10 
FOREST AND STREAM 
pieces of the ball sticking In all the neighboring organs. The principle of 
tho Express Is a lights lio'low, conical ballet, and an Immense amount 
ol powder; but this has to bj used with particular rifling, and no rifle 
now used for sporting in America can bo made Into an Express by hol- 
lowing the bullet,the rifling being unsuitable and tho charge Insuilklcnt. 
Ths rlfllugbeat adapted for the Express rifle was Invented by Mr. 
llenry, of Edinburgh, tho well-known ganmakor, and lu a rifle bored 
ou his principle as much as 100 grains of Curtis A Harvey's strongest 
piwder can bo used without any unpleasant recolldn a rifle of only . 60 - 
cnlibre. 1 have, myself, often tired a .45-«a!lbre double rHe, weighing 
9 Un„ over my arm, using It like a pistol when hunting buffalo, and 
liavo felt no recoil, using 136 grains of powder. Somo friends Of mine 
in India, UBiug similar rides, killed ten tigers In eleven days, and no 
tiger required a second Shot. I quite agreo with Mr. Van Dyke that 
single-barreled sporting rifles are a mistake, except for autelope 
stalking, and I do not believe that ono out of every thousand sporis- 
rnan In India ever uses one; nor do 1 think they will bo used here so 
extensively when the manufacture of double rifles Is better under- 
stood; for no one who hsa once used a good double-barrelled rifle 
would ever go back to a slnglo barrel, particularly for dangerous game. 
In conclusion, I shall be very much obliged If any of yonr corres- 
pondents who have used the new Winchester rifle, using 75 grains of 
powdor, would kindly say what they think of It for deer-shootlng ? 
Viator. 
Joint as usually made. Besides, In my plan, Hie barrels are not subject- 
ed to the heat necessary to bronze them, which Is enfflelent to raise u 
scale and thus weaken them considerably, and with enro It can be clone 
so as not to require re-stalnlng. I would also suggest to your Sau 
Diego, Cul., correspondent that, Instead of extracting tho bullet from 
his 22-100 cartridge (for Ills explosive bullets), he take a pair of wire- 
cutters and cut off the bullet Just above the shell. Ho will then get a 
much more effectlvo explosion, as tho powder Is confined much more 
than in his process. 8. L. Hart. 
— E. Remington & Sons have a new gun in stock which is 
worthy of notice. It is a ten-gauge, weighing ten pounds, 
with twist barrels, extension rib, top snap-action and rebound- 
ing locks. 
THE OLD CONTEST. 
§miif §ag and §un. 
'game IN SEASON IN FEBRUARY. 
Hares, brown and gray. Wild duck, geoso, brant, oU>. 
FOR FLORIDA. 
Deer, Will Turkey, Woodcock, Quail, Snipe, Duoks and Wild Fowl. 
BREECH-LOADERS VS. MUZZLE-LOADERS. 
Pouohkrepair, N. Y., Dec. 31, 1ST". 
Editor Forest and stream: 
A communication In your issue of December 27, by “Muzzle-Loader," 
has attracted considerable attention here. 
The question of the superiority of the breech-loader over the muzzle- 
loader soems to be oreaUng quite a furore, especially in England. But 
it appears to me that all this theoretical talk (for it Is really nothing 
else) la the merest nonsense. The only advantage a muzzle-loader 
possesses over a breech-loader. Is In those In which the ball lakes the 
rifling, snd inds Its centre while being rammed down. Now, If we 
examine the Sharp*, Remington, and the Rigby (the latter tho finest 
of this typo of rifles), we will And that they are practically precisely 
alike as regards the loading and the ejection of the ball from the guu. 
Thla may appear startling to some, but It Is s fact well known to every 
gunmaker, and I think I can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the 
general reader the truth of this statement. 
In none of these three guns does tho bullet take the rifling until after 
the explosion of the powder. The Rigby being no more a true muzzle- 
loader than the Remington or Sharps, as both of these latter guns can 
be loaded at the muzzle— a great many riflemen always loading the 
Remington In this manner. 
