388 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



|Dec. 6, 1888. 



RIFLES FOR SMALL GAME. 



T)ALTIMOBE, Md., Nov. 27. -Editor Forest and 

 i > Stream: Noting the remarks of "N. Orleans m 

 issue of 8th inst., it appears to me the ^^fffel 

 chooses for the purpose mentioned should he the .JgWUp 

 chambered for the 10-45 or l5-4o center-fire cartridge 

 Without he has a fancy for a quick-action repeatei of 

 modern make. I think he would find the, May naid rifle, 

 with a special .22-10-45 barrel to answer to 

 may also have this same barrel chambered for the W . C 

 F. 15-45 shell, which may give better resiilts nwmdy 

 weather. I should, however, choose the shell made by 

 tTe manufacturers 'of that .arm , as 



nite period, and because it is a straight shell (not bottle- 

 necked) and is easily cleaned for reloading. I have a 

 Maynard rifle with a barrel chambered for the .22-3-30, 

 and one for the .38-50, which I bought to take on a trip 

 in the Adirondacks this fall. I have found this little 

 ban-el very effective at distances up to and overoOyds.; 

 and if the special .22-10-45 is as accurate at greater dis- 

 tances— which our friend "Iron Ramrod" tells us it is, 

 and he appears to be a fair-minded man— I should not 

 want anything better for duck shooting out of shotgun 

 range. I have been thinking of adding to my outfit this 

 very same barrel for duck shooting, etc. With my little 

 ioker I can sit in my back yard and, by resting my elbow 

 on my knee and holding steady, drop English sparrows 

 to my heart's content, missing very few. 



To" my mind, any caliber greater than .22, for the pur- 

 pose and at the distance, named— 150 to 200yds.— is out of 

 the question, without the gentleman expects to shoot the 

 heads of those black ducks: for if he does not his target 

 will be the duck's body, and I am inclined to think that 

 the smaller the caliber and weight of the bullet the better 

 will be the condition of the duck so unfortunate as to be 



The effect of a 115-grain bullet— on a duck— propelled 

 by 20grs. of powder, must be appalling. I do not suppose 

 Mr. Louis Bagger found his ducks in very presentable 

 condition after subjecting them to such treatment. 



I prefer the single shot to the repeater as giving better 

 results, and because I can sec the condition of the inside 

 of the barrel and keep it cleaner. I prefer the Maynard 

 because of its simplicity and convenience, and the possi- 

 bility of having several barrels to fit the same stock. This 

 may be said of several other rifles also; but none other 

 that I have seen is operated by lever action, which I pre- 

 fer, and I think is safer with the larger calibers. 



W. W. B. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I see by this week's Forest and Stream that "H. B. 

 S." asks if "Iron Ramrod" will write a letter about .22- 

 calt cartridges, and which cartridge he would recom- 

 mend for rabbit shooting at distances up to 100yds.; also 

 if I would recommend the .22 long rifle cartridge fortius 

 work. My answer is to the latter question no; the 

 trajectory at 50yds. in the 100yds. work is Uin.— enough 

 to miss a rabbit clean. This cartridge in a good rifle is 

 good for fine target work, but for game shooting use the 

 lOgrs., or better still, the 15-45 Winchester cartridge. 

 The trajectory of this cartridge is less than 2m. over the 

 100yds. range and will cut the rabbit's head anywhere 

 along the line. If "H. B. S." will write to me I will tell 

 him something to his advantage regarding this small- 

 bore work for game shooting. Iron Ramrod. 



I have a bear story to relate, but will reserve it for a, 

 future communication, as I am afraid your readers wul 

 not be able to swallow both at one dose. 



Game in the Mississippi bottom is unusually abundant 

 this season. The lakes are crowded with ducks and 

 geese, and the woods are full of doer, bear, turkeys, squir- 

 rels and coons. . , 



Three bovs with one dog killed nine coons neax Friars 

 Point one night last week. Coahoma, 



CliARKSnALE, Miss., Nov. 26. 



THE KEENE BULLETS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The past season I have given the Keene bullets a fair 

 trial, killing with them a bear, a caribou, blacktail, 

 whitetail, mule deer, etc. I was using my .45-90 Win- 

 chester, a very handy, safe and accurate gun, with which 

 I am well pleased. 



Last fall I found the Keene bullets worked well; but 

 a more extended series of experiments has rather shaken 

 my faith in them, that is, I have found that they gener- 

 ally act 'simply as a solid ball, no worse and no better; 

 they do not seem to open more than once in three times. 

 This fall the proportion with me has been even smaller. 

