I 
THE RIFLE OF A PAST HALF CENTURY 
19 
ing obstacle to reach the fatal organ. If the animal 
be a tiger, lion, bear, or leopard, the bullet should 
have the power to penetrate, but it should not pass 
completely through. If it should be a wapiti, or 
sambur stag, the bullet should also remain within, 
retained in all cases under the skin upon the side 
opposite to that of entrance. How is this to be 
managed by the same rifle burning the same charge 
of powder with a solid bullet ? 
The penetration must be arranged by varying the 
material of the bullet. A certain number of cart¬ 
ridges should be loaded with bullets of extreme 
hardness, intended specially for large thick-skinned 
animals ; other bullets should be composed of softer 
metal, which would expand upon the resisting muscles 
but would not pass completely through the skin upon 
the opposite side. The cartridges would be coloured 
for distinction. 
If the metal is pure lead, the bullet ‘577, with an 
initial velocity of 1650 feet per second, will assuredly 
assume the form of a button mushroom immediately 
upon impact, and it will increase in diameter as it 
meets with resistance upon its course until, when 
expended beneath the elastic hide upon the opposite 
side, it will have become fully spread like a mature 
mushroom, instead of the button shape that it had 
assumed on entrance. I prefer pure lead for tigers, 
lions, sambur deer, wapiti, and such large animals 
which are not thick-skinned, as the bullet alters its 
form and nevertheless remains intact, the striking 
energy being concentrated within the body. 
