*B EbE 45E sD CO CM >- THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESENTED BY PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID THE SPORTSMAN'S iAND BOOK CONTAINING RULES, TABLES OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES, CONCISE INSTRUCTIONS ON Selecting, Caring for and Handling Guns and Fishing Tackle ; Dog Breaking ; Shooting on the Wing ; Hunting Large Game; Camping Out and Catnp Cooking; Miscella- neous Recipes ; How to Skin and Prepare Bird and Animal Skins for Specimens ; and Many OtJier Hints and Instructions Use- ful to Beginners. COL. HORACE PARK. CINCINNATI : ROBERT CLARKE & Co. _18SG. COPYRIGHTED: COL. HORACE PARK, L88& Better to hunt in fields for health imhou^ht, Than fee the doctor for a nauseous draught, The wise for cure on exercise depend ; God never made his work for man to mend. Dry dm. This, on the face of it, is a "hook of reference and suggestions for the beginner. It is written for the young sportsman, not the old and experienced. Its object is not to advance new theories by excursions to debatable grounds, but to present the results of actual experiments, as well as facts established by more than thirty years' experience, together with admitted truths, all in a plain form. Details may appear somewhat dull, but clearness can not be accomplished by any other method. The typographical arrangement of the book may appear somewhat fragmentary and broken. I have drawn from scientific reports, and have quoted the results of the experiments of reliable men and authors, for which due credit has been given. The tables of weights and measures, etc., will certainly be appreciated for reference. I believe the careful reader will find the subject throughout, brought up to the latest clearly ascertained results, while in some directions a positive advance has been made. I lo RACK PARK. CONTENTS. Animals, How to Skin and Preserve no Army Rations 74 Baggage 68 Birds, How to Skin 101 Bird Skins, How to Preserve 104 Birds, Speed of Flight 36 Bore of Shotguns 41 Brass and Paper Shot Shell 22 Camp Chest 77 Camp Cooking 77 Camp Fire 72 Camping Out 67 Camp Outfit 68 Camping Parties 69 Choke Bore 40 Choice of Hunting Rifle 44 Colic, How to Cure 97 Distemper Cure" 94 Dogs, Care of, 117 Choice of 1 16 Training 118 Fire Arms 14 Fish, How to Preserve 91 Fish Lines and Leaders, How to Color 93. Fishing with Hook and Line 90 Guns, Best for all Purposes 40 Choke-boring 40 Care of and Cleaning 59 Name of Parts 30 Standard of Bore 41 M313028 Gun Barrels, Boring 19 How Made 16 Rust Spots 62 Gun Implements 22 Gunpowder Composition 10 Hunting Large Game 51 Lakes, Size of 98 Landmarks 52 Lost in the Woods 54 Medical Department 89 Miscellaneous Recipes 93 Missfire, Cause and Cure 42 Mosquito and Gnat Bites 93 Pack Animals : 88 Pack Mules 83 Pack Saddle 83 Percussion Caps 1 1 Powder, Number of Shell one pound will load 10 Primers, List of. 12 Riding Animals 88 Saddle, Choice of 89 Shot, Number of Shell one pound will load 10 Shot, Number of Pellets to the ounce n Snell, Snood, Gimp 96 Strychnine Antidote 94 Varnish for Joint Rods 93 Varnish for Gun Stock 93 Velocity of Shot 36 Millimeter. . Centimeter. Decimeter. . Dekameter. Meter. . Hectometer o* q rt> n> Myriameter. g B ft 3 o" 3 o| H ej SI- - o O O M P P P p o 3 rt> 3 f ! ft 3 rt> 3 n CD ! i 3 n >- ft Crt 1 CO I CO c co c 5 | '1 -T CO 00 I CO to CO w d 3" n" 5' 5' 3 - 3* r? 3 3. EL 3- 3" S- ( 3- & ** rT 3 V3 C/3 3 ? ST a 3 5" C 3" c/> ^ <: w 5 v w tn ^ Q 1 g ffi S 51 SI'OK PSMAN'S HAM) HOOK. 1 . 5/5 (A (U D _G -^ ^c C >.. o> u C3 13 ^: - % qj 03 03 3 3 03 t/3 c > *3 r^ ^- 10 cr W ' s TrH tl W3 ( U h IM jy (U 4J .6 S S JJ SJ 2i U j3 g | * 13 ?y? T3 P O r-t O rt ^ c C .2 : r~: rt c a o d 0) Q qj oJ 5 5 g 4J fi W D o o k X 3 w u t- t- i- t^ 10 : t^ OO f} a O a ffi p^j s' g crq' "H p 3 Orq' P ecigram . , p 3 p crq p fD 4 i 1 P o yriagram , S. 3" P 3 5 3 9 0* P O fD x i 02 3* P H ^ o sh o| H 0|M cj * h- 1 o M o 1 I p^ i 3 P sh . M O o I* sj 3 3, o cr 1 n> 3 3 S" 1 3 CD 3*0. 3 3 o 3 3 ? n> ji 3 3 n> nT nT 3 % n> 3 . 3 ? ! ^ P H CO to to " ' ! W b t * S 1 4- CO CO Or to to o b p to o > " CO to to ~-J !* 'Oi Gi 05 01 ^ 2. P_ CD ^t nT Orq crq crq 5 o 13 "T3 ^d T3 crq* ^ 3 "- P P p_ 3 3 o O r* o en 5* 5' 3" en 3' n o 8 3 O- en 3 a. 3 CL en 3 g- en' 5" a ? 8 SPORTSMAN'S HAND BOOK. For measuring surfaces the square Dekameter is used under the term ARC; the Hectare or 100 ares is equal to about 2 acres. The unit of capacity is the cubic decimeter or LITER, and the series of measures is formed in the same way as in the case of the table of lengths. The cubic meter is the unit of measure for solid bodies, and is termed STERE. The unit of weight is the GRAMME, which is the weight of one cubic centimeter of pure water weighed in a vacuum at the temperature of 4 Centigrade or 39. 2 Fahrenheit, which is about the temperature of maximum density. In practice, the term cubic centimeter abbreviated C. C., is used instead of milliliter, and cubic meter instead of kilolitre. MEASURES AND WEIGHTS. WBICHTT. The standard avoirdupois pound is the weight of 27.7015 cubic inches of distilled water weighed in air at 39.83, the barometer at 30 inches. A cubic inch of water weighs 252.6937 grains. AVOIRDUPOIS. 