Oct. 9, 1909 ] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
Small-Bores. 
Red Bank, N. J., Sept. 28 .—Editor Forest and Stream: 
The discussion of the subject Large vs Small Bores, 
precipitated by Mr. Hedderly’s advocacy of the latter, 
has brought out several interesting communications. 
Yet there is a way other than has been presented of 
looking at it, namely, the closeness of pattern desired, 
governing the size of the killing circle with a given load 
of shot, and the relative chances of hitting or missing. 
Taking No. 8 shot, which is a very common size for 
all gauges, and ISO pellets in a 30-inch circle at 40vds. 
as a fair field pattern, we find in round numbers, allow¬ 
ing 400 pellets to the ounce, that 180 is 35 per cent, of 
lkloz; 40 per cent, of l%oz.; 45 per cent, of loz.; 50 
per cent, of %oz.; 60 per cent, of %oz., and <0 per cent, 
of %oz. of shot. 
A cylinder 12-bore with VAoz. shot will pattern about 
35 per cent., or ISO pellets, and if we want a 28-bore 
to shoot as closely it would be necessary to choke it to 
70 per cent. It might be inferred that because the large 
load is double the smaller one that the chance of hit¬ 
ting is also double, but let us see if this is so. 
Assuming the areas of the killing circles for a given 
degree of closeness of pattern, to be in proportion to 
the loads cf shot, the diameters will vary as the square 
roots of the areas. As the chances of hitting varies 
with the distance off the center, or with the diameter or 
spread of the killing circle, it is as the square roots of 
the loads, instead of in direct proportion to them. In 
this way, calculating the ratio of the diameters of the 
killing circles of the 12 and 28 bore loads, we find it is 
as 100 is to 71; therefore the chances of hitting or miss¬ 
ing are in the same ratio, and not as 100 is to 50, as 
commonly supposed. . 
Making a more moderate comparison of a 12-bore 
load of l%oz. with a 20-bore load of %oz., the chances 
are as 100 is to 82, and not as 100 is to 67, which the 
direct proportion of the loads would indicate, while the 
same load of l%oz. compared with loz. in a 16-bore 
shows the chances are reduced to 100 to 94 
If the 12-bore be reduced in weight to 6!4 or 6%lbs. 
to use loz. shot, it will have no advantage over a 16- 
bore of the same weight, in the use of No. 8 shot. 
The above comparisons go to show that the chances 
of hitting are not so greatly with the large bore after 
all. Lightness of gun and ammunition and slimness of 
barrels permitting rapid and accurate alignment are 
added factors in favor of the small bore, to say nothing 
of the increased satisfaction to be derived from the use 
of neat and appropriate tools, and of the comfort of 
handling. . , „ 
In order that the effective range of the small-bores 
may be the same as that of a 12-bore cylinder,_ it is 
necessary to choke them, as above stated, to obtain the 
same closeness of pattern, the comparisons here made 
being based upon this condition. 
T. H. Grant. 
Gun Accidents. 
Gun accidents may be classed under two headings 
unavoidable and avoidable. Obviously, of the former 
class it is useless to say much, for when a shooter is 
satisfied as to the reliability, of his gun and cartridges, 
has made himself well acquainted with the flight of shot 
and its occasional eccentric behavior, and when shoot¬ 
ing, takes every care for the safety of others as well 
as himself, nothing more can be done. But, unfor¬ 
tunately, many accidents that are said to have been 
unavoidable cannot rightly be called so, for they fre¬ 
quently happen from ignorance of the gun’s condition. 
The use of dangerous overcharges, the spread of shot, 
the distance at which it will inflict injury, and other 
conditions are all matters of which a man should have 
some knowledge before he begins to shoot at least in 
company. . .. _ . , ,. , 
All such accidents must be considered avoidable, tor 
no man has a right to amuse himself to the danger of 
others without first taking every precaution to diminish 
that danger as much as possible. It is his duty to 
know all there is to know about the powers of the gun 
and charge he uses, and when an accident occurs through 
him he should by no means be able to offer the excuse 
“I didn’t know,” for, if he can truthfully do so, the 
accident could have been and should have been pre- 
I know many men who have been shooting for years, 
some of them very good shots indeed, who know noth¬ 
ing about the flight of shot, beyond the fact that from 
their guns it kills up to a certain distance and occa- 
ionally beyond, and to this lack of knowledge not a 
few men owe the loss of an eye or worse. 
