Sporting rifles and rifle shooting

Front matter

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Class.

Book

Contents

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Preface . vii

CHAPTEB

Chapter I Eifle Types

Few men who use the rifle to hunt with are thoroughly conversant with the scientific side of rifle shooting; those who are cognizant only of its range use are unaware of the rough side, devoid of all refinement of sights, ammunition, cleaning, etc. Yet theoretically both target work and the use of the weapon in the field are intimately related; in fact, they cannot be separated.

Here in America we are inclined to trust too much to the claims made by their makers for new types of weapons. It is a long way from the elaborate sporting-goods store with its attractive display of rifles to the thickets of Kadiak Island or the thorn scrub of Africa; and the hunter generally learns to his cost that the salesman was unacquainted with the actual use of his rifle against heavy game. So, too, with many of our writers in the sporting magazines; they write of the effect of bullets on game which they have never seen except in a menagerie.

For many years we have heard of the all-around rifle. There is no such thing. True, there are rifles that may be used for both target and sporting purposes, but with the exception of the U. S. Springfield '03 and rifles of that type which have been introduced in recent years, few, if any, fulfill adequately both requirements, and these are mainly for long-range target work. Many times one is asked which is the best rifle, and the questioner seems rather put out at the answer: "What for?" Now each rifle is made for some specific purpose and then adapted to others.

The main requirements of a sporting rifle are accuracy and sufficient power to deliver a killing blow to the game shot at.

All game animals may be divided into two classes — dangerous and non-dangerous. In the United States we have practically no really dangerous game with the exception of the larger bears and possibly the moose. Then, too, game is not dangerous unless charging or seeking life,

RIFLE TYPES

and so we may cut down the chances of danger to about three per cent, in the case of moose and not more than ten per cent, with bear. My personal experience with moose extends over some sixteen years of shooting, and during that time I have seen over three hundred* but in no case did any moose attempt to attack uninjured. In 1902, at Amqui, Quebec, I made an offer to pay fifty dollars to anjr one who would go before a notary or cure and make a statement under oath that he had been attacked by a moose unprovoked. So far no one has claimed the fifty dollars. Many habitants have assured me that a wife's cousin or other relative or acquaintance had been treed from two hours to two days by a moose, but the actual subject of attack has not appeared.

So, too, in Africa. The unprovoked charge of animals is almost unknown, although a rhino or a lone bull buffalo will sometimes, and an elephant will generally, charge the scent up wind, and an old rogue elephant is an ugly customer.

For all types of game shooting only three rifles are necessary: (1) A small, light weapon without recoil and with inexpensive ammunition for grouse, rabbits, birds, and small animals;

(2) a powerful small-bore, high-velocity weapon with good shocking power for all non-dangerous game; and (3) a heavy weapon of great power for the larger pachyderms. These requirements are fulfilled by the 22-caliber repeater handling the long-rifle cartridge for rifle 1; by the U. S. Springfield '03 chambered for the '06 cartridge, carrying the 180-grain bullet with 2,700 foot-seconds velocity for rifle 2 ; and by a double cordite rifle of 450-bore or greater with a bullet of 480 grains weight and a velocity of 2,150 foot-seconds for rifle 3.

These are the minimum requirements. Now let us see what energy the various weapons develop, not at the muzzle, but at the average range at which the game is hit.

The 22-long rifle with a 40-grain bullet and a charge of 3.4 grains of Lesmok powder develops a muzzle velocity of 1,035 foot-seconds and an energy of 82 foot-pounds at 50 yards. This is the actual limit of range for this little gun to do effective work and kill, so we may call the necessary energy at usual ranges for this rifle 75 foot-pounds. A 30-caliber rifle with 180-grain bullet developing a muzzle velocity of 2,720 foot-seconds gives a striking energy of 2,560 foot-

EIFLE TYPES

pounds at 100 yards; and the 450-bore, 480- grain, 2,150 foot-seconds rifle gives us 4,130 foot-pounds at 100 yards. We may, therefore, take the blow needed to kill game cleanly and neatly as follows:

Small game ... 75 foot-pounds at 50 yards

Non-dangerous

game 2,500 foot-pounds at 100 yards

Heavy game . 4,000 foot-pounds or more at 100 yards

The Springfield may be loaded with the regulation service charge, with the 150-grain bullet of 2,700 feet per second velocity, and still be strong enough for all eastern game; if for use in Maine and the eastern states, a still further reduction of the power of the cartridge to give about 2,000 feet velocity and 1,700 foot-pounds of energy will make a good deer gun. It must be remembered, however, that although reduced velocity and reduced energy give accurate shooting and lighter recoil, one is not utilizing the full capacities of his weapon either as to range or killing power ; and also that when a low-power load is used with a lead bullet, the fouling remaining in the barrel will render the service cartridge with its metal-patched bullet inaccurate.

