126 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[March 6, 1890. 



WOMAN IN THE FIELD. 



WHY do not more women accompany their husbands 

 or brothers on shooting expeditions? Is it because 

 they don't know how to do it, or because they are not 

 encouraged in the idea by their respective lords, or be- 

 cause they don't know how delightful it is? I am quite 

 sure that there are many women who now sit at home 

 and in the secret depths of their hearts cherish a little 

 hard bitter feeling of being neglected when their hus- 

 bands go off on shooting trips. Now, to these women I 

 would like to become a sort of feminine guide-post, 

 pointing out to them an easy and pleasant path. I know 

 that a woman can go with her husband on his shooting 

 trips, and not only not be a hindrance to him, but 

 greatly increase his pleasure. 



If the wife, instead of regarding her husband's shoot- 

 ing solely as a man's sport in which she can have no 

 share, will make up her mind to go out with him once or 

 twice she will soon see how delightful it is and how easily 

 done; and days that have formerly been passed by her in 

 solitude will be looked forward to with equal eagerness 

 by both. 



I don't believe that there is any woman, no matter how 

 much of a "town mouse" she may be, who would not 

 enjoy standing by her husband's side on a sunny slope, 

 where the quail are scattered, and see him make a good 

 shot; and though at first she may become discouraged at 

 her own want of success and think that in the matter of 

 shooting "all is vanity," yet I venture to predict that 

 from the moment the first bird falls to her gun she will 

 entirely understand her husband's hitherto uncompre- 

 hended enthusiasm. I have been through it all myself , 

 and "what woman has done woman can do." 



First then, as to costume. I have found that the most 

 convenient costume consists of a canvas coat and vest, 

 made in every particular like a man's, full canvas skirt, 

 reaching just below the knees, corduroy knickerbockers, 

 canvas and leather leggings, and stout low-heeled laced 

 shoes. Also a flannel shirt, a corduroy "fore and aft" 

 cap, and if I may venture so far, wear your oldest corsets 

 and loosen them to their fullest extent." Equipped in this 

 way, Diana need dread neither cold nor rain. Of course, 

 in very severe weather a cardigan may be added, though 

 you will be surprised to find how few wraps are needed, 

 and for snipe and rail shooting, the leggings and shoes 

 are replaced by light extra long rubber boots. My gun 

 is a double-barreled 20-bore, and weighs about 5lbs. 

 Don't invest in a cartridge belt. I did, and. wore it 

 proudly at first, but I soon discarded it, and now carry 

 my cartridges in my coat pockets in the true sportsman 

 fashion. The last requisite is a pair of heavy gloves, the 

 finger tips cut off so as to allow free play to the fingers. 



And now that we are all ready to start, I wish to say 

 just a few words to the man of the party. Be very con- 

 siderate of your companion at first. She will soon be- 

 come comparatively independent, but at first she will 

 have many discouragements to meet, and will need 

 all your consideration and help. Don't be so eager to 

 . make a "good bag" that you forget everything else. 

 Stand ready to help her over fences, for a high rail fence 

 or a tottering stone wall is no slight obstacle to a woman 

 unaccustomed to country tramping, and also hampered 

 by a gun of which she is probably a trifle afraid. In 

 going through the heavy brush let her follow you closely, 

 and don't let the twigs and branches snap back in her 

 face. While you splash boldly through swamps and 

 bogs, show her how to skirt all along the edge. Try to 

 forget at first that you are on a shooting trip, imagine 

 that you are just out for a walk together, and show her 

 the courtesy that you would naturally show any woman 

 under such circumstances. 



Let your wife stand where she can see you make one 

 or two shots, and then give her a chance to shoot too. 

 What difference does it make if you do lose a few birds, 

 if by doing so you can give great pleasure to some one 

 else and besides can make yourself sure of always having 

 a sympathetic and enthusiastic companion. And, my 

 dear sir, the first time she sees the dogs point and asks 

 what is the matter with them, don't laugh. 



