1034 
FOREST AND STREAM 
[June 26, 1909. 
Gunsmiths can fit it to any rifle. Can be carried in vest pocket. 
Can be attached or detached in four seconds. Does not interfere with balance, 
Prevents all explosion noise. sighting, velocity or accuracy. 
Reduces the recoil (kick) over 50 per cent. Demonstrations given daily. 
WRITE FOR FREE CATALOGUE 
MAXIM SILENT FIREARMS CO.. 
ILoom 818 38 Park Row New York 
Branch Office, 717 Market St., San Francisco, Cal. 
\^ALSRODE 
The Original Dense 
Smokeless Powder 
Not affected by Climatic 
Changes 
Insist upon your shells being loaded 
with Walsrode. 
If you cannot procure them from your 
dealer—Write. 
periments that a change of one degree in the ther¬ 
mometer imposes a corresponding change of one foot, 
or thereabouts, in the velocity of the shot. By way of 
illustration, let us assume that a load of shot has a ve¬ 
locity of 900 feet per second in summer at a temperature 
of 90 degrees F. This velocity is rather high, as the 
standard is about 875 feet, but it will serve the purpose. 
Let us assume further that a shooter is using the same 
load the year round. In winter at a temperature of 20 
degrees F., above zero, the shot would lose about 70 feet 
in velocity as compared with the velocity in summer, 
with a corresponding adverse effect on the scores, assum¬ 
ing, of course, that the shooter did not lead his targets 
according to the necessary requirements. Below 20 de¬ 
grees F., the loss in velocity is something over one 
foot per degree in the descending scale. Thus on cool 
days the shooter needs to lead his targets more than on 
hot days and vice versa. While this may not be im¬ 
portant when the thermometer varies but a few degrees 
in temperature, it is essentially important when the 
temperature varies widely from summer to winter de¬ 
grees. 
Many times a shooter considers himself out of form 
when he obviously is not out of form at all. The error 
lies in not knowing how to- readjust himself to the 
changed conditions. 
A strange feature of this variation is that the powder 
gases are not affected by the change of temperature at 
all. The pressure gauge winter or summer registers the 
same forces, hence the explanation is in the changes of 
density in the atmosphere, heat rarifying it, cold mak¬ 
ing it more dense, and therefore more resisting to pro¬ 
jectiles. 
Bad patterns also may afford ground for a shooter to 
believe that he is out of form when he really is in his 
usual good form. When a shooter has confidence that 
he is pointing his gun correctly, and still with puzzling 
and unsatisfactory results, he should lose no time in 
forthwith trying a load or two on a stationary target to 
determine whether the pattern is good or bad. 
Some makes of soft shot are extremely soft, and it 
has been proved by repeated experiment that they will 
give less than half the pattern of chilled shot. _ It has 
also been proved that chilled shot vary greatly in their 
degrees of hardness, not only one brand as compared 
witli another, but also in respect to the same brand com¬ 
pared with itself as produced at different times. 
The density of a shot can fairly well be tested by 
pressing it between the teeth. If it is so soft as to 
flatten with little pressure, it is almost certain to give 
a thin bad pattern. 
Considering shot from the softest to the hardest, it 
will be found that the pattern is worst with softest shot 
and progressively and regularly improves up to the 
hardest, whereat it is the best. Hence, in respect to 
ammunition, the shooter can readily perceive how he 
might be apparently out of form when in fact he was not. 
The nitro powders are gradually but surely_ supplant¬ 
ing the black powders. Even in the game regions where 
the black powders were the poor man’s preference for 
reasons of economy, the nitro powders are steadily gain¬ 
ing in popularity and greater use to the corresponding 
disuse of the black powder. 
There are many considerations in judging of the ex¬ 
cellence of nitro powders, one of the chief being its 
hydroscopic properties. About 2% per cent, of moisture 
is all that it should contain. The best powders hold 
even less moisture than that. A powder which will 
maintain about that percentage in different degrees of 
dampness or dryness, is far superior to other powders 
which will not do so, all else being equal. If a greater 
degree of moisture is absorbed, the explosive force of 
the powder is lessened, while, on the other hand, if an 
important fraction of the 2% per cent, of moisture is lost, 
the explosive force is increased, perhaps to a serious 
extent. It is therefore obvious that shells should not be 
stored next the furnace nor in an excessively damp 
cellar, where heat or dampness is above the normal. 
The Club Worker. 
It was ’way up-state somewhere. A squad or two 
of experts sat wet, weary, disconsolate, begraggled, 
waiting for the one trap, an automatic, to be hammered 
into a semblance of something that would throw targets. 
The shoot, a one-day affair, had started off in a steady 
downpour, with the result that about a dozen, including 
the experts, were sufficiently enthusiastic, as well as- 
hardened to stand a thorough drenching with no chance 
of a change of clothing till evening. 
Jupiter Pluvius was doing his best, and Boreas was 
running a close second, with the result that occasional 
sheets of spray reaching to the furtherrnost corner of 
the shelter tent dampened everything in sight, including 
even the buoyant spirits of the experts. “Jim” looked 
at his watch. “Half-past two,” he snorted, “and only 
three events shot off out of ten on the programme. I’m 
going out to see what’s the matter with the gosh hanged 
thing.” And he went out and found that a hook or 
something had broken and was being patched up. He 
knew what the matter was before, but the trip to the- 
trap house relieved the monotony of waiting. Hank 
sat with his head in his hands, moodily gazing at a 
broken red W box at his feet. “By Jacks!’’ he ex¬ 
claimed. As he tried to straighten up. a rheumatic twinge' 
caught him between the shoulder blades. He made 3. 
rosy face which only lasted for an instant, for_ Hank’s 
good nature is proverbial. Little Neaf, who trains with- 
Hank, saw the movement and sympathized. “It’s this 
blasted weather. Hank,” said Neaf, “I’ll give you an¬ 
other good rubbing down to-night when we get in. It|s 
a wonder my chills don’t start up again with this 
weather. That was a beaut of a chill I had coming over- 
on that 55-mile trolley ride to Herkimer, wasn’t it? I 
was a sick man throughout the whole State shoot.” 
“That’s the trouble with this game,” broke in Sim, 
“the people’s all right; the money’s all right; but wheit 
you have to shoot and you don’t feel in trim for it, it’s 
disagreeable,” and Sim caromed a couple of empty- 
cases against the dripping side of the tent to emphasize- 
4* TVf 0 r* i SOLE U. S. JiCENTS 
jcnovcrlingt Ua.Iy & UalCSt 302-304 Broadway, New York 
N. R. DAVIS SONS, Lock Box 707. ASSONET, MASS., U. S. A. 