In the great International matches. It has been the practice of the 
members of the American team to carefully wipe ont their rifles after 
each shot, while their opponents did not. Does any sensible man 
think that a dirty muzzle-loader (of the Rigby type) can compete suc- 
cessfully against the clean breech-loader 7 (Rigby himself now admits 
it In his letters to the Volunteer Sente* Gazette ). A few more (!) defeats 
will probably convince the foreigners that they mast clean their guns 
It they desire to win the trophy. Both parties using equal care In doing 
this, and having coaching prohibited, will come to the battle-ground on 
equal terms, which has not yet been the case. We must try and do away 
with the eUgma that the various American teams have acquired as mere 
trigger-pullers, and I see no other way except by abolishing coaching, 
which must appear to every true and honest American as a sacrifice to 
thelMnanhood. The American teams, when shooting as Individuals, 
have always been beaten. We should cultivate, and cultivate until 
we can pla-o in the Held a team of men who, as Individual shots, are 
capable of holding their own own fairly and without lowering their 
dignity or self-respect. 
As regards the challenge of “ Muzzle-Loader, ” I would like to see It 
taken up. Perhaps the Sharps Rifle Company, who are -generally 
eager for such fights, will respond If they can have It take place at 
long range. Whether the Nichols A Lefever mnzzle-loadlng rifle la 
capable of a victory (being a new gun) over the celebrated Remington 
or Sharps, I don't know. But I think from the excellent description 
given by “Mnzzle-Loader." and the reputation, as One workmen, of 
the Messrs. Nichols A Lefever, that with aome further Improvements 
It is destined to he one of the future trne muzzle-loaders. 
Regarding the ballet for this gun, It strikes me as being too compli- 
cated— a uniform density being Ignored. Although this style of bullet 
has been in vogue for years, lam not aware, with one exception, that 
It has shown any real advantage over pare lead, at forty rods. For a 
long-range bullet, I think a mixture of tin— one oanco to a pound of 
lead— is far preferable u the hebdomadal sort of bullet which “Muzzle- 
Loader” thinks so highly of. 
It has been the aim and ambition of every gunmaker, from the earliest 
period in the history of fire-arms to the present time, 'to prodace a 
breech-loader that would equal, in shooting, a muzzle-loader. It seems 
almost comical to the writer that oar great gunmakers, after producing 
what are really fine specimens of breech-loading gnns, should after 
pitting them against another de facto breech-loader (Rlgbj), and win- 
ning, ever after claim it superior to the muzzle-loader. 
In conclusion, I would like toa»k, as a nut for Creedmoor riflemen to 
crack, “ Have we a breech-loader that has ever, In a competition open 
to all, beaten twenty (20) inches at forty rads, ten shot string?” ThU Isa 
very liberal allowance it must be admitted, when it 1 b stated that we 
have scores of gunmakers capable of making a rifle (ten shot strlDg 
forty ro !t>) that ahall measure less than ten (10) Inches ! If anyone 
doubts this, I would refer him to that veteran gunmaker, Bllllnghorst 
of Rochester, N. Y„ whoia one of the beat rlflemakers (of forty rod 
guns) we have, and was at one time the champion string shooter of 
the United States. For a few specimens of his skill I would refer the 
reader to the "Crack Shot" by Barber, page 80, where are two diagrams 
one measuring 7 >, Inches and the other 8'; Inches. 
The moral of my letter seems to be : if a breech-loader can be de 
feated at forty rods, and It u done every time by the Empire State 
Rifle Club, at Syracuse, at their yearly meetings, can it in truth 
be the champion It so boastfolly claims to be at 180 rods ? More anon. 
. W. J, Stbwaht. 
ALTERING MUZZLE-LOADERS 
BREECH-LOADERS. 
