511 
proached as closely as those of early times, one 
would never need a larger rifle than the .25 rim- 
fire. A certain well-known writer tells of an 
Indian borrowing his .22 pistol to shoot a 
moose. When asked how he expected to get 
such a large animal with such a small gun, he 
replied, Me shootum in eye.” Which explains 
the point exactly. Unfortunately, however, the 
deer of this age do not stand still at short 
range to be shot at! 
Of the various calibers of small game rifles 
on the market, the .22 rim-fire is unquestionably 
the most popular. There are a number of good 
makes and models, so that the selection of a 
rifle of this caliber becomes largely a matter of 
individual preference. For hunting, of course, 
the repeater is much more desirable than the 
single-shot. The latter is all right at the target 
range, but is, at least in the .22 caliber, hardly 
adapted for the needs of the man in the field. 
Other considerations aside, it is extremely diffi¬ 
cult to load in cold weather. The tiny capsules 
seem to take a fiendish delight in slipping 
through one’s numbed fingers, to bury them¬ 
selves in the snow. Result, a ruffled temper and 
consequent poor shooting. 
In repeater actions there is a bewildering 
variety. Most repeating .22’s are constructed on 
the trombone principle, but there are also 
models which use the lever and bolt actions. 
My own rifle is one of the latter type. 
Much that has been said in regard to the 
bolt action on high-powered rifles also applies 
here. Speed of fire in a hunting arm is a sec¬ 
ondary consideration. The automatic takes care 
of the speed question very nicely; but I have seen 
game escape unscathed a fusillade from one of 
these little weapons which probably would have 
been bagged had the shooter been equipped with 
a slower arm. This question of how fast one 
can pump lead has been, I firmly believe, con¬ 
ducive to more poor shooting than any other 
one cause. Because one has eleven or twelve 
more shots in the magazine, he will not take the 
same care to place his first shot accurately; and 
usually the second shot must be a hasty snap 
at a rapidly disappearing target. So the game 
escapes. 
The sighting of a small game rifle should re¬ 
ceive as much attention as that of one intended 
for large game. The factory sights are some¬ 
times, but very rarely, good enough to render 
very satisfactory service, with a little tinkering. 
In justice to the manufacturers, it must be ad¬ 
mitted that the factory sights, at least on their 
.22 rifles, have been much improved in the last 
few years. Usually, however, the original sights 
found on the rifle at the time of purchase are 
absolutely worthless, and the arm must be re¬ 
sighted. Nearly all good makers will do this for 
you at the factory, and will put on any standard 
sights you may order. 
Rear sights are multiform. It is generally 
conceded, nowadays, that the simpler they are, 
the better. The old, crescent-shaped buckhorn 
sight has gone out of favor. If one requires a 
notch at all, it should be square-bottomed or 
U-shaped—never a V. The latter produces a 
blur and renders a fine bead difficult. 
When I bought my present rifle, it was 
equipped with a rear sight which was notched 
at least 3-16 of an inch deep. This I filed down 
until now only the tiniest suggestion of a notch 
FOREST AND STREAM 
remains and my shooting has improved in con¬ 
sequence. 
An additional peep-sight, mounted on the tang, 
1 have found to be a great help in catching a 
quick bead. It should be of the folding variety, 
and the aperture should be as small as is com¬ 
patible with clear vision. Of course, it will be 
undesirable in twilight, or semi-twilight, and may 
then be folded down out of the way. If your 
rifle is of the bolt type, however, such a sight 
can not be used. There are several forms of 
rear peep-sights adapted to bolt-action rifles for 
big game or military purposes, but the little .22 
seems to have been entirely overlooked. 
Telescope sights on a small game rifle are the 
height of folly and extravagance. In the first 
place, no small-game rifle made shoots far 
enough to render them necessary; and in the 
second place, they are adapted only to deliber¬ 
ate shooting—something that the small game 
hunter very seldom has a chance to practice in 
the field—always excepting ’chuck shooting and 
the like. 
The Small Rifle is Ideal for Such “Small Deer.” 
Globe front sights are also a mistake. In a 
poor light, the pin-head is almost invisible. Also, 
they are fragile to a degree; and totally unnec¬ 
essary. 