 I suppose there is not enough powder back of them. Can 

 not some of your correspondents give me, through your 

 columns, then- experience with them? As instances, I 

 found one bullet opened all right on a mountain ram, 

 and another on an antelope, but on the bear, caribou and 

 various deer they simply acted as if they had been solid 

 balls. Theodore Roosevelt. 



Sagamore Hill, Long Island, Nov. 28. 



R 



SOUTH CAROLINA QUAIL. 



OCK HILL, S. C, Nov. 25.— Editor Forest and 

 Stream: There's an old "saw" which runs, "If 



away." 



I left New York on the 12th inst., stopped a day m 

 Virginia, then came to High Point, North Carolina, 

 where I witnessed the field trials for two days and did 

 some shooting in the vicinity of Charlotte for two days 

 more, where I found game fairly plentiful. I then came 

 to Rock Hill, South Carolina, arriving here on the ltith 

 inst. First day after my arrival it was raining, but during 

 the night it cleared, and my second da y was fine, as have 

 been the others. Have had three days of rare sport. I 

 find quail in the greatest abundance and the country 

 most desirable to shoot over, and the people exceedingly 

 hospitable. The first day two of us bagged eighty-three 

 quail, the second seventy-four, and to-day (the third) 

 ninety-seven. The country has been very little shot over, 

 and taken altogether I am more than pleased here. I 

 find a new, modern, good hotel here, a wideawake land- 

 lord, and last, but not least, fine kennels for dogs of 

 guests. I am told there are quantities of geese and duck 

 on the Catawba River, within a few miles, and I shall 

 investigate next week and will let you hear further from 

 me. T. C. J. 



SHOOTING SQUIRRELS OVER DECOYS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



A very curious incident was related to me by a per- 

 fectly reliable gentleman last week, which I will repeat 

 for your readers. 



Mr. J. B. Haynes, the narrator, stated that a few days 

 previously he and three others went out for a squirrel 

 hunt on Teal bayou in Tunica county. They found the 

 game more abundant than they had anticipated, and ex- 

 hausted their ammunition in a few hours. Haynes car- 

 ried out thirty-six shells and seemed twenty-eight squir- 

 rels. The party of four bagged 103 squirrels. But the 

 incident alluded to is this: Haynes and one of his com- 

 panions were walking through the woods, the latter a few 

 yards in advance, when Haynes, who was out of shells, 

 called the attention of his friend to some turkeys which 

 he saw ahead. His friend laid his bunch of dead squir- 

 rels at the foot of a hollow tree and went for the turkeys. 

 Haynes remained near the squirrels. A few minutes 

 later four squirrels came down the tree to the pile of dead 

 ones, and made a great demonstration over them, dancing 

 about and chattering loudly. Their capers attracted 

 many other squirrels from neighboring trees, who as- 

 sembled at the funeral and increased the fuss. 



Haynes then beckoned to one of his companions, who, 

 approaching gently, fired, aud killed four squirrels atone 

 shot. 



What does "Iron Ramrod" tliink of this kind of squirrel 

 hunting? 



O 1 



MICHIGAN DEER AND BASS. 



UR location was on the Indian River, sixteen miles 

 from Munising, Mich., a station on the Duluth, 

 South Shore & Atlantic Railway. We were in camp five 

 weeks in September, 1888. There is a hotel at the station, 

 Munising, Mr. Fritz, $1 per day. We were south of 

 Dock wood's camp six miles. It cost us $o per day for 

 team. Supplies can be obtained, anything you want, at 

 Munising, and boats at the settlements south of the river 

 cheap. Minnows are the best bait. We fished in Bass 

 Lakes and Indian River where it passes through the lakes. 

 We did not have any guides; a gentleman by the name 

 of Pattee directed us to this place. There were eight of 

 us. We had a grand time fishing and hunting. We 

 caught all the fish we wanted, some 4()0lbs. of pike and 

 bass. Deer were not so plentiful, but we got eleven of 

 them and plenty of pheasants. It is one of the grandest 

 places for recreation that I have ever struck. We had 

 an abundance of lakes and rivers for fishing and some 

 grand scenery. I weighed 1421bs. when I left home, and 

 when I got back my weight had increased to 1561bs., a 

 gain of I41bs. Some of the party improved more than I 

 did. I feel like a. new man. Eleven went from our city 

 and they are all well pleased with the trip. The air and 

 water were grand and pure and we all enjoyed it so well. 

 The time passed away before we were ready to come 

 home. We were all benefited by the trip. I have taken 

 trips south in Arkansas and Mississippi and other places, 

 but they could not compare with this one. 

 Greenville, O. A. E. BuNGER. 