TO 
Menasha, Wta., Jan. 23, 1678 
Editor Forrst and Stream : 
I see in your last Issue that Ten Broeck takes exceptions to my plan 
of changing muzzle to breech-loaders, on the grounds that the screw 
holes in the barrels are an element of weakness ; also, that soft solder 
is unrafe In reply ta the flrst objection. I would say that the lump is 
forged solid in a T-shaped piece il tied accurately to the barrels Ld 
is nearly the width of both barrels; and where the screws (a-icth dlkrne 
ten pass through the steel plate, Is nearly one-eighth Inch t.dck. addTng 
ten tunes be strength of the material cut away. To the second obje * 
.on I would say that the form of Joint as given above gives from seven 
to eight square inches of contact, and tbU, with a good solderS 
alomr would mak. as strong a Joint as hard, or sliver solder, with the 
"Bay birds” generally, Including various species of plover, sand 
piper, snipe, curlew, oyster-catcher, surf birds, phalaropes, avoecot- 
etc., coming under the group LimicoUc, or Shore Birds. 
New HAMrsnntE— Nashua, Jan. 28.— The weather in this 
vicinity is unusually mild. Large numbers of ducks have been 
seen within the week past— feeding, no doubt— in the open 
water around the falls and the mouth of streams emptying 
into the Merrimac. A flock of black ducks, numbering some 
fifty or sixty, were seen flying north. Pickerel fishing con- 
tinues to be the principal sport, and the bays and weather seem 
combined to make it a source of pleasure. Webb. 
Buck Ague.— A story comes to us from Dover, N. H., of 
two gunners who went out for rabbits. They took their posi- 
tions, and all was still, when suddenly one was heard shouting 
at the top of his voice, and was seen by his astonished compa- 
nion running through the woods, hatless and with hair stream- 
ing in the wind, his gun firmly grasped by the barrel with both 
hands. On being brought to a holt, and asked why he did not 
try and shoot the game, he said, “ he never thought of it." 
New "York — Kingston , Jan. 30. — Rabbit bunting is now in 
full blast in this section, parties going out every fair morning 
and bagging quite a number. Rabbits are very plenty in this 
part of the country this winter, and the light falls of snow we 
have hud have helped lo make the sport belter. Borne of the 
most successful rabbit hunters are Theodore Hawke and Ben- 
nett Spaulding. They have been out a number of times and 
never returned with less than three rabbits apiece. 
Our Habby. 
Virginia Warrington, Feb. 1.— A club of four turkey 
hunters have killed sixty during the past season. The Mayor 
Mr. I dderhack, leads, 1 believe, in the score. In quail J. k! 
Maddox takes the lead, with a tally of about 400. No potl 
hunting has been allowed in this vicinity. Fox hunts are fre- 
quent and lively. jq- g 
—The Presbyterian minister and the two school teachers at 
the Strasburg Academy in Virginia are “ high guns ” in turkey 
shooting, Useem9. One of the pupils writes, Feb. 4: 
“The Presbyterian minister here paced off eighty yards and 
placed eight No. 1 shot in the size of the crown of your hat 
with my Remington ; the depot agent placed five in the same 
size at seventy-five yards, while I killed a wild turkey instant- 
ly with it at fully eighty yards, more if anything. The two 
t^Syone 1 ”™ ^ haVG led 111 wild turke y shooting, killing 
Louisiana.— A panther, measuring seven feet from tip of 
Avoyellil^arish 1 ’ *** reCGntly killed ‘ D Bayou P arish 8wa “P. 
Ohio— Lancaster, Jan. 28.— The two years’ prohibitory law 
made the past shooting season an unusually fine one. Bags 
of from six dozen to eight dozen have been common. Pheas- 
ants have been quite numerously killed this fall, but quail 
shooting absorbed all the sportsmen’s attention. Wild turkeys 
are reported unusually plentiful on the lulls, below the State 
2“ T h ,? re ^ Gre but - f< T geese or ducks the Big Reser- 
F™ii!V, 3 0 fa a ’ aDd i DOne 10 1 ie prame slou £ hs west of the city. 
Engluh sparrows have made their appearance in this city, and 
can be seen in any of our streets at anji time. S. G. Y G. 
