1875 
r 
235 
LETT3EBS FHOM SPOrrSME^, 

Bridgeport, June 28. 
Shells- 
Editor Rod and Gun : 
In compliuuce with the request contained in the letter published 
in The Rod AND Gun of the 5th inst., your correspondent II. of 
(Quincy, III., returned a package of ahells that had mis.'^cd fire, stat- 
ing that he had snapped on some of them as many as twelve times 
to see if he could make them go. 
On examining the primers it was evident from the appearance of 
the indentation in the cap, that the blow they had received was not 
right. I selected some that had the appearance of having been 
snapped once, and others that had bee* struck the greatest number 
of times and tried them in our Scott gun that has been in constant 
use over two years and discharged tens of thousands of times, and 
all went promptly. I then selected some of the shells I had re- 
ceived from H. and returned them to him, and with them those I 
had fired in the Scott gun, and recpiested him to either send his gun 
to ime for esaminatioa, or to some good gunsmith. 
On the 5i4th inst., I received a letter from H. bearing date June 
22, Quincy, 111., saying: “At the same time that I sent you the shells 
that would not go in my gun, I also sent my gnn to Joseph Butler, 
gunsmith, of Chicago, telling him to overhaul it. I received the gun 
back a few days ago. He said that the trouble was, there was too 
much play for the shoulder of the shell, and he bushed her out (I 
believe that is what they call it) so that the shells fit snug. I have 
just tried the shells that you returned to me that my gun would not 
explode before, and they all went ofif first pop. I am now satisfied 
that the fault was in the gun more than in the shells, which I am 
glad to learn, as I do not wish to do an 5 *oDe an injustice." 
If your correspondent, “Expectation" of New York, whose letter 
appeared in The Rod and Gun of the 2(>th inst., cm be induced to 
pursue the same course as that adopted by II. of Quincy, 111., I feel 
quite confident that he will come to the same conclusion. 
In the manufacture of military brccch-loading guns an allowance 
of not more than .002 (two one thousandths) of an inch is given in 
the diameter of the cartridge or shell chamber. The United states 
government allow only .001 (one one-thousandth) of an inch, and in 
the variations of the depth of the counterbore, or recess for the 
head or rim of the shell, but .003 (three one-ihoiisnudths) of an inch. 
With such exactness in the cartridge or shell chambers, certainty 
of fire can be obtained, and hundreds of thousands of shells fired 
consecutively without a miss fire. But witli the shot guns of the 
various makers there is no such limit to the variation. 1 have seen 
a difference of .006 ^six one-thousandths) of an inch in diameter and 
.010 (ten one-thousandths) in the deptn of the counterbore, in the 
chamber, same double gun, and more than that between two differ- 
ent guns of the same sized barrels. 
I am confident that to these differences in the chambers in addi- 
tion to the variations of the length and shape of the firing pins OU- 
100 of all the miss fires in shells can be traced. A, C. II. 
Target Trials— Dittmar’s Powder, etc- 
Clarksville, Tenn., June 18, 1875. 
Editor Rod and Gun: 
I have at last found a favorable opportunity for making some carc- 
lul experiments with targets, wbica I subjoin for what they are 
worth. Seeing Diitinar's powder advertised in your columns, I sent 
fora sample, thinking that if it came up to all that was claimed for 
it, we should be blesstd with almost as great a discovery as that of 
gunpowder itself . Where is tlie si)ortsman who has not often 
sighed fora powder that would not soil his gun, and call on him for 
an hour’s labor just when he would give his kingdom for rest; or 
who has not longed for freedom from the recoil of a good load; or 
who has not suffered from a headache after a day’s hunt, because 
of the constant roar; or who did not lose many a second shot while 
the smoke hung pe^^^stently between him and the whirring covey? 