Buckshot Loading. — Some one in a recent number in- 

 quired the better way to load with buckshot, in order to 

 secure best results. I learned a little kink from some 

 Canadians a few years ago, while deer hunting, that may 

 help him. This plan I invariably employ with best of 

 success. It is to use a layer of small shot, say No. 

 2 or BB, first in the shell, in the center of which place a 

 large buckshot or bullet, then fill with the small shot to 

 the top of bullet, and place another in the center, and so 

 on until the proper amount of shotis in, when wad. The 

 smaller shot prevent the bullets from ricocheting, and 

 they leave the gun on a comparatively true line. With 

 this charge I have killed foxes and deer 75 and 100 steps 

 away: besides, if in a turkey country you are always pre- 

 pared for one on the wing. — Dentist, 



Watertown, Va., Nov. 29. — We have no shooting of 

 any account here— a few grouse and a rabbit now and 

 then. Foxes are rather numerous, one being killed just 

 outside the village some days since. A few stray ducks 

 are sometimes seen on the river, but I have not seen or 

 heard of one this season.— F. E. A. 



"That reminds me." 

 844. 



I DESIRE to thank "Country Parson" for the heartiest 

 laugh I have enjoyed for a long time over his "owl 

 hunt" in Forest and 'Stream of Sept. 20. The scheme 

 was grandly concocted and most amusingly told. 



It reminded me of the story of a frog hunt I heard not 

 long since, which has some amusing points, but which, 

 unfortunately, I am unable to embellish as did "Country 



Parson" his owl hunt. One Joe of our place is an 



indefatigable frog hunter, and becomes as enthusiastic 

 over it as does the most inveterate nimrod, shooting 

 grouse or quail over his finely bred pointer or setter. So 

 infatuated with this sport has he become, and so constant- 

 ly is he discoursing upon its delights among his friends 

 that he has acquired among them the soubriquet of the 



"Toad Stabber." Not long since Jim , a personal 



friend of his, happening in a stationery store, found there 

 a paper weight in the form of a large cast iron frog, 

 artistically decorated in his livery of green, and alto- 

 gether a life-like production, and of unusual size. Jim 

 immediately saw in this batrachian a large-sized joke, 

 and at once exchanged a greenback for the greenback, 

 which he deposited carefully in the canal, where there 

 was about a foot of water. The frog was placed on a 

 small bit of log, and in such an attitude as to appear to 

 be enjoying the first bright sun rays of a beautiful spring 

 morning, but at the same time with one eye open on the 

 g u i vive, ami ready to sub-mud himself on the least sus- 

 picion of danger. After placing him Jim took one retro- 

 spective glance to see that all was right, and started in 

 hot haste for Joe. Apparently all out of breath he in a 

 rapid and excited manner told Joe of the find, and wanted 

 him to get his gun at once and bag the frog. Joe dropped 

 everything, and started with Jim on a run, but in his ex- 

 citement he forgot the gun. A mongrel cur followed 

 them. After running a short distance Jim asked, 

 "Where's your gun?" "Confound it! I forgot it; but I'll 

 borrow Smith's. " After seeming the gun , they cautiously 

 crawled toward the bank of the canal. Meanwhile the 

 cur, thinking he might be of service, rushed ahead, much 

 to the discomfiture of Joe, who feared he might scare the 

 game. "Keep that dog back," he exclaims to Jim in a 

 stage whisper, "keep him back." Jim secures ^he dog, 

 but after a further stealthy advance he escapes again. Joe 

 with every nerve trembling at the prospect of the game, 

 and indignation at the performance of the cm, again 

 whisners to Jim emphatically, "I tell you keep that dog 

 back^or I won't shoot." After some trouble the dog is 

 secured, and the stalking is resumed until the bank of the 

 canal is reached, where peeping over with the utmost 

 care, the serene and mighty frog is seen. Joe shoots, and 

 still the frog remains. "How's that, Joe?" inquires Jim 

 in surprise, "I think you must have shot too high." Joe 

 Avas unable to explain, but shot again with like results. 

 "He's as dead as a door nail," says he and at once plunges 

 into the mud and water, wades out to him and seizes him 

 with exultation depicted on every feature, until a shout 

 goes up from the many spectators, when his feathers 

 droop, and he sneaks to shore. All that is necessary now 

 to make his feathers resume their pristine position is to 

 suggest to Joe a frog hunt. Dentist. 

 Rochestkb, New York, 



245. 



I have played a few practical jokes like that described 

 in the "owl hunt" story in a late number. One day I 

 waded out in a small pond and put out two ducks. I saw 

 a friend coming. Ho made a successful stalk, fired one 

 barrel, then the other. Then I rose up and said, "What 

 in thunder are you filling up my duck with lead for?" His 

 expression was comical to say the least. He had never 

 seen a decoy. I pinned a squirrel to the side of a tree 

 and watched a neighbor's boy shoot at it five times. D. 



