November, 1917 
FOREST AND STREAM 
553 
G. B., Meriden, Conn.: 
Where can I get a .22 repeating rifle 
with a Swiss butt plate? 
Ans.—You will have to order it spe¬ 
cially as there is no .22 calibre repeating 
rifle regularly furnished with such a butt 
plate. You will find it a great handicap on 
quick shots, and I would advise against it. 
M. L., Bar Harbor, Maine: 
What is the best size of shot to use for 
rabbits? 
Ans.—Try No. 7J4. It will give excel¬ 
lent results. You can get them loaded in 
any of the standard trap loads. 
C. A. J., Springfield, Ill.: 
Why cannot game of approximately the 
same size be killed with the same size shot? 
Ans.—The size of shot necessary to kill 
an animal cleanly is determined by the 
toughness of the animal and the strength 
of its protective coating. For example, a 
crow requires a much larger shot than a 
quail, for the black robber has a heavy 
coat of coarse feathers. 
D. W. V., Virginia: 
Is the .22 long rifle cartridge powerful 
enough for squirrels? (2) What part of 
a squirrel should a man shoot at ? I have 
heard it is not considered sportsmanlike 
to shoot at any part except the head. 
Ans.—There may be cartridges better 
adapted to squirrel shooting than the .22 
long, but they are more expensive and are 
not so good for target practice. Consider¬ 
ing all things, the .22 long is the best, as it 
is accurate and powerful enough when 
loaded with the hollow point bullet. 
(2) If you are a good marksman and can 
shoot a squirrel in the head, do so by all 
means as none of the meat will be spoiled. 
But conditions are sometimes so that a 
head shot is impossible. If you cannot 
see the head because of branches, etc., you 
must of necessity shoot at what you see. 
C. P. L., Seattle, Wash.: 
Would an accident happen if you care¬ 
lessly put a cartridge in the magazine of 
a .22 repeater with the bullet towards the 
rear instead of towards the muzzle? 
Ans.—A jam would certainly happen, 
and possibly an explosion in the action. 
Such carelessness should be guarded 
against, as I know of no .22 rifle that is 
so constructed that it will handle car¬ 
tridges regardless of the way they are put 
in the magazine. 
V. D., Huntington, Ind.: 
Are there any rules governing the throw¬ 
ing of clay pigeons from a trap in a trap 
shooting contest? Some gun clubs have 
the traps set so that they throw traps in 
almost every direction. 
Ans.—Rules for throwing clay targets 
with regard to height, distance, and angle 
are prescribed by the Interstate Associa¬ 
tion, which governs trap shooting in this 
country. Any gun club should throw its 
targets within these prescribed limits so 
that the members will become accustomed 
to standard conditions; for though wild 
targets may make good practice for game 
shooting, they do not help toward good 
scores in standard trap shooting contests 
B. B. B., Miami, Fla.: 
Which guns and rifles are considered 
more durable, those made with flat or 
coiled springs? 
Ans.—In the flat spring the tension of 
compression comes at one point, while in 
the coiled spring it is equally distributed 
over the whole spring, which makes the 
coiled spring more durable. 
C. P., Yarmouth, N. S.: 
Will an automatic pistol keep on shoot¬ 
ing as long as you hold the trigger, or 
do you have to pull it for every shot ? 
Ans.—There seems to be a prevalent mis¬ 
understanding as to the term “automatic” 
applied to a pistol. Automatic pistols are 
not automatic in the dictionary sense of 
the word ; they are self-loading. In them 
all is a device which either locks or dis¬ 
connects the trigger during the reloading 
operation and permits another shot only 
when the shooter fully releases the trig¬ 
ger. It would be possible to change cer¬ 
tain parts of the action so that the weapon 
would fire the full magazine if the trigger 
were held back, but the result would be 
very disastrous. The recoil throws the 
weapon up and back, and a continuous 
series of shots would tear the weapon from 
the shooter’s hand, or perhaps twist his 
wrist backward so that he would shoot 
himself or someone in back or at one side 
of him. 
C. D., Los Angeles, Cal.: 
Does it make any difference in accuracy 
if a revolver has a right-band twist to the 
rifling or a left-hand twist? 
Ans.—There is not the slightest differ¬ 
ence in accuracy. One prominent revolver 
manufactory makes its barrels with a right- 
hand twist while another uses the left-hand 
twist. It is on the same principle as a 
top, which spins well if thrown accurately 
no matter which way the cord is wound. 
If the twist given to the bullet has the 
right rotating speed, it will have the proper 
accuracy. 
P. X., Nottingham, N. H.: 
How is the sling strap used to steady 
the rifle in the various shooting positions? 
Ans.—In the off-hand position the sling 
is of little assistance, though some shoot¬ 
ers find that it helps them. In this posi¬ 
tion, the arm should be passed through the 
sling from the left side, and the left hand 
should pass around under the strap and 
back to the stock just back of the hand 
swivel. In the kneeling and prone posi¬ 
tions, the arm should be put through the 
loop of the sling in such a way that the 
sling passes back on the left side of the 
right wrist. The loop should be as near 
the shoulder as possible. 
L. L., Deep River, Minn.: 
Do you consider the aperture front sight 
good for hunting? It is extensively ad¬ 
vertised. 
Ans.—If you get an aperture front sight 
especially constructed for hunting, with a 
large opening, you will find it good for the 
work. ___ 
H. H. O., Erie, Pa.: 
Will you please give me instructions for 
building a practical duck blind that will 
last through a season ? 
Ans.—In building a duck blind first be 
sure of your location; consider the direc¬ 
tion of the wind, the currents of water and 
the usual flight of ducks, as well as its re¬ 
lation to other blinds. 
Where trees can be had to fit lattice on 
use the trees, but when you cannot find any 
trees do as follows: Set in three posts, the 
size all depending on the size you wish the 
blind to be. These posts need only be small 
and driven in the lake bottom far enough 
to withstand all winds. They should ex¬ 
tend four feet above ground. Then get six 
laths (of thin material so as to be limber), 
each one long enough to reach the three 
posts. Then nail three laths on posts, put¬ 
ting them about a foot and four inches 
apart. 
Now get a good stock of bulrushes, 
commonly called cat-tails, cutting them off 
near the root so as to make them all the 
longer. Carrying them to the frame of the 
blind stand them up (one deep) all along 
the laths, but have them just as close to¬ 
gether as you can possibly get them. 
After you have enough bulrushes have 
them all placed as described, seeing that the 
butt of each one rests solidly, then take 
the other three laths and nail bulrushes to 
frame solidly. 
Have the latter laths over laths before 
described and remember to nail only on 
posts, as if you should try to nail the laths 
together they, having no support, would be 
likely to break. 
Use good sound cord to tie laths to¬ 
gether where not supported by posts, so 
the bulrushes will be there good and solid. 
Then cut several holes about three inches 
square in bulrushes to push barrel of gun 
through, instead of shooting over the top. 