All these things Mr. Hittnuir has certainly done for us to a great ex- 
tent. Whether there may not be some serious objections to his 
powder, vet to be discovered by use in the field, we do not pretend 
to say; but our experiments have led us to the determination to 
give it further trial and a fair test next sea-on. And in the mean- 
w'hile w'e hope others may do as we have— send for a sample and try 
for themselves. The following is a summary of our trial, which 
was conducted with the aid of several sporting friends: 
First Experiment— Powder: Target, 30-inch circle; 
distance, 40 yards; powder, Dittmar’s A. 4 drs.; shot, Tatham’s No. 
7, (291 pellets to 1 oz.) load, 118 oz. ; smallest number pellets in 
target out of 10 shots was 72; largest number 111 ; average, 85. Av- 
erage penetration, 35 sheets thick wrapping paper. The average of 
85 is 26 per cent, of the load. 
Second Experiment— Powder: Same conditions, ex- 
cept shot, which was No. 9, (568 pellets to the ounce). Two shots 
made. Result, average of 183 pellets in target, or 28 per cent.; pen- 
etration equal to first experiment. 
Third ExPERiMKNT—Or«/jf/<J Ducking Shof^Xo. A: Sa.ne condi- 
tions as in first experiment, except powder; Orange Duck Shooting, 
No. 4; used 3 1-2 drs. Result— Smallest number pellets in target, 
84; largest number, i:50; average, 111, or 33 per cent of whole 
load. Penetration same as others, 35 sheets. 
Fourth Experiment— Powder: Same conditions except 
shot, which were No. 9; average in target, 163, or 25 per cent of 
whole load. Penetration not so good. 
General Remarks. It will be seen that the black powder made 
a better average with No. 7 shot, but not so good with No. 9. The 
penetration was equal in the two, as I also proved by an independ- 
ent trial. The following positive advantages in favor of Dittmar’s 
powder w'erc noted: The recoil was much less; noise much less; 
smoke very little, scarcely perceptible; very little residuum; gun as 
clean after twenty shots as after the first: after using black powder 
for a number of shots, one discharge with the other entirely cleans 
the gun; can sec no difference as to quickness of explosion in shoot- 
ing, but when loose, Ditlinar's powder does not burn half as fast as 
the bla:k. And, moreover, I can account for the ciiual penetration 
with less recoil, only by supposing that Dittmar’s powder burns 
slower in the gun, the same reason given for tl\o lei*s recoil of coarse 
powd«r, compared with fine. 
Mr. Dittmarsent me a finer grained powder, marked C, but th s 
did not give as good a target, nor penetration. I wet some of the 
powder thoroughly, and it exploded when dry next day, without ai y 
perciptiblc change, except that it did not take fir<*s > quick, as bt- 
fore; but I am not sure that it was well dried. 
It will be seen that my trial compares favorably with that of the 
Turfy Field and F.rm of Oct. 11, 1873, notwithstanding the fact 
that the target then used was larger— 30x30. 
Let lie hear from “Papa Botte," “Novice," rzL Will they not 
also try Dittmar, and shtd upon him the light of their genius? 1 
hope they will make the trial under the same conditions as to tar- 
get, distance, and size of shot. I have taken, as I slated in my last, 
the 30-inch target because it is the size used by the English, and the 
No. T shot of Tatham or LeRoy, because ihis agrees best w ith the 
English No. 6 which is used for gun trials. Let us have uniformity. 
A 31 ATE UR. 
P. 5.— Your paper for May 1.5, has jnst come to hand, and I see 
the printer made several mistakes in my last, one of which I shall 
coiTect. In spiaking of the target agreed on for trials and the size 
of shot to use, it should have been — “No. 7, Tatham'(2Ul to ounce), 
or No. 6, St. Louis (299 to ounce)." Both of these are about the 
same as the English No. 6. 
Duties of Sportsmen. 
Racine, Wis., June 20. 
