Feb. 3, 1894.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



98 



terrnine not only whether his shot has taken effect, but 

 also wliere the bullet has bit. 



It is hardly necessary to point out here the causes why 

 the different powders intended for shotgun ammunition 

 are not adapted for the rifle. It is worse thau folly to 

 attempt to load rifle ammunition with smokeless gun 

 powders. A rifle powder must burn slower and develop 

 the gases less suddenly than a gun powder, and even 

 when a powder meets these requirements the layman is 

 not in position to establish the suitable charge for his 

 rifle. There are many points to be taken into considera- 

 tion, and in attempting to accomplish the object in ques- 

 tion the hunter will find himself confronted by various 

 problems which can be solved only with the aid of instru- 

 ments. 



The twist of the barrel, the size, shape and weight of 

 the bullet, size and shape of the shell, and the primer, 

 each and all must be considered separately and combined. 



The first step for finding the proper charge is, of 

 course, to determine the velocity and bursting SLrain as 

 produced by the service charge of black powder, and then 

 to make the nitro charge conform to these values. Even 

 when and after this is accomplished it is often found that 

 the bullet will strike regularly a point from 1 to 3in. 

 above the mark. This result is frequently blamed to the 

 powder, whereas it is simply due to the lesser recoil, and 

 can readily be remedied by a slight change of the sight. 



As a rule, the shooting is more accurate, the deviations 

 are smaller with the nitro powders than with the black, 

 the penetration showing about the same values in both 

 cases. The majority of smokeless rifle powders require a 

 special primer, black powder priming will only answer in 

 rare instances, and special primers are always preferable. 

 The No. 3 primer, as employed for smokeless shotgun 

 shells, is not adapted for rifle ammunition, but suitable 

 special primers for all kinds of metallic ammunition are 

 now being made by the U. M. C. Co., and shells provided 

 with these primers will soon be available to the sports- 

 men. Such special primers will be used for making the 

 experiments herein referred to. The Institution is pre- 

 pared to establish for every make of sporting rifles and all 

 kinds of rifle ammunition the proper corresponding 

 charge of nitro powder. It is preferable if the rifle is 

 sent to the Institution, together with a number of loaded 

 shells as heretofore used. For the regular standard rifles 

 and metallic ammunition the corresponding nitro powder 

 charges can be established in the absence of the particular 

 rifle or cartridges. Rifles sent to the Institution for this 

 purpose will be stamped similarly to the barrels of shot- 

 guns. 



Charges for establishing the proper nitro powder charge 

 for a rifle, irrespective of caliber, $5; for bona fide sub- 

 scribers of the Forest and Stream, $4; for members, 

 $2.50, exclusive of ammunition. 



Department C. 



This department is devoted to proofing raw gun barrels 

 or finished guns for strength with the proof-house charges 

 of black powder and shot, or any nitro powder the 

 shooter may designate. 



The proof-house charges for a finished gun are 6£drs. 

 DuPont's FFF black powder and lfoz. of shot No. 7 for 

 12-bore. Any substantially built gun ought to resist and 

 withstand the strain developed by such a load, and no 

 manufacturer or dealer should hesitate to see a gun sub- 

 jected to such a test. 



But the case is different whenever nitro powders are to 

 be substituted for the black powder. Many of these 

 change their properties through the influence of climate 

 or age. They are all, loaded bulk for bulk, more violent 

 than black powder, at least whenever the charges are 

 increased beyond the standard loads. For this reason it 

 cannot be expected that a gun manufacturer will guaran- 

 tee a gun against the action of highly increased nitro 

 powder charges. It can fairly be presumed, however, 

 that a gun having been subjected to the black powder 

 proof -house test will withstand any gas pressure devel- 

 oped by a slightly increased charge of nitro powder, and 

 if such a gun is bulged or bursted by such a load af ter- 

 ward, this is either due to the nature of the powder or to 

 some extraordinary cause. 



Even the cheapest kinds of guns are subjected to the 

 proof-house test in Europe before they are salable; and 

 since American guns, as a rule, are built stronger than the 

 cheap grades of European guns, no w^ell-founded reason 

 can be presented why American guns should not be sub- 

 jected to such a test. This, however, is d matter to be 

 settled between the gunner and manufacturer, and the in- 

 stitution does not recommend that such a test should be 

 made compulsory just at present, at least not as far as the 

 raw barrels are concerned. The buyer of a gun, or rifle, 

 however, has a just right to condition the purchase upon 

 the test for finished guns and rifles with the same pro- 

 priety as a man will condition the purchase of a horse 

 upon the examination by a veterinary surgeon. All guns 

 and rifles tested for strength will have the institution's 

 marks impressed upon the barrel. 