16 drachms I ounce. 16 ounces 1 pound. 112 pounds 1 cwt. 20 cwt I ton. Drachms. Ounces. Pounds. 256 28672 1792 573440 35840 2240 1 pound=14 oz. 11 pwts. 16 grs. troy, or 7000 grains. 1 ounce=18 dwts, 5.5 grains troy or 437.5 grains. TROY. 24 grains 1 dwt. Grains. Dwt. 20 dwt 1 ounce. 480 12 ounces 1 pound. 5760 240 7000 troy grains 1 Ib. avoirdupois. 437.5 troy grains 1 oz. " . 175 troy pounds, 144 Ibs " 175 troy ounces , 192 oz. " 1 troy pound ,822857 Ib. 1 avoirdupois pound 1.21578 Ibs. troy. APOTHECARIES. 20 grains 1 scruple. 3 scruples 1 drachm. 8 drachms 1 ounce. 12 ounces 1 pound. 45 drops 1 teaspoonful or a fluid drachm. 2 tablespoonfuls 1 ounce. The pounds ounce and grain are the same as in troy weight. 10 SPORTSMAN'S HAND BOOK. Gunpowder. The following table shows the composi- tion of the different gunpowders: Mills. Niter. Charcoal. Saltpeter. Royal Waltham Aboy.. France National Mills . . French Sporting 7500 7500 7800 1500 1250 1200 1000 1250 1000 French Mining (3500 1500 2000 USA . ... 7500 1250 1250 Prussia , 7500 1350 1150 7300 1350 1263 Austria (musket) 72QO 1700 1600 7647 1078 1275 Sweden . . . 7600 1500 900 Switzerland 7600 1400 1000 7500 1440 990 Theoretical Powder . 7500 1323 1177 Gunpowder is distinguished as musket, mortar, cannon, mammoth and sporting. . Number of cartridges one pound of powder will load: with 5 drachms 1 pound will load 51 shell 4 " 3 >< 2 th 1 ounce " 1;M$ " " l# " 2 64 73 85 M 102 128 SHOT. 1 pound will load 16 it I4 x 12 x 11 x 10 x 9 x 9 g shell MEASURES AND WEIGHTS. Number of shot pellets each size in one ounce: 11 Leroy's. Tatham's. Chicago. English. N<3. 10 822 848 850 1700 " 9 560 563 596 1000 " 8 375 399 434 605 " 7 ' -278 291 323 350 " 6 209 218 216 270 " 5 149 168 172 220 " 4 121 132 146 . 180 " 3 98 106 118 130 " 2 82 86 92 110 " 1 60 71 75 80 Percussion caps are numbered from 5 to 14. The sizes run with the numbers from 5 small to 14 large. Larger than 14 are musket. There is no standard size to the grain of powder. Each mill make their own sized grains. When numbered they usually run from I fine to 6 coarse. When Bettered, from extra fine, Fg, IFfif to IIFg coarse. For shotguns No. 3 or FFg gives the highest velocity and best penetration, with the same amount. The recoil is slightly greater than coarser. Restoring Unserviceable Powder. When powder has been damaged by being stored in damp places, it loses its strength and requires to be worked over. If the .quantity of water absorbed does not exceed 7 per cent, it is sufficient, if it is dried, to restore it to service. This is done by exposing it to the sun. When powder has absorbed more than 7 per cent, of water it is worthless, unless worked over at some powder mill. 12 SPORTSMAN'S HAND BOOK. SHELL PRIMERS. From the fact that there is quite a number of different sizes and kinds of primers, it is well to remember the num- ber or name on the box to avoid confusion when purchas- ing. A great many men go to a gun-store and inquire for Primers for No. 12 shell, or No. 10 shell. The size of the shell has nothing to do with the size or kind of primer. All , that is necessary is to remember the name of the primers on the box you have used. LIST OF THE DIFFERENT PRIMERS. No. PRIMERS COPPER. for S. & W., and Colt's S. A. & D. A. 32, 38, 41, and other small caliber pistols, using central fire ammunition. No. 1 PRIMERS COPPER. For 44 M. & H., 44 Webley, 44 Bulldog, 45 S. & W., and 45 Webley pistol cartridges; 32, 38, and 44 Winchester, Ballard, Wesson's and Colt's rifle cartridges. No. \Yi PRIMERS BRASS, Are the same size as No. I, but less sensitive; will fit same shell as No. I, and are better for guns with very strong mainsprings, as they are harder and the plunger will not cut through. No. 2 PRIMERS COPPFR. For paper and metallic shot shells, 44 Russian, 44 and 45 Colt's pistols, and other shells using No. 2 primers. No. 2j PRIMERS BRASS. Diameter and depth same as No. 2, but less sensitive; used usually in military cartridges, but will fit same as No. 2. Better for guns with very strong mainsprings. SHELL PRIMERS. 13 The following primers are known by name as well as number. All others, whether by the same maker or not, the same numbers are the same size: Berdan No. I, military cartridges. Berdan No. i l /2 same size of No. I but more sensitive for brass shot shell. Berdan No. 2 for brass shot shell. Orcutt for old style paper shot shell. Breech-loading shell caps, or percussion primers, are for Sturtevant brass shot shell. NOTE Berdan primers can be used only on shell especially made for them. 14 SPORTSMAN'S HAND BOOK. FIRE -ARMS. It is now a little over four hundred years since fire- arms were first invented, and from the period of their first in- ception to the present time money has been expended to almost an unlimited degree, and the brains of many, many ' men, have been racked in perfecting the crude