I began my shooting under unusually favorable circum- 

 stances, for the Doctor, besides being a most enthusiastic 

 sportsman, has unlimited patience, and encouraged and 

 urged me on when, after days and days of unsuccessful 

 effort to hit a sitting bird, I was disposed to give up in 

 despair. One thing that [ cannot too strongly i mpress 

 on beginners is, do not be discouraged. Shooting, the 

 sport of all others which requires a quick eye, a steady 

 hand, calm nerves and good judgment, cannot be learned 

 in a day. You must expect failure after failure at first, 

 and then suddenly some day the knack will come to 

 you, and every outing after that will improve vou. 

 When I first began, I used to go with the Doctor 

 just for the walk, and with no thought of myself 

 shooting. I had practiced a little with a small rifle, 

 and felt that I was moderately expert at that, but it 

 seemed so far beyond my powers ever to come anywhere 

 near a flying bird that it never entered my head to try. 

 Day after day we tramped about together and at last the 

 shooting fever began to burn within me. 1 had fired the 

 Doctor's gun several times at sitting birds, and as he care- 

 fully aimed and held it and my part of the performance 

 consisted in pulling the trigger, the shots generally told, 

 and filled me with the desire to "do it all myself." When 

 I became the proud possessor of my own gun, the first 

 precept that the Doctor tried to instil into me and one 

 that I think should be branded on the barrels of all be- 

 ginners' guns, was, "Be careful where your gun points." 

 This cannot be insisted on too strongly at first. After a 

 time it becomes second nature to be careful with your gun 

 and you carry it safely by instinct, but at first be watchful 

 every moment. Never for an instant allow your gun, 

 loaded or unloaded, to point toward any member of the 

 party, and on getting over a fence always look first to 

 <jee that it is at half-cock. Practice on sitting birds at 

 irst until you can get your sights and bring your gun 

 to your shoulder quickly. Then when you begin to try 

 wing birds, do not, as you will want to, hold your bar- 

 rels down and bring them up on your bird, but hold them 

 up and bring them down. Take as quick an aim as pos- 

 sible, always holding a little ahead of the bird if he is 

 going across you, and right on him if he is going from 

 you, and keep your gun moving with the bird while you 

 are taking aim. Don't jerk or pull the trigger, but push 

 it down with a firm steady pressure, and if you miss 

 with the first barrel, at least have a try with the second. 



I don't suppose I shall ever forget the first bird I shot 

 on the wing, and, by the way, I blush to say it was a 



robin. I had been shooting at birds on the wing for 

 some time, and had almost despaired of ever attaining the 

 distinction of killing one. It was a windy October clay, 

 and the Dr. and I were walking down a sunny slope 

 toward a clump of cedars. Gyp was with us, and ex- 

 hilarated by the crisp air, was rushing about here and 

 there, every now and then dashing to the cedars, which 

 maneuver always brought out a flock of robins. We had 

 been watching the birds and commenting on their num- 

 bers, and the Dr. had gone ahead a few steps, when, just 

 as he turned to speak to me, a robin flew out of the cedars 

 at my side and made for those at the foot of the slope. 

 Without a second's pause I raised my gun to my shoulder, 

 aimed and fired. There was an instant of silence, then 

 a shout from the Dr., "Hurrah! Good girl! You got 

 him." I could scarcely believe my eyes, but when we 

 reached the bottom of the slope there the bird lay, dead. 

 Of course I did not hit anything more that day, nor for 

 many days after, but when the next rail season came I 

 began to feel that I had really made some progress. But 

 of that, more anon. N. B. 



PATTERN AND PENETRATION. 



WHITNEY SAFETY GUN, 12-GAUGE. 



WHEN the Forest and Stream sent out its general 

 invitation to all makers of guns, to send in sam- 

 ple arms for test, one of the earliest responses came 

 from the Whitney Safety Firearm Company, of Florence, 

 Mass. They were anxious to have a weapon at the screen, 

 but they were in the midst of a change of location of 

 shop and could not then send in a gun without great in- 

 convenience. It was not until Christmas time that ex- 

 pert T. T. Cartwright, who is so well known as a rifle 

 shot in this and other countries, came down as the agent 

 of the company to fire a sample arm. It was one of the 

 make of arm of which the company has established a 

 wide reputation as makers of a particularly safe arm. 

 A glance at the cuts will show the arm in section. It 

 is the invention of W. H. Whitney, who had the neces- 

 sity of an arm of this sort impressed upon him, when he 

 saw a cousin killed by his side while lifting a gun from 

 the bottom of a boat. A model was whittled out of wood 

 and further improvements brought about what the com- 

 pany now claim to be the only absolutely safe hammer- 

 less gun on the market. 