CH.3. SCH.52. 



The marks impressed upon a gun as above would indi- 

 cate that its caliber is" 12, that it is chambered for a 3in. 

 shell, that in addition to the black powder proof charge it 

 has been tested with 52grs. of Schultze powder, and that 

 the barrel is chokebore. 



The charges of powder and shot for testing finished 

 shotguns are as follows: 



10-GAUGE. 



8drs. or 219grs. DuPont's FFF black powder, or odrs. of 

 E. C, American wood or Schultze, 4§drs. S. S., 4idrs. 

 DuPont's smokeless or oOgrs. Walsrode powder, and in 

 each case 2oz. or 875grs. shot No. 7. 



The respective service charges being: 4drs. black, E. C, 

 Schultze, S. S. and American wood, and Sidrs. DuPont's 

 smokeless, and 88grs. Walsrode powder and ljoz. of shot. 



12-GAUGE. 



6+drs. or 178grs. black powder or 4drs. of E. C. , Schultze, 

 S. S., American wood, 3fdrs. DuPont'B smokeless, or40grs. 

 Walsrode powder and lfoz. of shot No. 7. The respective 

 service charges being: Black, E. C, Schultze, American 



wood and S. S. powders 3drs. , DuPont's smokeless 2fdrs. , 

 Walsrode powder 29grs., and 1£ to ljoz. of shot. 



lG-GATTGE. 



54drs. black powder or the equivalent in any of the 

 nitro powders and l^oz. of shot No. 7. 



Service charges: 2fdrs, or 75grs. black and loz. of shot. 



In order to save to gun manufacturers unnecessary ex- 

 pense and inconvenience in transporting guns to and from 

 the institution the latter will make arrangements to have 

 guns tested for either strength or shooting qualities or 

 both by their officers at the works and on special terms. 



Privileges of Members. 



From the charges quoted heretofore it will be seen that 

 the members of the institution pay only one-half of the 

 regular prices. 



~n addition to this concession the institution will answer 

 all questions submitted by a member and pertaining to 

 shooting, free of charge. The members will also receive 

 all printed proceedings gratuitously. Furthermore, the 

 institution will assist its members in ascertaining the true 

 causes for damaged guns, with a view of substantiating a 

 claim for indemnity. All damaged guns, especially when 

 the barrels are bulged or bursted, should be sent to the 

 institution with as little delay as possible after the occur- 

 rence, and before the traces of the damage have been 

 clouded, accidentally or intentionally. 



The gun should be accompanied with a statement 

 describing the circumstances in connection with the acci- 

 dent, and in which the following questions ought to be 

 answered: 



1. Did the accident occur in the field or at the trap, 

 and if in the field did you climb any fences prior to tiring 

 the shot causing the damage, or pick up a dead bird from 

 soft or marshy ground ? 



2. Are you sure that the barrel, when the shot was 

 fired, was free from artificial obstructions, such as dirt, 

 snow, wads, or parts of the shell? 



3. Did you fire a number of shots from the other barrel 

 previously, and may it not be possible that the crimp of 

 the shell had given away and the top wad, with the shot 

 charge, moved from the shell and up in the barrel? 



4. What size shell, what kind of powder and how much, 

 what size shot and what charge, what kind of wadding 

 material did you use? 



5. Have you fired the same ammunition from the gun 

 previously, and to what extent? 



6. Did you load the shells yourself, or did you buy them, 

 and of whom? 



! . How long have you used the gun, and from whom 

 did you procure it? 



8. Has it ever, to your knowledge, been rechambered 

 or previously bulged? 



9. Do you intend to be indemnified, by whom and on 

 what ground? 



A number of the same lot of shells used at the time 

 should be furnished with the gun. If the institution 

 finds that the cause for the damage is unmistakably due 

 to some of the agents beyond the control of the gunner, 

 and that either the material of or the workmanship on the 

 guns are poor, or the powder employed shows a marked 

 degree of violence, the institution will assist the owner in 

 placing the fault where it belongs and in being indemni- 

 tied to the extent of his loss. 



In order to facilitate our researches for the cause of the 

 bulging or bursting of gun barrels, and in regard to the 

 behavior of the different powders, all damages to guns 

 coming under the direct notice of sportsmen should be 

 reported to the institution. 



It is the intention of the institution to establish, as soon 

 as circumstances make it expedient and permissible, 

 branches in different parts of the country, and one at 

 Chicago, 111., in the near future. 