results of first experiments and in bringing before the public at the pres- ent time the high degree of attainment wrought in their per- fection as found in the hammerless breech-loading shot-guns of to-day. About the first gun that we have any account of was called the "Bombard," which dates back to about the year 1450. This gun was an unwieldy, uncouth mass of iron, weighing eighty pounds or over, and was fired by using a lighted stick. The first shoulder gun, or a gun with a stock, called an "Arquebus," was brought into notice about the year 1468. This was a very awkward arm, and could not be introduced in nor used by the armies of that period, as they were exceedingly heavy, requiring several men to handle them, and were of little practical use- they were able to fire it but about eight times in twenty-four hours by hard work the soldiers at that time much preferring their bows and arrows or cross-bows, and their cumbersome stone- throwing catapult. The next step forward was the inven- tion and attempted introduction of an improvement by the addition of a contrivance called a v/heel lock, at Nurem- berg, in 1630, answering the purposes of ignition, for which it was intended, very poorly. This gave way to the flint lock, which, in its perfected form, was used by our fore- fathers who "fit in the Revolution." The greatest stride of progress towards making a fire- arm practical (with due respect to our ancient flint lock)' was the invention of the percussion cap, in 1818. FIRE-ARMS. 15 Few realize the wonderful progress made in the last few years in fire-arms. For a moment look back but a short time at the arms used by the BOYS in the field, and compare them with the present. Think of the roll of paper filled with powder and ball, and the necessity of biting off the end of the paper before turning the powder in the muzzle of the barrel, then ramming down the ball, and finally put- ting on a cap, and compare it with the quick movement of simply inserting a shell, all ready to be discharged, in the breech of the gun, as at present, and you will then realize the degree of improvement that has been brought forward. The most recent invention is a gun without visible hammers. The appearance is very handsome, though some- what peculiar looking, owing to the absence of hammers where we are accustomed to see them, but familiarity will soon overcome whatever little objection this may raise in the mind of anyone. The hammers proper are arranged in a very substantial and at the same time simple manner, on the inside of the stock, corresponding to the location of the locks on guns in general use. They are so constructed that throwing up the barrels for trTe- purpose of introducing a shell, cocks both barrels, at the same time shifts an auto- matic safety, catch into a position firmly locking the trig- gers, rendering the gun safe from an accidental discharge. The safety catch is situated on the grip near the position of the thumb. Before the gun can be discharged the safety catch must be shoved a little forward, which is easily done by a slight motion of the thumb; then the gun is discharged like other guns, by simply pulling the triggers. The ham- merless gun is fast gaining favor with many sportsmen, but at present they range at too high prices to come within the means of the masses. Although it is difficult to see where there can be more room fot improvement in fire-arms, or breech-loading shot- guns in particular, still time will tell, and the rapid strides that have been made in the last few years leads to the be- lief that "the end is not yet." SPORTSMAN'S HAND BOOK. There is no part of a gun, except the barrel, but what can be made by hand by any really first-class gunsmith. Gun barrels are made at regular factories by mechanics called barrel-makers. A very clear idea can be had from the following paper published in the Scientific American May II, 1872. It is copied in full and will be found quite interesting, as so little is known by the masses concerning the manner, or the material used in their manufacture: BIRMINGHAM GUN MAKERS' AND INVENTORS' CLUB. At a recent meeting of the above club, according to the Mechanics* Magazine, Mr. Samuel Smith, of Weaman street, Birmingham, gun barrel maker, read a paper on the manufacture of gun barrels, of which the following is an abstract: The material used for gun barrels was mostly charcoal iron. For plain and figured barrels, at the date of which I am speaking namely, 1793 the iron used was stub, stub twist, wire twist, and Damascus. Stub twist was first made as plain stub, but, instead of being hammered into a "skelp" or flat plate, it was drawn into a strip, coiled around a mandrel, and welded in the usual way. Stub twist is now made of old horseshoe nails and steel cuttings, about two inches long, one-quarter inch in breadth, and the same in thickness. The two are mixed up together and " balled " in a furnace, and the bloom drawn out under the forge hammer. It is then rolled into a strip, coiled round a man- drel, and welded as before. If the balls are very large, or the stubs or steel of inferior quality, the iron will not be good. Plain stub barrels were made of the same iron, forged into a skelp, and welded longitudinally. GUN BARRELS. 