All that is required on any sort of a hunting 
rifle is a clean-cut, easily caught bead, of such 
material as will show up well in varying lights. 
Gold perhaps fills the bill somewhat better than 
any other material, as it has the quality of show¬ 
ing light against a dark background, and dark 
against a light. Ivory is the next choice; but it 
must be kept free of oil. Otherwise it becomes 
yellow and hard to see in an indifferent light. 
The tang of the front sight should not be too 
high. Aside from a greater liability to injury, 
a high front sight induces a tendency to over¬ 
shoot. 
There are three standards loads for the .22, 
known respectively as “short,” “long,” and “long 
rifle” cartridges. The catalog descriptions of 
most standard .22 rifles bear the statement that 
the particular arm under discussion “is chamber¬ 
ed for shorts, long or long-rifles.” This is mis¬ 
leading. One might as well declare a certain 
place to be one, two, or three miles distant! 
What is meant is that the arm is chambered 
either for longs or for long-rifles, as the case 
may be, but that the other two lengths of car¬ 
tridges may, because of a peculiarity of the con¬ 
struction of the rifle, be used in the same gun. 
It is, however, a well-known fact that after the 
long-continued use of shorts it becomes im¬ 
possible to force a longer cartridge into the cham¬ 
ber, due to the leading of the barrel at the point 
where the chamber joins the rifling. Therefore, 
I am of the opinion that the short cartridges 
should be used only in a rifle chambered ex¬ 
pressly for them. Indeed, any rifle, in order to 
be accurate, should be chambered with particular 
reference to the length of cartridge it is in¬ 
tended to shoot. 
The longs are somewhat of an improvement on 
the shorts, that is, for use in the ordinary .22, as 
they completely fill the chamber, which the shorts 
do not; moreover, they have a much greater ve¬ 
locity and striking energy, owing to the in¬ 
creased powder load. They are, however, inac¬ 
curate at comparative long range, as any car¬ 
tridge made on the “express” principle must be, 
whatever its caliber. Still, until within the last 
year or two, they constituted the best load for 
the standard .22. 
The long-rifle cartridge, as it was formerly 
made, was, notwithstanding its accurate flight, 
low trajectory and good penetration, inadvisable 
for use in a repeater. The bullets were seated 
very shallow; consequently, they had a marked 
tendency to work loose, enter the barrel crooked, 
jam, and cause a visit to the gunsmith necessary 
if, indeed, the gun did not burst and necessi¬ 
tate repairs to the shooter himself. Moreover, 
they had an annoying habit of coming in two in 
the middle, on an attempt to eject the unfired 
cartridge, leaving the bullet in the barrel, and 
spilling the powder through the action. Lately, 
however, the makers have been seating the bul¬ 
lets deeper, with a decided crimp, which holds 
them firmly in the shell. As it is made to-day, 
the long-rifle cartridge is, without doubt, the 
best for all-round hunting purposes. 
The above refers to the ordinary .22. The 
Rim-fire with its 45-grain bullet, or the Auto¬ 
matic, are both undubitably more powerful than 
either shorts, longs or long-rifles; but they are 
adapted respectively to but one make and model 
of arm. 
Hollow point bullets increase the striking en¬ 
ergy of any of these loads, and also detract from 
their accuracy at long range. 
However, if extreme range, coupled with great 
shocking power, is desired, there is only one .22 
rifle, and that is the Savage .22 Hi-Power. This 
arm is, strictly speaking, a big game rifle, and its 
use in a settled region is not to be encouraged. 
There is an ever-present likelihood that your 
bullet will travel on over in the next county 
and do damage. For coyotes, etc., in a wide, 
untenanted country, it is unexcelled; but is en¬ 
tirely too vicious for small game shooting in 
thickly settled districts. 
Granting that the .22 rim-fire is just a trifle 
light for the larger varieties of small game, 
’coons, foxes, etc., not to mention the tough and 
elusive ’chuck, there is no sense in going to ex¬ 
tremes. The .25 rim-fire is quite powerful 
enough for any of these animals. Some sports¬ 
men use the .25-20 for foxes, but in my opinion 
this weapon has an unnecessary degree of power 