The parts are few in number, being about half the 

 number there is in some guns. They are strong and easy 

 to make. The gun will be made in three or four grades, 

 and will be well made, well balanced, good shooting, 

 and with interchangeable parts. Besides its simplicity 

 and its safety, the price will be within the reach of all. 

 The mainsprings of the gun are always passive, except 

 when the tension lever, A, is pressed against the pistol 

 grip. The shooter has to hold the lever up while he 

 shoots. The instant he lets go of the lever the main- 

 springs are passive. The hammers are always at full 

 cock except at the moment of firing. In case the shooter 

 gets a misfire, all he has to do is open his hand and close 

 it, when the gun is again ready for trial. The opening 

 or closing of the barrels has nothing to do with the cock- 

 ing of the hammers. The whole of the lock work ia on 

 the trigger plate, and all the sportsman has to do is to 

 take out three screws, when the action and trigger plate 

 can be taken from the stock. The whole gun can be taken 

 apart by any man who can use a screw driver. The parts 

 of the gun are all made from best forged steel. The bor- 

 ing of the gun will receive special attention, and guns 

 will be bored to use the same size wad aa the above, viz., 

 a 12-wad for 12 gauge. 



The gun tried was No. 1, factory number, being the 

 first gun made by the company, and one that Mr. Cart- 

 wright had used all summer at the trap. It was not 

 made specially for the test, but was made for a well-known 

 shot in Minnesota, and it was by his orders that the arm 

 had the right barrel with a very moderate choke, while 

 the left was given a full choke. 



When Mr. Cartwright opened his cartridge box he had 

 two sets of charges ready. One had 3idrs. of No. 2 King's 

 quick shot powder behind a charge of l|-oz. Tatharn's 

 No. 8 chilled shot. The other charge had 3drs. of powder 

 with Hoz. of shot. Why two charges so near alike were 

 brought was not explained. In order to secure a wider 

 range of test a package of wood powder charges was 

 secured from the stock in charge of the superintendent 

 of the range. It was in stock nobody knew how long, and 

 there was no way of telling the time of its loading. It 

 was in fact just such a nondescript charge, so far as pedi- 

 gree went, as that sent to the range at the time the L. C. 

 Smith gun was sent down for trial. The box was one 

 from the old Chamberlin Cartridge Co.' stock .and had 

 probably been at Claremont since the range was opened, 

 a year ago. Readers will understand then that the black 

 powder charges were direct from the company offering 

 the gun for test, but that the wood powder charges were 

 not. The lighter black powder charges were tested only 

 through three shots from each barrel at each range and 

 an analysis of the cartridges showed as follows: 



Loading. Powder. Shot. 



U. S. Climax shell; < 1 95 grs. 4S9 grs. 449 pellets. 



card over shot; two J , 2 94 grs. 485 grs. 446 pellets. 



B. K. and card over ( 3 92 grs. 503 grs. 464 pellets. 



powder. 



Average 94 grs. 492 grs. 453 pellets. 



Eight Barrel. 



AT 40YDS. 



Aimed Selected Between Pene- Aimed 

 Circle. Circle. Centers, tratlon. Circle. 

 Pellets. Pellets. Inches. Sheets. Pellets. Pellets. Inches. 



133 



171 





11 138 



249 



271 



'4 



13 259 



113 



123 





11 214 



165 



188 



5 



12 204 









AT 60YDS. 



29 



29 





76 



24 



29 



4 



70 



72 



83 



3 



7 79 



42 



47 



3~ 



7 77 



Pene- 

 tration. 



144 





8 



264 



m 



10 



209 



4 



8 



206 



V4 



9 



109 



5 



6 



104 



6 



2 



109 





s 



107 



5 



4 



In this connection it is worth noting how figures of 

 charge vary. The wood powder label claimed a load of 

 Hoz. of Tatharn's No. 8, and Mr. Cartwright said he had 

 loaded with l^oz. Tatham No. 8 shot, bu t the analysis 

 shows 508 pellets per charge in the former and 453 in the 

 latter case, with a difference in weight of over oOgrs., yet 

 several critics have noted what they thought was an 

 error in these tests, because our analysis of charge 



did not agree with shot company catalogues. We onli 

 give the charge as the gun holder says he loaded, and tlH 

 analysis as we find the cartridges picked at random froB 

 the lot used in the test. The variation shows what sbo 

 measures amount to as they are manipulated by loader? 

 here and there over the country. 