17 Damascus and wire twist are now made by " piling " plates of iron and steel alternately. The plates are about three inches broad and a quarter of an inch thick. From sixteen to twenty are piled on top of each other; they are then placed in a furnace and raised to a welding heat, drawn down under a forge hammer, and rolled into square rods, 3-8, 7-16, 1-2 and 9-i6-inch, according to the size of the barrels required. The wire twist is rolled so as to show the edges of the different plates on the flat of the strip, so that when it is welded together it looks like a coil of wire from one end of the barrel to the other. The Damascus is rolled into square rods; these are cut into suitable lengths, heated white hot, and twisted until they become round like a screw. Two or three of these are welded together, and then rolled down to rods of the size required. These are then coiled round a mandrel and welded in the usual way. There is another iron, called silver steel. It was first made about forty years ago, I believe, by Mr. Whitehouse, of Wednesbury, by laminating Swedish iron and steel, like Damascus, but not with so many layers. It is very good. The figure is not much better than the iron that is now called single iron Damascus, but it was a very strong iron. The silver steel that is now made is rolled into a square of 7-16 inch, and worked like Damascus. Two rods are welded together and rolled down to the size re- quired, and welded in the same way as other twisted bar- rels. This iron is now made both at Adams' and J. Clive's. There is not so much used as formerly. About forty-five years ago J. Clive began to make iron for gun barrels, and the best iron is now made by Mr. G. Adams and J. Clive, who may be said to be indeed the only makers of "best twist " gun iron. The iron now in use is of six qualities 1st, skelp twist, price 2d. per Ib. ; 2d, iron twist, 3d. per Ib. ; 3d, fourpenny stub, 4d. per Ib. ; 18 SPORTSMAN'S HAND BOOK. 4th, fivepenny stub, 5 one in particular was at Wednesbury Bridge, and here Mr. R. Adams, above men- tioned, worked; and there is no doubt he saw what the trade required. At the close of the French war he began (H'N HARRKI.S. 19 to make twist iron as a trade. Before this time it had been made at various forges, but no one made a specialty of this kind of iron. Mr. Adams continued working at Wednes- bury till unfortunately killed by the bursting of a boiler, after which Mr. G. Adams took up the business and contin- ues to make twist gun iron at his new works, in Church Lane, West Bromwich, up to the present day. Boring: After the barrels are welded, they go to the mill. They are first rough bored. This is done by fasten- ing them in a socket or holder; the "bit" is a square steel "rimer,'' of suitable length, running at about 500 revolu- tions per minute, which is forced through the barrel. The fine borer then examines the barrel, "sets" or straightens it, and then it is "spilled up," a process the same as rough boring, except that the bit does not cut on all the edges; it has a "spill," or piece of oak wood, put on one side, which causes it to cut much more evenly. The workman then "sets" the barrel and finishes the boring, which is done at a speed of seventy to eighty revolutions per minute. The bit only cuts on one edge, which is left sharp, and a deal spill is used, packed up with strips of paper as the boring proceeds. The barrel is examined and "set" several times during the operation. The setting is done by the shade or reflection, down the inside of the barrel, from the top of the window. It is an art that can only be acquired by long practice and perseverance. Some men have worked at the trade all their lives, and have never learned to set a barrel correctly. The same process is used for sporting and military barrels up to the fine boring. After fine boring, the military bar- rels are turned, or stripped as it is called, which is done by a self-acting slide lathe, which takes off the thick side, if they have any. The grinder then finishes them to the gage. The history of boring and setting I cannot attempt to state; 20 SPORTSMAN'S HAND BOOK. but setting, I think, does not go back much more than one hundred years. My father began to work as a fine borer in the year 1793. Setting was known then, but not generally. He had to pay for the secret. According to my father, a man named P. Parsons was the first to set barrels that he had heard of. He worked at Duddeston Mill, being what was called a "best workman " at sporting barrels. This Mr. Parsons used at first, for the purpose of setting, a string or wire which was drawn tight by a bow, or other- wise, and applied to the inside of the barrel. By this means he discovered the crooks, and then corrected them with a hammer. The process of fine boring is the same now as it was in 1793; that is, it