Editor Rod and GuN-2 
Iq your issue of the 26th, I noticed an article on the “Duties of 
Sportsmen to each other," and was highly pleased with the remarks 
on the subject, as I have had occasion to go out with some, with 
which it is a pleasure to be in company, and with others, well, I 
would not go out with them again if they would pay me for it. For 
when a person ceases to be a gentleman and allows bimself to imi- 
tate a grown up pig, 1 do not want his company. 
In this i)lacc we have some genial and large hearted sportsmen 
with which it is a pleasure to tramp the ])rairie-< and seaich for the 
grouse aud enjoy a social chat at tlie noontime rest, and think of the 
good times you are having and not of how' much the chickens w ill 
bring in Chiengo. But we have some of the other kind also, who 
will on plea of giving some to friends, take the main share of the 
game, and after dark go and sell it, or pack it up and ship to Chicago : 
and then they w'ill show a receipt of sale to some, so that they will 
believe that they shot so many for they will not be believed unless 
they have some proof. M’c have some good sliots here, among the 
most prominent is C. Smith, w'ho has been known to kill fifteen 
quail with one barrel of his Greener gun, as tliey sat huddled 
to.ether in the cold winter, lie can kill liis eighteen out of twenty 
on the wing, and then will take advantage of tliem in the manner 
described. His dog has just died, a fine pointer, and if he can get a 
good blooded and w’tdl broken setter, and have ^lim warranted in 
every way, he will probably be willing to pay the enormous sum •f 
about four or five dollars. There are some others of the same claims 
who think if a dog has his tail docked and has curly ear-*, he is a 
pure blooiled spaniel. Also, some of them think a bitch runs six- 
teen w’eeks from being put to dog before she whelps. One of them 
has a bitch which be has put to dog two different times, and she has 
not had any pups yet, and the last time he put her was some three 
months ago. It is this same class who will not kill a bird out of 
season and say so every time you meet them ; but will go out and 
kill every bird in a covey and shoot the ruffed grouse from the tree 
tops. But as I said before, it is in these that the big pig element 
predominates to the exclusion of all of the finer feelings of the 
true lover of the gun aud of the plea'^ure w’hich the use of it bring 
to those who use it as it should be used aud are wilfing to lei a part 
of all game live, so that w’e and our children may in the future 
enjoy the same sport that w’o are now enjoying, and it is right. 
Did God place the bird here to be killed for the purpose of seeing 
who could slaughter the most in one day, or with one shot, as they 
are huddled together for warinili in such a winter as we have jnst 
had? I say no, and the miscreant who will do it, lias the everlast- 
ing malediction of • Baik.ek. 
The following is a remarkable instance of instinct. Immediately 
after the last Jockey clnb meeting at Plimlico, Md., tliis spring, 
George West, the renowned steeple-chaser, was sent to tlie farm of 
Capt. Powers, in Baltimore coiiniv. and turned out on pasture with 
a number of common work horses. Strange to say, however, the 
old racer refuses t(> associate with the common hor.*es, and will not 
even remain in ihc same part of the field with them, except at cer- 
tain hours. Every morning and evening during a racer's training, 
he is w'alked slowly around in a small circle for an hour or so These 
walking circles can be_ found near the stables at every race Hack, 
and they are usually about one hundred feel in diameter. On the 
first morning after old George West was turned out of the stable at 
Capt. Powers' farm, he waited around the stable doors for some time 
and neighed as if impatient. The old horse spent the entire first 
day walking up and down in front of the stables. On the following 
morning he was turned out again, and after standing around the 
stable some time, he walked off to a distant corner of tlie field, 
where he proceeded to walk around in a circle of about fifty or 
sixty yards. The walk was kept up for an hour as steadily as he 
had ever done in Ids palmiest training days. After exercising about 
an hour, the old horse li ft Ids walking ground and capered around 
the field as if delighteil. In the evening it was noticed that sliortly 
before sundown he threw up his head, and, after neighing once or 
twice, galloped around the entire field seven or eight times. He 
then suddenly stopped and went to the small circle used by him in 
the morning ana walked around it regularly for uboiit nu hour. At 
the expiration of that time he went to the stable. I'hesc exercises 
of walking and galloping have been repeated regularly ever since, 
and Capt. Powers slates that like lime George M'est begins exorcis- 
ing each "day does not vary over a half hour. He was lA.‘ptinllie 
•stable two days without gelling out, but when turned out on tlie 
third he at once began Ids walk, and kept it up as usual. The other 
horses in the field have followed his example, and now every morn- 
ing and evening, seven common horses may be seemnoviiig regu- 
larly around the small circle like a string of racers, headed by Geo. 