Jefferson, Jan. 20.— Wild pigeons have been plentv 
in the vicinity of B oomfield, and Trumbull, Morgan and 
hni w f ’ ““I* ° rWe ,- f ^ r S0D ? C time paat> Unlawfufnetting 
has been largely practiced, and prosecutions are now in or den 
the inquiry comes from a section of country where smaller 
game are the more plentiful, we counsel tho use of a twelve. 
Our own particular fancy, we must deelure, is for a twelve, 
as we have done quite as good shooting in a general way with 
a twelve as with a ten. All this, however, depends very 
much upon how a gun fs built. We are putting aside for the 
moment the question of sheer weight. An eleven, a twelve, 
or even a thirteen-gauge, can he made, and is made, if you want 
it, with sufficient strength at the breech to stand tho charge of 
a ten-gauge. We may remark that there is a growing tendency 
in England to run toward small gauges. Wc cited in a former 
issue a number of beautiful Scott & Sons’ guns of nineteen and 
twenty. In a certain way the difficulty of bitting a bird may be 
increased, but with these small calibres, when they are choke- 
bored, if you do hit, you hit very hard. Of course, if you 
mi63 you are a duffer, and there are more duffers, ourselves 
included, than there are Captain Bogarduses. 
Now, as to weight : A ten-gun ought to run not less than 9 
pounds, and is mado up to 13 pounds ; but we think about 
10 J pounds is a good average, and of the proper proportion. 
A twelve is built from 7$ to 9$ pounds. With a twelve, 
then, of 9$ pounds, with the excess of metal at the breech, a 
deft sportsmau may consider himself as fully equipped, and 
this arm will do quite as good work as a ten-gauge, weighing 
10$ pounds. Captain Bogardus shoots a ten and twelve- 
gauge on the 6amc stock, both weighing, when put all together, 
10 pounds. Now, it is rather more economical for the sports- 
man to use a twelve-gauge than a ten, as the powder and shot 
costless. Gentlemen sportsmen who shoot for pleusure, seem 
every day more disinclined to lug around arms which are ns 
weighty as culverines. Those old-fashioned days are past 
when a man loaded himself down like a Bashi-Bazouk. We 
all know what difference two pounds in a gun makes when a 
party has to carry it twenty miles in a day’s tramp. In tho 
last number of the London Field there is a capital communi- 
cation from Mr. J. J. Whyte, on using small calibred guns. 
This correspondent says : 
“There is the element of pleasure and comfort to be con- 
sidered, and it is surely more agreeable to walk through a long 
day with a light weight than a heavy one. For my part, I 
study lightness in every department of shooting— walk in 
shoes, and the other garments as light as the nature of the 
shootingor weather will permit; and I would rather stop athouie 
than carry my own cartridges or my own game. In one matter 
only I do not like weight stinted, and that is my guu. My 
twelve-bore weighs 7 pounds 8 ounces, and my twenty-bore (5 
pounds 5 ounces. Give me plenty of driving power, and 
plenty of metal in the breech to make using it safe. If u gun 
is to be made light, do it by shortening the barrels, not by 
scrimping the metal at the breech." 
As in all matters of a mundane character, we return very 
often to our first loves. The same correspondent tells of a 
Jo. Manton, with a twenty-two bore, with which he made a 
shot at ducks. A bottle at forty yards can be smashed with a 
twenty-bore, if you hit it. 
As to difference of weight in the same calibre, gunmakers 
are perfectly familiar with the wants of people, and turn out 
guns which as to weight cover all requirements. In ordering 
a lot of guns, say a hundred, gunmakers will invariably assort 
weights, say in twelve’s, from 7 to 9$ pounds, and in ten’s, 
from 8$ to 10$. Of course, if heavier guns arc wanted there 
can be no difficulty in procuring them. Wc say, then, to 
numerous inquirers, if you want an all-round guu take a ten 
or a twelve. If you are big'and strong, and have brawn and 
muscle, and glory in your might, tike a ten. If, on the con- 
trary, you are not a Hercules, and you want to save yourself, 
get a twelve. In both cases bear in mind the size of the 
game to be found in your locality. Always remember that if it 
be a twenty or a ten, the weight of metal at the breech has to 
do with the safety or life of the gun. We have purposely left 
out in this short review of the matter, the choke-bore ideas. 