is done with a square bit, but only two edges cut, and only one at a time. The advantage of taking off the edges was said to be discovered about 1790, by Mr. Beesley, and this was kept a secret among good work- men for a long time. I think we may be sure that boring and setting had not attained their present perfection until the beginning of the present century. In the year 1787 there were twenty-seven gun-makers in Birmingham, and barrels were made, bored and ground at water mills all round the town. Such mills still exist, chiefly in the neighborhood of Hales Owen, where large numbers of barrels are now made. I have not touched on the subject of rolled barrels, which are chiefly used for mili- tary fire-arms and the commoner sort of sporting guns. The rolling of barrels from short taper skelps, a foot or more in length, is comparatively a recent process. The barrel is drawn over an oval headed mandrel, so fixed that its head is immediately between the grooves of the upper and under roll. These grooves are of a shape corresponding to the outline of the barrel. Of late years, steel barrels have come very much into use for rifles, but to a very small extent for sporting guns as^well, the want of " figure" operating much (il'N BARRELS. 21 against them. Steel rifle barrels are sometimes drilled out of a solid bar, which must be " set" from time to time, as the drill is certain to run out. As there is usually more to turn, off one side, they are generally of unequal hardness, and is a difficult matter to keep them straight. Steel barrels are now usually rolled from twelve to fifteen-inch drilled blanks, the hole in which is much larger than the intended bore. The punching of shorter blanks, which were after- wards rolled out into a 'barrel by two rollings, constituting the patent of Deakin and Johnson, appears now to be dis- continued, though very good barrels were made by the process." The reading of Mr. Smith's paper was accompanied by practical illustrations of the method "shading" barrels, or detecting internal or external irregularities. Barrels, straight and bent, were supported at each end, and Mr. Smith explained the entire process, which has been kept very much as a secret by the very few who really understand it. So delicate is this test that the distortion, produced by warming one side of the barrel with a common candle, was distinctly perceptible. Independently of its practical utility, the " shading " of a gun barrel is an exceedingly interesting optical problem, which has never yet been investigated. '2'2 SPORTSMAN'S HAND HOOK. BRASS AND PAPER SHOT SHELL. The question which gives the best results, brass or paper shell, is a disputed one; both have firm advocates. This is especially referred to in another place. Brass shell as well as paper, using No. 2 primers, are best. No. 2 primers are fitted with a piece of nicked brass, inside the primer, called the anvil. This anvil receives the blow from the plunger, thus protecting the shell from being damaged from repeated blows of the plunger, these being renewed every time the shells are recapped. Great care must be used in loading shell to insure uni- formity. The powder and shot measure should be "struck " off every time. The best arrangement for loading shell, paper, or brass, is a tool called the " Barclay loader," which consists of a brass tube just fitting the outside of the shell. The loading tube is double at the upper end; the inside tube is split in four places, making a kind of a spring. When a shell is inserted for loading the inside tube enters the inside of the shell, which guide the wads smoothly into the shell. In reloading shell, be sure to recap before attempting to reload; don't attempt to uncap 'or recap a loaded shell. With this loading tube there is a rammer and a loading block; this block is counter-bored to fit the head of the shell. There is also a hole entirely through the center of the block to insure safety from explosions of the primer while ramming in the wads. One objection to the use of brass shells is the tendency to expand by use, rendering them tight in the gun-chamber, and hard to extract. This can be almost entirely avoided by using light charges of powder in new shell for three our four times and keeping the shell well oiled on the outside. The oil acts as a kind of a cushion, and light charges expands the shell gradually to fit the chamber of the gun. BRASS AND PAPER SHOT SHELL. 