Whenever a large number of members or gunners 

 desire to have experiments carried out in closer proximity 

 to their homes than New York or Chicago, they may 

 correspond with the management of the institution with 

 a view to have such tests conducted in other localities, and 

 if considered expedient by the latter, such a request will 

 be complied with on terms to be agreed upon. 



Working Programme. 



Experiments as contemplated being carried out in the 

 near future, and questions to be solved in Department A: 



1. To what extent are the several propelling agents for 

 shotguns known and employed in this country affected by 

 cold, and how can this influence be prevented or neutral- 

 ized? 



2. What constitutes the maximum range for 8, 10, 12 

 and 16-bore shotguns, respectively (a), for still producing 

 a pattern securing a fair chance for hitting a duck or 

 similar size game, and (b) at what distance do they cease 

 respectively to produce a killing effect with the different 

 powders and sizes of shot? 



3. What constitutes the best wadding material for shot- 

 guns? Is the lubricated felt wad preferable to the dry felt 

 and why? What should be the diameter of the wad for 

 the various bores to insure the best pattern and penetra- 

 tion? How far does the consistency of the felt influence 

 the shooting effect? 



4. How do the different materials of the shotgun barrels 

 compare in point of strength or power of resistance? 



5. How should the various nitro powders be loaded and 

 used? 



6. What are their chemical compositions and how do 

 they compare in point of stability with black powder? 



7. Which is the besc shot in the American market? 



8. What shells and primers are best adapted for the 

 several nitro powders? 



9. Will common shells if primed with black powder give 

 as good a result as the No. 3 primer? 



10. What caliber of rifle should the gunner employ for 

 large game shooting, and what are the relations of the 

 different bores, size, nature and weights of bullets in 

 point of producing a certain and sudden killing effect? 



It is hardly necessary to say that the last-named 

 problem can only be solved satisfactorily and conclusively 

 on practical grounds. To determine this important ques- 

 tion in a convincing manner, suitable live animals will be 

 employed as experimental objects. 



As previously remarked, all tests carried out in this 

 department are intended to serve and benefit the shooting 

 fraternity at large. They involve considerable expense 

 and require continuous and hard labor. It is therefore 

 hardly necessary to say that every sportsman in sym- 

 pathy with the objects herein set forth should contribute 



his share toward defraying these expenses, and induce 

 his friends and fellow sportsmen to follow his example. 



The shooting sport is nowhere in the world followed by 

 such a large number of men as in the United States, and 

 if countries much smaller in size than America and with 

 a less number of shooters can, as they do, maintain sim- 

 ilar institutions, it would hardly speak well for the spirit of 

 the American shooting fraternity, and our desire to be 

 independent of Europe as regards a source of popular 

 knowledge and education on the theory of shot shootings 

 if such an institution cannot be maintained here merely 

 for want of appreciation and support at the hands of the 

 American sportsmen. 



The institution believes that its objects can only be 

 reached if all intelligent gunners will aid its work by 

 offering suggestions in what directions the tests should 

 be made, and kindly submit to the institution such obser- 

 vations of value which they may have obtained in 

 practice or by experiments. For this purpose an Advisory 

 Board has been created, consisting of members capable 

 and willing to assist the work of the institution by offer- 

 ing suggestions intended and suited to form a basis for 

 further experiments. The members of this board are: 

 Wm. Bruce Leffingwell, Chicago, 111 ; Wm. M. Thomas, 

 ballistic expert, U. M. C. Co., Bridgeport, Conn.; Lieut. 



G. N. Whistler, ballistic engineer, New York; Justus Von 

 Lengerke, New York; Paul North, Chamberlin Cartridge 

 and Target Co., Cleveland, O, ; D. Kirkwood, Boston, 

 Mass.; R. J. Carroll, M.D., Sec'y Red Hook Gun Club, Red 

 Hook, N. Y.; J. A. Krieger, M.D., St. Louis, Mo.; Will 



H. Cruttenden, Cazenovia, N. Y.; Chas. F. Tollman, Can- 

 ton, N. Y.; James M. Col well, Kittanning, Pa.; E. D. Ful- 

 ford, electrician, Utica, N. Y. ; M. F. Lindsley, American 

 Wood Powder Co, , West Hoboken, N. J. ; W. K. Park, 

 Wilkes-Barre Gun Co., Wilkes-Barre, Pa.; H. E. Winans, 

 Newark, N. J.; W. R. Fall, Las Cruces, N. M.; R. L. 