West, llundreds of persons have visited the farm during the pa;t 
w’cek to witness it. Beyond tlie walking, George We^t does not 
mix with the common herd at all, and lakes his gallops entirely 
alone. George West is now over six years old, but there is probably 
MO BteepIc-cliMser now living in tins country tliat in his fourth and 
fifth years won as many gallant races he has done. 
I^DEBIES ai AISSVVEBS. 
— — ' 
D. J., Iowa City.— What will kill lloas in a dog? Ans. — Persian 
powder, well blown into the coat by a powder gun, Can be got from 
any druggist. 
A. L., Baltimore.— Is umbilical hernia curable in a dog five years 
old? Ans. — No, if the licriiia is a bad one, if not, a bandage with 
a pad over tlie hernia will sometimes effect a cure. 
J. P., Titusville, Pa. — What powder do you consider best for a 
l)rccch-loadcr of 12 gauge and what load for general .“liooting? Ans. 
— Hazard's No. 4, 3 1-2 dr. for quail, fall woodcock, ruffed grouse 
or snipe and from 4 to 4 1-2 dr. for wild fowl. 
O. S., Portland, Me.— Has frog culture ever been snfficicntly tested 
to insure its being profitable? Ans.— Setli (Ireen declares that 
frogs can be easily and profitably propagated, write him, Kochester, 
N. Y. 
Plattsmoutii.— Has Gyro shooting “playeu out?” If not, does a 
person liave good practice sboiging at them, and where can we get 
them? Ans. — It is not played out. The practice is good. You can 
get them ol Parker Bros., West Meriden, Conn. 
Neoton. — D o cartridges shoot any worse for being loaded aud 
allowed to stand for a lew weeks or montlis? I claim that if the 
cartridges are kept in a dry place, aud not disturbed, they are just 
as good as the day tlicy were loaded. Ans.— I f they are loaded dry 
and kept dry, they are quite good. 
D. It. DF.i.ruos.— What do you consider the best device for carry- 
ing game in the field, viz., duck, grouse, quail, etc. An.s.— For all 
s ail game like quail, snipe, or woodcock, game pockets in the 
skirts of the shooting coat are most convenient, for heavy game, 
ducks, etc., a properly constructed game belt is the best. 
P. C., Sykacuse, N. Y. — I want a good retriever, for ducks only. 
The country wliere I sliooi is a very liard one for a dog, and my set- 
ter cannot do the work. What kind of dog do you consider best 
for my purpose? Ans.— I f you can get a Chesapeake duck dog, he 
will be just what you want. Jlr. O. I). Foulkes, Tom Point, Jld., 
may be able to put you in the way of one, if not, get a small sized 
Newfoundland and train him. 
F. M , New Y'ork. — I have a black and tan hound tliat is con- 
stantly shaking his loft ear, and appears to be suffering great pam 
in it. What is the cause aud its remedy? Ans.— The trouble is 
probably canker of tlie ear ; got from a diuggist a wasli of 
I'quor pluinhi and aqua distil, pour a little mto the dog's ear, each 
day, tlien mould the ear between the fingers so that the wash will be 
forced into all the interior parts. A few applications will probably 
produce a cure. 