23 Brass shell, as a rule, can be used in only one gun, from the fact that guns are not chambered uniformly; even guns of the same make often vary slightly. After brass shell have been used three or four times with light charges, they will stand heavy charges without farther expansion; but don't neglect to oil them outside every time they are reloaded, which can be done by simply wiping them with a rag saturated with oil. The inside of brass shell should never be cleaned, no matter how dirty they become; burnt powder will leave a rough surface inside, which will add materially to holding the wads in place. To clean brass shell it is best to do it before the exploded primers are re- moved. Plug the end of the shell with a good fitting cork, then wash with soap and water to remove the oil. Then wash in a solution of salt in warm vinegar, rinse off in clear water, and wipe dry. In this way you can clean only one shell at a time, unless you have a number of corks for the end; or, use a preparation called Universal Metal Puts Pomade. This a red paste, put up in tin boxes. By fitting a stick in the shell, with enough remaining outside for a handle, you can, with the pomade and a woolen cloth, make your shell brighter than when new, and in a very short time. This Puts pomade is good for cleaning any kind of metal; good even for the inside of gun barrels, silverware of all kinds, watches, jewelry, etc. It is very fine, and there is no danger of scratching. Paper shells are loaded in the same way as brass shell, but use wads the same number as the shell;- for brass shell wads from one to two sizes larger. To render paper shell secure in handling and carrying in the pocket, the end must be crimped with a tool called crimper, or turn- over. After the paper shells are loaded, to crimp success- fully, not more than one-eighth of an inch of the shell should project beyond the top wad. When more than this 24 SIMRTSMAN'S HAND BOOK. projects, with a very sharp knife or shell cutter remove the surplus, then the shell will crimp with a neat, firm bead, giving the end of the shell rather a pretty appearance. For 12 gauge shell 2. l / z inches, and for 10 gauge shell 2$ inches long will be found to be about right, without cutting off, unless very small charges are used. As a rule it don't pay to reload paper shell, except the best grades; even then, life is too short to be hunting with pockets filled with empty paper shells, which are too cheap to be worth saving. The shell chambers of guns should be oiled occasion- ally. For this purpose, it is quite convenient to carry a pocket oiler in the vest pocket, where it would always be ready for use. The following letter, written by the author of this book, was published in the Forest and Stream, in the year 1884, in connection with the long discussion on the perform- ances of shotguns. It is here reproduced, as it has many hints directly pertinent to the subject: THE PERFORMANCE OF SHOTGUNS. In an editorial note, February 21, you truly say that the comparison of muzzle-loaders and the breech-loaders is a dead issue, but a comparison of the shooting qualities of the two guns will certainly bring about just the discussion you suggest: " the relation of experiments and tests in loading to secure pattern and penetration." My experience in hunting, shooting and experimenting runs back for thirty-five years. It has been with all kinds of guns, from the old Continental flint-lock musket to the best breech-loaders of to-day. I now own three breech- loaders made by myself for the especial purpose of experi- menting. One is a single barrel 3-bore, weight 1 1 pounds, in which I use one-inch Gatling-gun brass shells; no paper shell large enough are made. One is a single lo-bore, 14 BRASS AND PAPER SHOT SHELL. 25 pounds, and the third a 2O-bore, II pounds. I design con- ducting a series of experiments some time this spring and will give you the results. With all my practical experience I do not claim to be authority, but what I have to say are my own convictions, based on the results of many prac- tical tests, and simply give them as such. The old saying " as straight as a gun barrel " certainly had no reference to very many of our modern double breech- loaders, for not one in ten has straight barrels. I refer to the inside bore. This is especially true as to the cheaper grades, and I am sorry to say that many of the better grades have the same fault. In order to get the required strength for the breech action as well as to stand heavy charges, breech-loading barrels must be very heavy at the breech end. This necessitates considerable taper in the barrels, or the guns would be very heavy. Nearly all the taper is in the first half of the barrels from the breech end. Very much of the beauty of a gun depends on the graceful sheer given to the taper. In joining at the factory, the barrels are sprung together in the center, in order to have the ribs fit properly, as well as to give the gun a graceful appear- ance, hence the bore of the barrels are not straight. How- ever, twelve to fifteen inches of the muzzle ends are practi- cally straight, and parallel with the line of sight. It often occurs in the cheaper grades that the barrels are sprung so much in the center that the muzzle ends diverge to the right and left, in such guns the right barrel shoots to the right and the left one to the left. Guns with the barrels tapered down very thin at the muzzle, as a general rule, are better shooters than those with thick ones. A majority of choke- bored guns are too heavy at the muzzle, which accounts for their grouping the shot in bunches and leaving many bare spots in the targets. In