Experiments have been made by firing at a very large 
area covered with paper, and it has been found that 
although in most cases the whole charge at. 30yds. was 
distributed within a circle of a few feet, yet in a certain 
percentage (I think seven) three or four pellets (gener¬ 
ally close together) would be found at a distance of 
from 15 to 20ft. from the center of the main charge, 
having thus flown at an angle of about 40 degrees. Two 
accidents from this eccentric flight of shot have come 
under my notice—a man standing 8 or 10yds. out of the 
line of fire was hit in the .knee with three pellets, and 
on another occasion, in a similar way, a man was hit by 
two pellets in the eye. 
This angular flight is often caused by the pellets hav¬ 
ing been crushed out of shape as they travel up the 
barrel, and is the more likely to happen when soft shot 
is used and a choke-bore gun. Tnese pellets that go 
off at a tangent, fortunately, have not the velocity of 
the main charge, but nevertheless are capable of doing 
serious injury. When grouse driving, and the birds 
have kept low between our butts, I have had No. 3 
from my neighbor’s gun much too near my head to be 
pleasant; and even at 80yds. this size shot will do very 
serious damage. It is no uncommon thing to see a man 
shoot at a pheasant 30ft. above a beater’s head, and I 
have known shot to glance from a branch and. come 
down through a man’s hat. A very risky shot is one 
at ground game, when the ground is frozen hard, with 
any one at all near the line of fire; and yet hundreds of 
yVtNCH£5T£R 
Winchester 
Winchester Rifles and 
Winchester Ammuni¬ 
tion are the invariable 
choice of experience- 
taught and discrimina¬ 
ting big game hunters. 
Sold everywhere. Ask for 
the red w BRAND 
.»m/| y rifles were an Army 
Ill Springfield, 30-calibre, 
stocked and sighted to 
suit myself, a Winchester 
405 , and a double-barrelled 
500-450 Holland, a beautiful 
weapon presented to me by 
English friends. Kermit’s 
battery was of the sa ^ ne 
type, except that instead of 
a Springfield he had another 
Winchester, shooting the 
TmiiTa^^ndion, and his 
double barrel was a Rigby- 
CY-PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT 
IN THE OCTOBER SCRIBNER. 
TRUTH WILL OUT 
t 
men take the shot, and sometimes regret it. Many 
shooters, when walking turnips or other root crops carry 
their guns with the barrels resting in the left hand, 
while the grip is in the right hand and the muzzles 
pointing to the left. Many a time have I. seen them 
pointed toward the left-hand neighbor. It is far safer 
to have the rib resting on the right shoulder, from 
whence the barrels may easily be brought down into 
the left hand when birds rise. A friend of mine who 
had shot a great deal in India told me that he frequently 
had for a companion a young lieutenant, and when they 
walked in single file this young man m front carried 
his rifle over his shoulder with the muzzle pointing at 
my friend’s head. The latter persuaded him to change 
his method and carry it gripped by the right hand 
round the breech with the muzzle pointing ahead, and 
even then the lieutenant frequently turned round to 
speak at the same time pointing his rifle at my friend s 
waistbelt. So the latter gave up the lecturing and 
walked in front of him instead of behind. 
Guns are frequently closed after loading by snapping 
up the barrels, a foolish practice, for it strains the gun, 
and a dangerous one as well, for when the gun is open 
the muzzles may be pointing to the ground; but on 
being raised to close the breech they are pointing at the 
head of the man in front. The correct way to close a 
gun is by raising the stock, not the barrels. 
Many so-called fatal accidents should certainly be 
brought in as manslaughter, for they happen through j 
rank carelessness. This is especially so among farmers. 
I have on many an occasion watched a farmer point¬ 
ing and carrying his gun with the trigger-guard resting 
in the hollow of his left arm and the left hand gripping 
the heel-plate. As he ran to pick up a ferret the muzzles, 
being about on a level with his elbow, covered every 
one behind at intervals. 
Moreover, they never have their guns attended to 
until it is absolutely necessary, and many of them have 
a “pull-off” of the very lightest description. Most of 
them use guns of the commonest make, and frequently 
so loose at the breech that one could easily insert a 
threepenny bit. For loads they will use powerful nitro 
powders which occasionally they mix with black; they 
take the most risky shots, shooting on the top ot the 
fence or within 4ft. of a friends, and the wonder is not 
that there are so many accidents, but that there are^ not 
a great many more. The majority of them come irom 
lack of knowledge and sheer carelessness.—Ljector in 
Field (London). 
The Forest and Stream may be obtained from any 
newsdealer on order. Ask your dealer to supply you 
regularly. 
\ 