 Young, Las Cruces, N. M. ; J. Palmer O'Neil, Pittsburgh, 

 Pa.; Wm. Edward Carlin, New York; Chas. Macalister, 

 Esq. , South Seaville, N. J. 



The institution will be established at Dexter Park (P. O. 

 Station E), Brooklyn, N. Y. Armtn Tenner, Sup't. 



The Old Stamping Grounds. 



Wisconsin used to be my old stamping ground twenty- 

 five years ago, when I beat with dog and gun over 

 its brown stubbles and grassy coverts, for chicken 

 and quail; tramped its sloughs and marshes for "Jack" 

 of the sinuous flight; worked its rivers, lakes and 

 bayous for teal, mallard and canvasback, with waders, 

 canoe and punting boats, and the bass and pickerel with 

 shimmering and twinkling spoon spinning with throbbing 

 pulsations along upon their rippling surfaces, or with the 

 mocking lure and the deadly spear through the hole in 

 the ice, shaded by the windowless house over it, and the 

 watery depths lighted up beneath by the reflected rays of 

 light from without. When I camped with genial spirits 

 in the early summertime upon the bold banks of old Kos- 

 konong with canoe, rowboat, sailboat and steamer, to 

 pay our yearly devoirs to ye finny tribes; and as regularly 

 camped m the Indian summer of the brown October, amid 

 the scarlet and russet lined woods of the timbered lands 

 bordering the streams, and upon our favorite island at the 

 head of Koskonong Lake, surrounded by lake and bayou, 

 by lagoons creeping through mazes of reeds and wild rice, 

 teeming with ducks; thereto steep ourselves for weeks, in 

 the hazy golden glamour, and the sensuous delight im- 

 parted by the atmosphere of this intoxicating epoch in 

 the life of the departing summer. 



It is twenty odd years since I left these experiences 

 behind. I have traveled far and wide in other lands, 

 while most of the sporting friends of those days have 

 dropped at intervals off the trail, and but few of us are 

 left to recall them; but it is a pleasure nevertheless for the 

 survivors to do so. 



I formerly wrote for Wilkes'' Spirit under the name of 

 Paulson," and but few of the writers upon it in those 

 days are left. D. B. Beemer 



More About that Deer Drive. 



McKee'S Rocks, Pa. — Editor Forest and Stream: After 

 reading 'A Deer Hunt in New Jersey in 1893" I am indig- 

 nant. Here is a well-told story of how a lot of men set a 

 pack of dogs on a poor doe and chased it two whole days, 

 and finally to death, bringing ''the tired dogs to heel until 

 they were' rested," and then "put on the trail fresh, so that 

 the deer was always pursued by fresh hounds, until 4 

 o'clock of the second, afternoon, when the whole pack was 

 let loose upon her." No shooting was allowed on the sec* 

 ond day. It seems to me that it would have been more 

 merciful to shoot the poor beast before it was so tired that 

 it could not run any more, than to let the dogs run it 

 down and kill it, as the story goes. If there is sport in 

 this manner of worrying a poor beast to death, there must 

 be sport in dog fighting. In the latter each contestant has 

 an equal chance, while the poor doe had no chance at all 

 with the fearful odds against it. 



I cannot imagine anything more cruel than this chase 

 seems to me. I was born in New Jersey and lived there 

 until I was old enough to understand the stories of hunt- 

 ing told by grandfather and uncles. They did not chase 

 deer to death in those days. J. H. B. 



Toronto, Jan. 20, — Editor Forest and Stream: I was 

 very much pleased to read in the Forest and Stream an 

 article by Oscar Hesse, under the head of "Save the Deer." 

 I also read the article to which it referred, and was dis- 

 gusted at such unsportsmanlike hunting. In my opinion, 

 the use of dogs should be stopped, and then there woidd 

 be no such hunting as this. Old Woodsman. 



A Virginia Game Section. 



Surry, Va., Jan 23. — In this section deer are found in 

 large numbers. I know of several parties who have killed 

 some eight or ten this season. I have myself seen in the 

 last few weeks as many as six in one drove, and it is a 

 very common sight to see two or three at one time. Wild 

 turkeys are found here in flocks of from five to twenty- 

 five, and our local hunters kill quite a number of 

 them. Squirrels abound in great numbers. I have killed 

 as many as fifteen in one afternoon without a dog, and 

 that in two hours. Wild ducks are found during the lat- 

 ter part of the season, but not in such large numbers. In 

 the ponds and creeks are found chub but they are not as 

 plentiful as they were a few years ago, owing to so many 

 of them being speared during the spawning season. C, 