very thin guns there is a certain amount of expansion and elasticity, which has the effect to 26 SPORTSMAN'S HAND BOOK. overcome the tendency to group the shot, hence give quite an even distribution. It can be put down as an axiom that guns having the straightest barrels, other things being equal, will give the best results. The next consideration that has much to do with the good and bad shooting is the quality and quantity of the ammunition. There can be no denying the fact that a good quality of ammunition is better than a poor quality; but as to quantity, opinions differ greatly. From some unaccount- able cause, there . appears to be a general opinion that breech-loaders require very much more powder than the old-styled muzzle-loaders, when, as a matter of fact, guns properly chambered and properly charged require less. In well-constructed breech-loaders there are absolutely no es- caping gases unless the plunger cuts through the primer. In muzzle-loaders it quite often occurs that sufficient gas escapes at the nipple to throw the hammer back to a full cock. In guns of ordinary weight, 8 pounds to 8*4 pounds, I would not advise 5 drams of powder to i*^ ounces shot, nor would I think of I dram of powder to 13 buckshot. The proportion of powder to shot that gives the best gen- eral results will be found to be 3 drams of powder to one ounce of shot. On page 546 of " Haswell " will be found proportions of powder to shot for the following numbers of shot, as determined by experiment: No. Shot, oz. Po'der drams. No. Shot, oz. Po'der drams. No. Shut, oz. Po'der drams. 2 2 1.5 4 1.5 i#: 6 1.25 23/ 8 3 1.75 1.625 5 L375 2# 7 1.125 2ft NOTE. Two ounces of No. 2 shot with 1.5 drams of powder pro- duced the greatest effect. The increase of powder for the greater number of pellets is in consequence of the increased friction of their projection. BRASS AND PAPER SHOT SHELL. 27 With American engineers Haswell, is good authority. How few men from actual knowledge could dispute the re- sults as he has given them ; I could not do it, for I have never experimented with 2. ounces of shot to \y z drams of pow- der. Ogeecher's I dram of powder to 13 buchshot is about according to Haswel.l. Killing a buck at the distance of 120 yards with such a charge caps the climax. Put me down as a little skeptical. Whoever sticks to the propor- tion of 3 drams of powder to one ounce of shot will be sat- isfied with the results. Now, in regard to wads. Nearly all guns, by actual measurement, are from one to two gauges smaller than they are called. Many chokebore los will gauge but 12 at the muzzle. As a general rule, for No. 10 brass shells No. 8 wads are used; for a paper shell, -a wad of the same num- ber as the shell. There is also a general opinion that brass shells will give better results than paper shells; but all of my experiments have proven the contrary. Paper shells, loaded with wads same number as shell, and not crimped, will give better results than brass shells loaded with wads two sizes larger than shell. Firm, elastic felt wads are best. The advantage of two wads on the powder is so very little that I have never been able to discover it. More of the good or bad results of shooting depend on the manner of loading than most shooters are willing to admit. The ordinary way of loading is to use for brass shells wads two or three sizes larger than the gun. The large wads are with some difficulty forced down on to the powder with a close-fitting loading plug, that has either a perfectly flat or a concave end. The inside of brass shells that have been used are very rough, a kind of sandpaper surface. The friction of the large wads is so great that the force of the discharge will bulge the center of the wads forward, and when the wads reach the smaller or true cali- her of the gun at the end of the chamber, they will bulge still more in the center the worst possible condition for good results. The shot will be projected in a circle, and the center of the target will have few, if any, shot in it. The crimping of paper shells has the same effect, but in a much less degree, inasmuch as the wads are smaller. To remedy this defect in loading, use a loading plug with a convex or cone-shaped end, and for a No. 10 brass shell use a No. 9 or 10 wad on the powder. The wad should be firmly rammed on the powder and lightly on the shot. If two wads are used on powder they should be each rammed separately. The wads will be seated on the pow- der cuping the best possible shape for good results in shoot- ing and will be less likely to start from tlie recoil or rough handling. I once made- a very poor shooting muzzle-loader a very good one by changing the shape of the butt end of the ramrod. The fault of the gun was that it distributed the shot in a ring. The center of the target for a foot in diam- eter would be almost entirely free from shot. The butt end of the ramrod was very much concaved, and at that time I used very large wads. I reversed the shape of the end of the rod, made it very much convex or cone-shaped. By using this rod the gun was made an excellent shooter; in fact, it acquired such a reputation that I sold it for more than first cost, after using it for six years. I have one more experimental way of loading, which I hope all glass-ball shooters, who think two wads are a neces- sity, will try. Load a few shells without any wad between the powder and shot. Use a flat-ended loading plug. Ram the naked powder quite hard; then put in the shot. On the shot put one good felt wad. Try this on glass balls, from any kind of a trap at the regular distance. Now don't say that charges loaded in this way will not break glass balls until you have tried them. In my experiments I used No. 9 shot. BRASS AND PAI'KR SHOT SHELL. 