This will form at some later day the subject of an article. 
VaU ’ ^ a ”'. 3k ~ Ye8l erday, between 11 and 8 o’clock 
four of us succeeded in bagging 31 rabbits from one brush pateh 
E. B. B. ‘ 
Tub “Standard" Glass Ball. -As the Spring trade is 
about opening, and the demand for glass balls has fairly com- 
menced, we would call the attention of dealers to the “ Stand- 
ard ” ball, as put on the market by Ira A. Paine. -See adver- 
tisement. 
-Mr. Ira A. Paine is shooting at the Tivoli Theatre this 
week, and doing a remarkably fine act in making the feathers 
fly from his feather-filled halls, both with the shot-gun and 
pistol. His variety shooting elicited great applause. 
TENS OR TWELVES ? 
Vy E are often called upon to answer inquiries in relation to 
... . lhe bbrC8 of Runs. The question is mostly put to us in 
this wise : I want to buy a gun for general use. Shall I bu v a 
ten or a twelve gauge?’’ When we receive a letter of this 
character, we examine the address of the communication, and 
fiimrd i fir d ‘ ^ “ d lhe »^ter is at once 
simplified. If, for instance, it should come from the Adiron- 
dacks, where, though small game birds are found, there are 
deer, we mostly advise the larger calibre, which is a ten. If 
it he on the sea shore, where there are ducks and geese wo 
incline toward the larger sized bore. If, on tho contrary 
Tiie “UNCLtf Sam” and “Mr. Bull” Shooting Puzzle.— 
“ Uncle Sam ’’ and “ Mr. Bull " go out together for a day’s 
shooting on the marshes. Before starting tin y agree that who- 
ever shall make the lowest score shall contribute a sum of money 
toward defraying the day’s expenses, levied on all the game 
killed by each at the rate of 10 cents per head on every plover, 
6 cents on every snipe and 4 cents on every woodcock killed 
by the winner; and half as much again per head on those 
killed by the loBer. They further agree that each guu shall 
score 3 for a cock, 2 for a snipe and 1 for a plover. When 
the day’s work was ended Mr. Bull found that his score on 
cock exceeded Sam’s by one-fourteenth, that he had killed 
one-ninth less snipe than Sam had, and that Sum had killed 
six times a9 many plover as he had. After Uncle Sum had 
examined his bag he found that one-fourth of his score wua 
made by killing snipe; that he had scored half as many more 
by snipe than he did by plover ; that he made two and one- 
third times as many by cock as he did by snipe, and that ho 
had beaten John Bull by 9 points. How much did Mr. Bull 
contribute toward expenses ? Conservator. 
A Remarkable Shooter.— Rockford, Til., Jan. 20.— Dur- 
ing the season lust closed we have enjoyed some fine sport iu 
this vicinity. The pinnated grouse have been plentier than 
for years before. I enjoyed a few days as a guest nt the cele- 
brated Tolleston Club House near Chicago— most elegant anil 
commodious quarters. The members with whom I became 
acquainted were genial gentlemen. Whoever is so fortunate 
as to receive an invitation should not fall to accept tho h >si>i- 
talities of this club. 
About the 20th of October a party consisting of ten — not 
including our cook— made a trip to Gross Lake, McHenry 
County. A couple of friends— Mr. • II. Harper, of Emira, 
and Mr. John Griffin, of Buffalo, N. Y. — were of the party, 
and we desired to give them some fine sport. 'I ho weather 
proved unfavorable — as warm and balmy us summer, and the 
ducks all had spring fever ; week later would have been just 
right. Two of our party had on former occasions bagged 
from sixty to eighty ducks a day at the same place, while our 