The day chosen for the trial was sharp and cold with \ 

 good wind blowing, but it was not an unfair one for gui! 

 or shooter, and just how the arm acted may be read | 

 the detailed report on the heavier charge of black powde 

 and the wood powder cartridges. 



Claremont, N. J., Dec. 37, 1889, 



TEST MADE AT FOREST AND STREAM GUN-TESTING SCREEN. 



Ghun— Whitney Safety Hammerless. Cost, $47. No. of guii 

 1. Weight, 7 15 -161 bs. Length of barrels. 30in. Gauge, li 

 Right barrel, modified choke. Left barrel, full choke. ' 



Weather— Clear. Direction of wind, 3 o'clock. Force o 

 wind, lfi miles per hour. Thermometer, dry, 38°. Doi 

 wet, 33° . Humidity, 57° . Barometer. 29.9in. 



Charge, as given by holder of gun: 



BOTH BARRELS. 



Shell — U. M. C. Club. 



Poinder, Brand—No. 2 King's Quick Shot. 

 Powder, Quantity— 3% drs. 



i Make— Tatham. 

 Shot-! Quantity— 1% oz. 



( Size— No. 8 Chilled. 



WHITNEY, 40YOS., BIGHT BARRED, BDACK POWDER, 304 PELLETS. 



CARTRIDGE ANALYSIS. 



Three Cartridges Taken at Random. 



BOTH BARRELS. 

 Loading. Powder. 

 Heavy card over shot; ( 1 . . . 102 grs. 

 two B. E. wads and-/ 2... 101 grs. 

 card over powder. ( 3. . . 100 grs. 



Shot. 

 581 grs. 538 pelh 



574 grs. 

 596 grs. 



uoo pent. 

 527 pelle 

 549 pellet 



Average 101 grs. 584 grs. 538 pellets 



TEST AT 40 YARDS. • 

 Five Shots per Barrel from rest at fixed 80-inch Circle. 



RIGHT BARREL. LEFT BARREL. 



Pattern. Penetration, J pellets. Pattern . Penetration, S pelleti 



1. 296 pellets. 



2. 114 pellets. 



3. 278 pellets. 



4. 273 pellets. 

 -5. 105 pellets. 



13 sheets. 

 10 sheets. 



10 sheets. 



11 sheets. 



12 sheets. 



1. 256 pellets. 



2. 329 pellets. 



3. 337 pellets. 



4. 294 pellets. 



5. 309 pellets. 



13 sheets. 



14 sheets. 



13 sheets. 

 10 sheets. 



14 sheets. 



Av. 215 pellets. 11 sheets. Av. 305 pellets. 13 sheets. 



WHITNEY, 40YDS., LEFT BARREL, BLACK POWDER, 353 PELLETS. 



Three shots at 4-foot square; 30-inch Circle selected fron 

 best pattern. 



RIGHT BARREL. LEFT BARREL. 



1 304 pellets. 1 353 pellets. 



2 292 pellets. 2 342 pellets. 



3 283 pellets. 3 317 pellets. 



Average 293 pellets. 



Average 337 pellets. 



TEST AT 60 YARDS. 

 Five Shots per Barrel from rest at fixed 30-inch Circle. 



1. 



RIGHT BARREL. 

 Pattern. Penetration, s pellets. 



32 pellets. 

 127 pellets, 

 a. 128 pellets. 



4. 125 pellets. 



5. 104 pellets. 



4 sheets. 



4 sheets. 



5 sheets. 



2 sheets. 



3 sheets. 



LEFT BARREL. 

 Pattern. Penetration, s pellett 

 95 pellets. 6 sheets. 



58 pellets. 

 46 pellets. 

 71 pellets. 

 88 pellets. 



6 sheets. 

 .. sheets. 

 3 sheels. 

 6 sheets. 



Av. 103 pellets. 5 sheets. Av. 72 pellets. 5 sheets. 