29 Overcharges of powder are a detriment to the good shooting of any gun. Shot discharged from the muzzle of a gun is very similar to water discharged from a hose nozzle. A hose nozzle to throw a solid stream to any great distance must be chokebored, very similar to a chokebored gun. There is a limit to the distance that water can be pro- jected by pressure through a nozzle, and an increased press- ure at that limit will reduce the effective distance. There is certainly a limit to the effective distance of the best shot- guns; and overcharges of powder will reduce the effective distance from the same cause that an over-pressure will re- duce the distance to which water can be thrown. Heavy or overcharges cause heavy recoil, which is not only unpleasant to the shooter, but detrimental to good shooting. The force of the recoil backward is at the ex- pense of the force of the discharge forward. This fact is very easily demonstrated. Take a gun that weighs 8 to 8^ pounds; have the shells loaded with 5 drams of powder and l^ ounces of shot. Let some small man, who weighs about 140 pounds and who has more pluck than muscle, fire a few of the shells at a target forty yards. Then have a large, muscular man, of 210 pounds weight, shoot the same gun with a similar charge. The results will be found very dif- ferent. The heavy, muscular man by his weight and muscle will hold the gun square to the work, and put all the force of the discharge on the projected shot. The small man, if quite active, will keep on his feet, but when he examines his target will find it just as much poorer as the gun kicked him harder than it did the heavy man. There can be a cer- tain amount of recoil that is not unpleasant, but rather a satisfaction; charges just up to that point will be found very effective. Charges would vary according to the weight of the gun, as well as the weight and muscle of the shooter. I hope good may result by a full discussion of this subject. 30 SPORTSMAN'S HAND BOOK. Names of the Parts of the Breech- goading Grun, ALPHABETICALLY ARRANGED. Action. Used generally, such as "snap action," "side action." ' Action. Used specifically, being the iron body which lies between the barrels and the stock. Back Action. When the locks are bedded into the stock alone. Bar Action. When the locks are bedded partly into the stock and partly into the action, frequently likewise called " Fore Action." Bolt. The part which, in a- snap gun, passes into the lump of the barrel to hold the barrels into the action when the gun is closed. Breech. The end of the barrels in which the ignition of the powder takes place. Bump. The corner of the stock at the top of the heel-plate. Cases. A term used for cartridges when empty. Chambers. The enlarged spaces made for the cartridges to be inserted into. Cartridges. Cases when loaded. Made of paper or metal. Paper cases are cylindrical. Metal cases for shot- guns are likewise cylindrical. Metal cases for rifles are largely made what is termed "bottle-nosed," *. ^., the part which contains the powder is one or two bores larger than the actual bore of the weapon, in order that being wider a shorter case may be used and the proper charge of powder retained. The I2A metal shell can be used in a gun cham- bered for the common 12-bore paper shell, but the I2B metal NAMES OF THE PARTS OF BREECH-LOADING CiUN. ol case is too small for it. Similarly with lo-bores. A gun bored for the "B" metal will not, of course, take the paper case. Cap. The metal covering placed on the end of the handle when it is pistol-shaped. Comb. The top corner of the stock on which the cheek rests when firing. Counter-Sink. The recess in the chambers in which the rim of the cartridge fits. Cross-Bar. The small bar which, when the barrels are falling, presses out the extractor. Direct Fire. That shape of action in which the plungers lie and strike the ignition horizontally. (See "Oblique Fire"). Extractor. The part which, when the gun is opened, partly or altogether ejects the discharged cartridge case. Fore-end. The wooden piece under the barrel. Guard. The part which protects the triggers. Handle. The part of the stock gripped by the hand, , and which may be either straight or pistol - shaped: (See Cap.") Heel- Plate. The metal base of the stock, and which may be either solid or " skeleton " *.