. T. Bramble. 



FflEDET.ICTON, N. B. 



Bullheads That Give Boulle Pleasure.— Aga warn, 

 Mass. — As I read the accounts of tho encounters of some 

 of your correspondents with the mighty salmon and gamy 

 trout, my mind goes back to the days" of last June when 

 I too went fishing, not with patent tackle and fluttering 

 fly deftly cast for such aristocratic game, but with 

 straight 18ft. cane pole, 75ft, of silk line, plain reel and 

 wriggling worm, for just whatever fish would bite. And 

 bite they did, for one rainy afternoon, although fishing in 

 waters less than one mile from the center of the city of 

 Springfield, Mass. (and which are strained each spring 

 time and time again through a fine mesh net), in three and 

 one-half hourp, I caught 108 bullheads and 4 other fish; 

 antl few a days later, with a friend of mine, I had equally as 

 good success. I never taste of these fish, but I number 

 among my friends several to whom they are very welcome, 

 so that 1 have tire double pleasure of catching them and 

 giving them away. As my work takes me across the ice 

 these wintry days, I wonder where the fish are that I 

 shall take next year and wmat they are doing now, and 

 through what adventures by flood and field and hair- 

 breadth escapes they must pass before they come to my 

 basket. But after all to any one who loves tho rod and 

 the rainy day, it is only half of fishing to catch fish. My 

 mind does not picture the biggest fish taken, but rather the 

 scudding of the rain across the meadows, the Sight of 

 some wild bird or the splash and swirl of seme great fisb 

 feeding; and then, too, the borders of the pond where I 

 fish are made beautiful by the white water lilies, and I 

 can almost catch their- fragrance to-night; and over and 

 above it all is the sense of the richness and gladness of a 

 rainy day in dune. After all "the happy hunting grounds" 

 may not be all a myth. We may see them yet, and hunt 

 among their mountains and fish in their waters; the great 

 treec there will not be cut down or the prairiee turned into 

 wheat fields. At least let us hope so and be glad in tho 

 thought.— Pine Tree. 



The Six-Inch Trout Law.— Fish and Game Protective 

 Association, Utica, N. Y., Jan. 21. — Editor Fcrest and 

 Stream: The assertion of "Angler" in v our issue of £0th 

 inst. that "trout in the third year will not measure six 

 inches" is evidently guess work or buncombe. If the gen- 

 tleman would revise his "facts" he would not make such 

 an assertion, nor the other one that six-inch trout "c!o not 

 frequent the riffles." The wording was "under fix inches," 

 and those who then wanted it five, now declare that even 

 seven inches would be small enough. "Angle:" will look 

 long to find a trout under five inches that will meature 

 three inches in May or June. He ought to apply for a 

 special exception for himself, as tbat seems to be the rule 

 in Jefferson county. The bill introduced by Mr. Cogge- 

 shall restores the six -inch law and makes the law uniform 

 for the whole State April 1 to Sept. 1, salmon-trout and 

 landlocks, April 1 to Oct. 1. Due regard for preservation 

 would require a more limited season by the month of 

 April, or part of it, cut off, but New York people are so 

 strenuous in opposition that it is felt better to leave the 

 season as above for the whole State. It would be unjust 

 for one section of the State to have different seasons, or 

 privileges than another. The public, however, have yet 

 to learn that April trout are not prime. In regard" to 

 April shooting of ducks, the bill has been introduced to 

 meet the general public sentiment in this respect. Spring 

 shooting is now prohibited by Canadian laws, and there 

 is every reason why we should protect thorn while they 

 are on their way to nesting grounds. — U. F t & G. Pro- 

 tective Association, 