Ikonton, Ohio. 



The Wigwam.— Sanford, Fla., Nov. 27.— The yellow 

 fever in Florida has not prevented an unusually large 

 flight of ducks, and our local sportsmen are in clover. 

 My clerk went on a cruise recently, and killed five tur- 

 keys and a quantity of small game in three days, includ- 

 ing fourteen rabbits. — C. D. B. 



Meridian, Miss., Nov. 18. — Birds in this locality seem 

 to be fairly plenty, though vegetation is so rank it needs 

 a little more short, sharp frosty weather to kill it down; 

 then when the pleasant days come in December we can 

 "up and at 'em,"- O. W. S. 



A NEW GATEWAY. 

 By the completion of a new bridge across the Missouri Ri rev at 

 Rulo, Nebraska, the Burlington Route has established, tor the 

 entire distance over its own track, a new, direct, through line 

 from St. Louis to Kansas City, St. Joseph, Atchison and Denver. 

 Over this line is run "'The Burlington's Denver Express" — a solid 

 train with through sleeping cars and coaches from St. Louis to 

 St. Joseph and Denver, and a through sleeping car from St. Louis 

 to Kansas City. The connections made by this train at the Mis- 

 souri River, at Denver and at junction points en route are such 

 that one can directly reach by it all points in Nebraska, Colorado, 

 and all sections of the West and Southwest, as well as all Pacific 

 coast points. This is in addition to '"The Burlington's Number 

 One" well-known solid vestibule train between Chicago and Den- 

 ver and Cheyenne, with which direct connection is made by C. B. 

 & Q. R. R. tram from Peoria, by which one can make the run 

 between Chicago and Denver without being more than one night 

 on the road. For tickets via the Burlington route and for special 

 excursion folder, call on any ticket agent of connecting lines, or 

 address P. S. Eustis, Gen'l Pass, and Ticket Agent, C. B. & Q. 

 R. R., Chicago. Ill— Adv. 



New York, Aug. 9, 1888. — V. S. Cartridge Co., Loivell, Mass.- 

 Gentlemen: Your new primers gave me the best of satisfaction. 

 I have averaged nearly 80 per cent, of kills both on live birds and 

 targets ever since I began to use them. Yours truly, (Signed) M. 

 M. F. Lindsley, Supt. American Wood Powder Co., West Hobo- 

 ken, N. J.—AUv. 



hd nnA Oliver 



SILKWORM GUT AND LEADERS. 



I HAVE read the communication of Messrs. Allcock & 

 Co. in Forest and Stream of Nov. 22, commenting 

 on my letter in same paper of Oct. 35, and I fear that on 

 this occasion only they have gone off at half-cock, for 

 although they state that I am misinformed and mistaken 

 m regard to the subject of my letter, they virtually cor- 

 roborate what 1 did say, except in the matter of the chief 

 market for silkworm gut, and in that they do not quote 

 what I wrote. 



I said: "London is the chief market to which most, if 

 not all, of the dealers in fishing tackle are obliged to go 

 for then- silkworm gut, whether it be Spanish, Indian or 

 Chinese, unless the dealer has a factory in Spain, separate 

 aud distinct from the castles in Spain, which some dealers 

 have." The types, however, made two sentences of the 

 extract. My information abo ut the gut m arket I obtained 

 from England, although I might have been more accurate 

 had I used the words of an American angling writer who 

 says: "We derive our supply (of gut) largely through 

 England, whence this business is controlled, consuming by 

 far the greatest part of the heavier sizes produced." 



There can be no doubt about the grade of gut that I 

 said I thought we did not have, for I was careful to state 

 that,"I have particular reference to extraordinarily heavy 

 salmon gut." I quoted the wholesale price in London, 

 $25 to $85 per 100 strands, and the breaking strain, 15 to 

 181bs., "to better illustrate what I mean when I say I do 

 not think we get the very best gut." Messrs. Allcock & 

 Co. do not even intimate that we get any of this gut, nor 

 does any one else; but they do say, "If any firm will pay 

 the same price that we can get in London, or elsewhere, 

 for our best grades, they can be sure of being as well 

 served as the London houses are." That is a tacit admis- 

 sion that the best grades do now go to London. I said, 

 "If we do not have the very best salmon gut it is possibly 

 because there is not a demand for it, or because our 

 method of fishing for salmon from a canoe * * * does 

 not require such particularly strong gut as I have desig- 

 nated as very best." Did I make any "mistake" in so 

 writing, or does that dispute that our dealers can have 

 the " very best gut" if they will pay the price paid by the 

 London houses? 



