Jan. 17, 1914. 
FOREST AND STREAM 
.77 
The Game Bullet of the Future 
N O longer is energy alone to be considered 
as the measure of destructiveness of a 
game bullet. Energy obtained from a 
heavy bullet moving at comparatively low speed, 
is not so destructive to tissues, not so shocking 
in this effect as the same energy obtained from 
a light bullet, at high speed. If this is not so, 
then how explain the immense knock out power 
of the little .22 Hipower, when it developed at 
the muzzle but 1200 ft. lbs. energy, and at 200 
yards hardly out-energied some of the so-called 
rook rifles. 
The little cartridge, using a 70 grain bullet 
with a muzzle energy of 2800 ft. seconds proved 
too often for argument, that on beasts of deer 
size it was more effective than the American 
cartridges of the 2,000 ft. seconds class, having 
an energy of 1600 lbs., and using a bullet of 170 
grains weight. The tiny 70 grains missile knock¬ 
ed out even Kadiak bear, moose and elk, and 
failed on these heavy boned animals only when 
it encountered a large bone, such as that of the 
shoulder. On paunch shots, where only soft 
tissue was encountered it proved especially 
deadly, developing practically an explosive effect. 
Analyzed, the tiny bullet—-and others of similar 
ballistics and construction—acts like an armor 
piercing shell. It penetrates for a few inches, 
then suddenly breaks to small bits. The writer, 
in cutting up several dozen animals killed with 
the .280 copper tube, and the .22 Hipower, failed 
to find a single portion of bullet weighing more 
than thirty grains. This fragment was taken 
from a bear shot with the .280 at a range of 
more than 400 yards. In the case of the .22 Hi¬ 
power, no piece large enough to be mentioned 
was ever discovered, although never did the bullet 
leave the body. The wound channel was always 
flecked up with bits of copper jacket, and lead 
core, but the word “bits,” is used advisedly. 
The energy obtained in this fashion is an en¬ 
tirely different thing from the energy obtained 
from a heavy, low velocity bullet that merely 
mushrooms in half hearted fashion and stops 
by the elasticity of the hide on the further side 
of the beast. The effect produced by a bullet of 
adequate weight, such as the .280 copper tube, 
can be best compared to that of some high ex¬ 
plosive, fired within the animal. The course 
of the bullet bears no relation to the size of 
the missile before striking. In the case of the 
copper tube the writer several times pushed his 
entire hand and arm into the round channel. 
The writer has several times seen beasts run 
for a long distance, or escape entirely, when shot 
through and through with missiles of the .303 
type, moving at 2,000 ft. seconds muzzle velocity. 
The velocity with which they strike is insufficient 
to cause them to break to bits, as they would at 
higher velocity. 
Also it seems to be demonstrated that bullets 
of the blunt nose type, with adequate metal at 
the head, and no approach to the spitzer shape, 
do not break up so readily as bullets with sharp 
noses, the lead in each case being exposed in 
the same degree from the jackets. The .280 
copper tube may be regarded as being in a dif¬ 
ferent class, the collapse of the air filled soft 
tube running into the body of the bullet com¬ 
pelling the entire head to give way, and the 
high speed of the bullet doing the rest. 
It is far easier to produce instances where 
bullets of great weight, .450 Cordite and .470 
By EDWARD C. CROSSMAN 
missiles, have failed to stop beasts of ordinary 
size, than it is to produce examples of modern 
high velocity spitzer bullets failing in their work. 
In the latter classification the writer does not 
include the .303 nor any other of the older 2,000 
ft. secs, cartridges. 
Mr. Stewart Edward White tells us in his 
African book of seeing a waterbuck hit repeatedly 
with bullets from .465 and .500 bore Cordite 
rifles, before it fell. Lion hunters of interna¬ 
tional reputation tell of repeated instances where 
lions were hit squarely with bullets from the 
heavy double express rifles without being stop¬ 
ped. Against this we have Mr. White’s assur¬ 
ance that ou't of 191 beasts hit with his Spring- 
field, he bagged 185, three of the missing ones 
being jackals that crept down holes. At that, 
his rifle is an arm with but 2700 ft. seconds and, 
firing in his case, full jacketed, sharp point, 165 
grain bullets. Although they turned on impact, 
producing slashing wounds, they are of course 
less efficient than the same missile with some 
means of causing it to break up. 
Persuaded by the success of its .22 Hipower, 
the makers of this rifle are now producing a 
.25 caliber, using bullet of 87 grains weight, and 
having a muzzle velocity of 3,000 ft. secs. The 
energy is of course 1730 ft. lbs., or an increase 
of nearly fifty per cent, over the .22 Hipower. 