K, 11., Boston. — 1. M'herc can T get ferrets, ami at what price per 
pair? 2. Do .von consid.-r using ferrets legitimate sport in rabbit 
hunting? Ans. — Write to Fred JIaiher, lloiicry Falls, N. Y. 2. 
If tlie ferrets arc muzzled and only used to bolt the rabbits which 
are afterwards shot runiiiiig. There is nothing unsportsmanlike in 
the practice, a good liounil will, however, afford more sport, and 
though some fine rabbits may be lost in liolcs or nolcs, enough will 
be got in a well-stocked country for a fair bag. 
D. W. J., Springfield.- 1 have a dog that has h.d sore eyes, they 
are well now with the c.xception of discharging thick matter and a 
dropping of the lower lids. What can 1 do for them? Ans.— The 
trouble may be the re.sult of past treatment, or of some disease 
which we cannot discover from your description. It is therefore 
impossible to prescril)e with certainty; the following will, however, 
probably effect a cure: take a earners hair brush wet with a very 
weak solution of nitrate of silver and water, draw this across the 
ball of the eye once, at inoining and night. 
C. P. G., Boston.— 1. I have four Spitz imps, tlie mother is qnite 
large. I wish to know at what age 1 sliall take^them from the mother 
and what is the most suitable food for them afterwards. 2. Is 
there any means Iiy wliicli I can keep them from growing large? 
Ans. 1.— Si.x weeks is ttie best age. Feed on bread and milk with 
a little boiled rice, later, add small quantities of vegetables and 
scraps from the table. 2. Whiskey is said to be given for the pur- 
po.se of dwarfing dogs, but we know nothing of its effects, and 
never advise its use. 
F. H.^y., Garrettsvili.e.— 1. What weight, length of barrelfand 
size of bore is best for a double barrel breech loading shot gun for 
shooting quail, partridge, snipe, woodcock and duck ?— .\ns. — 12 
bore, 30 inch. 8 to 8 1-2 lbs. 1. Is Dittmar's patent sporting pow- 
der more easily than Hazard's duck shooting at $1 jier lb., and wligt 
does it cost per lb.— Ans.— See advertisemcm. 3. Will twist barrels 
stand as lieavy loading as laminated steel ? Ans.— No. 4. What is 
the difference lietween laminated and Damascus steel? Ans.— No 
uiaterial difference, e.xcept in figure. 
S. R. H. Bucyuus, O.— In a pigeon match a contestant calls pull, 
while the breech of his gun is above his elbow, then lowers his gun 
below the elbow before bringing it up to shoot, he kills his bird in 
bounds. Is it a foul or is he entitled to his bird? Ans. — The rule 
requires the gun to be held below the elbow till the bird is on the 
wing: if the butt of the gmi is above the elbow any time after the 
trap i.s .sprung and belore the bird rises, the bird innst be scored 
lost. The position ef your gun was a question for the umpire to de- 
cide, and if it was licld contrary to rules, be was riglit in his de- 
cision. 
Van D., N. Y.— A discussion has been going on tliroiigli the pa- 
pers touching the relative merits of stutting or embalming birds 
and mammals. What is your opinion as to the better method of pre- 
paring sjiecimens? Ans. — We have been assured by thorough tux- 
idsrmisls that embalmed speeimens arc liable to shrink, and that 
there is no way of compensating for tliis so as to give eorrect pro- 
portions and outlines. We do not, however, mean to cmideiim em- 
balming. as this art may be so improved as to answer the highest 
demands upon it. 
L. F., North Brigewaler. - I.s St. Vitus resulting from distemper in 
pups curable? Ans.— This i.s a disease affeeliiig the nervous system, 
aud geiierully disappe .rs .".s the dogs regains his strength. Some- 
times, however, it becomes chronic, e.specinlly in the case of old 
dogs. The treatment consists in feeding plain, noniishing food, ac- 
companied by some siini>le tonic, aud keeping the dog in eomfnrt- 
I able quarters, tvith modeaate exercise. 
* 
