( '254 ) 
inside ; the core peg then inserted and the metal poured in sufficiently hot to run 
freely, but not red-hot, in a steady and uniform stream, not by any means in¬ 
termittent. Then remove the core peg, cut off the “get,” and the bullet will 
drop out. For soft-skinned game, no tin should be used, but the bullets 
cast of pure lead. What is known as tea lead is the best, and the bullets 
should be solid, or with not less than J inch hollow at the point, and the hollow 
should be very narrow. For buck shooting in the plains, it is best perhaps to 
have bullets with a small hollow, as they sometimes go through, though making 
a large hole at exit. But for large soft-skinned animals and for all-round 
shooting in the Himalayas and other hill ranges, the best bullets are those cast 
of pure lead and quite solid. The idea that pure lead bullets foul the barrel 
is all nonsense. If thousands of shots were fired without cleaning, any barrel 
with either pure lead or hardened bullets would become foul; but a sporting 
rifle rarely fires a dozen shots in a day and of course would be thoroughly 
cleaned after using. 
Turpentine removes ordinary leading, but when 100 shots have been fired 
it is perhaps best to cork up the breech end of barrels and shake a little mer¬ 
cury up and down inside, keeping your thumb over the muzzle end. The 
barrel can then be cleaned in the ordinary way. The mercury can be poured 
back into a bottle. Some gun-makers appear to object to supply pure lead 
bullets. It is best to procure a mould and cast them yourself. 