Without a doubt it will prove entirely efficient 
for any American game at ranges within 200 
yards, and for most of it at considerably longer 
distances. 
Two American makers of ammunition are now 
turning out collapsible bullets for the new 
Springfield rifle, and sporting rifles adapted to 
this cartridge. They are loaded with same charge 
as the service cartridge and use bullets of the 
same weight. 
In one case the bullet is merely a sharp 
point with the lead exposed for a quarter inch. 
In the other, the soft point is covered by a cap 
of soft copper, tinned, that extends slightly over 
the main jacket at the junction of the two. 
Trial does not seem to show the prompt break 
up that is so desirable and so fatal with high 
velocity missiles. 
It is a ballistic fact that energy can be ob¬ 
tained from a light bullet at high speed, without 
the necessary weight of weapon, and heavy re¬ 
coil entailed in using heavier bullets devoloping 
the same energy. If at the same time this 
lighter bullet proves actually more deadly, then 
it is time to make the change to the light weight. 
In the case of pachyderms, bullets of certain 
weight are necessary to guard against lack of 
penetration. In such cases the limit to the weight 
of the rifle, and the amount of recoil the shooter 
can endure, limit the velocity at which said heavy 
bullets can be driven. 
This limitation is not present when soft 
skinned but dangerous game is the quarry. 
Shooting tigers, lions and leopards, with ounce 
bullets is quite uncalled for, with the ease in 
which their hide is penetrated. Much less energy 
applied in the form of a light bullet at very high 
speed would most assuredly prove a more deadly 
combination. 
Experienced hunters, remembering the lack 
of effect of bullets of the .303 class, are prone 
to fighting shy of even lighter bullets at still 
higher speed. It is not possible, however, to 
reason from one to the other. At velocities from 
2700 to 3100 ft. seconds spitzer bullets with proper 
construction break up so terribly that the effect is 
explosive, and on soft skinned game, however 
dangerous, rifles with such ballistics would un¬ 
questionably prove more certain. The size of the 
bullet in diameter, and the weight thereof, are 
not at all the criterions of killing effect, save 
when the velocities are equal in the case of all 
the cartridges compared. 
When the hunter remembers that he can 
'°liver an energy of 2,500 lbs. at a distance of 
200 yards without enduring excessive recoil or 
using a rifle of great weight, and that the bullet 
will break up into small bits within the beast, 
he will question the wisdom of rising a rifle of 
the old heavy bullet, large bore type. 
The astonishing effects of the smallest rifle 
ever popularly used for game shooting, and the 
corroborative work of the .280, prove beyond all 
peradventure the efficacy of small spitzer, col¬ 
lapsible bullets at very high speed. 
The question now comes, would not lions and 
similar game be stopped more promptly with 
weapons designed along more modern lines than 
those commonly used? 
The .333 may be considered as a compromise 
between the heavy express rifle, and the modern 
high velocity, small bore arm. At that it is the 
writer’s opinion that the same cartridge with 
200 grain bullet, driven at 3,000 ft. secs, would 
be fully as efficient at any range, and immensely 
more certain at short distances. 
No beast on earth, short of the pachyderms, 
could survive the shock of a 200 grain bullet 
blowing to bits as do the .22 Hipower and the 
.280. It requires but a single glance at the wounds 
produced by the two latter weapons to convince 
one of this. 
The whole secret seems to be sufficient 
velocity to cause complete break up of the bullet 
promptly upon impact. The terrific speed of 
the missile and the laceration caused by its flying 
portions knock out the beast as surely as would 
a cannon ball. 
Shackleton to try Again 
Sir Ernest Shackleton will make another 
attempt to reach the South Pole, next year. Ac¬ 
cording to advices recently received, arrange¬ 
ments which provide for the fitting out of the 
expedition have already been completed, and the 
start will be made from South America. The 
following communication regarding the undertak¬ 
ing was received from Sir Ernest Shackleton: 
“It has been an open secret for some time 
past that I am desirous of leading another ex¬ 
pedition to south polar regions. I am glad now 
to be able to state that through the generosity 
of a friend I can announce that the expedition 
will start next year with the object of crossing 
the south polar continent from sea to sea. 
“I have taken the liberty of calling the ex¬ 
pedition the ‘Imperial Transantarctic Expedition,’ 
because I feel not only that the people of these 
islands, but our kinsmen in all lands under the 
Union Jack, will be willing to assist toward carry¬ 
ing out the full program of the exploration 
to which my comrades and myself are pledged.” 