Now as to the individual merits of different types of rifle 1. Nearly all commercial 22-caliber repeaters are made ridiculously small and light; in fact, the stocks would hardly fit a boy ten years of age. In former years one could obtain a rationally shaped rifle of decent weight only by using a 22-caliber barrel on a single-shot action. Then, too, the repeaters were nearly always faulty in functioning the 22-long rifle cartridge. From the appearance and balance of recent military arms, however, it would seem that the manufacturers have at last realized that the demand is for a 22-caliber rifle of proper size for the average man.

The best rifles for military target use and for small game handle a 22 long-rifle cartridge, and lately a type of gun has been placed on the market conforming very generally with the regulation Springfield rifle in weight, size, and action. Both the Winchester and the Savage Arms Company make weapons of this type. I think the Winchester with its six grooves will handle the small bullet better than the Savage with four. One fault of both of these rifles is that they are bored a little too small for the diameter of the bullet employed. These guns make most excellent sporting weapons when restocked or with

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RIFLE TYPES

the original stock altered to suit the shooter. I find the stock as turned out by the factory too short, and it is best to lengthen it by a thicker vulcanite butt plate. The forehand may be cut down and an additional cap of vulcanite put on the end of the pistol grip, which will make it conform better to the average man's hand.

The sight also should be changed, and I think for game shooting that a Sheard gold bead front sight one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter or

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FIGURE 3. SHEARD GOLD BEAD FRONT SIGHT

one of King's sights of similar pattern is best seen. The rear sight as supplied with the rifle cuts off entirely too much of the surrounding landscape, and a Lyman 103 tang sight or a Lyman 48 adapted to the original sight block is the best. One must bear in mind that for all practical purposes a 22 is only an understudy to the more powerful weapon, a preparation and training, so to say, for the Springfield, with the advantages of cheap ammunition and limited range and danger zone. The nearer we conform either to the military or sporting type of the larger gun in every detail, the better preparation for its use at longer ranges or in the field.

Now let us take up the gun that will be the most used in hunting game of any size, non-dangerous. Here we are limited in diameter of bore from 256 to 300 thousands of an inch and have open to our choice the Manlicher, Mauser, Ross, and Springfield. First let me say that the seven-millimeter or 275-bore is the nearest approach to the ballistic ideal, both as to wind cutting and range. We have the seven-millimeter Mauser with a charge of 42% grains and bullet of 139 grains, velocity at the muzzle, 2,784 foot-seconds, energy at 100 yards, 2,057 foot-pounds. The weak point is our energy, which falls nearly 500 foot-pounds below the required standard and puts this rifle out of consideration for all but deer and lighter game. With the 280 Ross we have a bullet of 145 grains, muzzle velocity, 3,050 foot-seconds, and energy at 100 yards, 2,595 foot-pounds, but we encounter another problem in this gun. The bullet is too light to sustain the velocity and therefore breaks up badly before it can penetrate far enough into the body of game for its energy to be effective on the vital organs. The 280 with the 180-grain bullet and 2,700 foot-

RIFLE TYPES

second velocity is beside the question, as I know of no action that will feed it through the magazine and function. Then, too, its energy is not as great as the 145-grain bullet, being only 2,584 foot-pounds, although it is very much more effective on account of the heavier bullet.

The unreliability of the 145-grain bullet, 280- bore Ross was clearly demonstrated on Kapiti Plains, British East Africa, in January, 1911, when Mr. George Grey, a brother of Viscount Grey, met his death when using this weapon by being mauled by a lion. Sir Alfred Pease, Captain S latter, young Pease, one of the Hills, and George Grey were riding lion. Mr. Grey had followed up a lion which finally stood at bay at about 100 yards distant. Grey dismounted, whereupon the lion charged and he fired three shots at the lion as he was coming head on (his pony having bolted) ; two hit the lion in the face and mouth, but, owing to the angle of the skull, merely cut a gutter in his muscles and did not penetrate; the bullets evidently expended their efforts superficially on the bone. The lion downed Mr. Grey and proceeded to chew his left arm. Sir Alfred Pease rode up with the others and fired a shot from a .256 Manlicher which hit the lion a little too far back. As the lion turned he again shot at him, whereupon the animal returned to maul Mr. Grey again who was still upon the ground. Then Slatter, who by the way has only one hand, having lost the other in the Boer War, went in close and finished the beast with a shot from a 450 No. 2 Cordite rifle. There seems to have been a general mixup, as every one was afraid to shoot while Grey was on the ground under the lion. He was horribly mauled on the arm and shoulder and was rushed to the Nairobi Hospital, where he died four days later from his wounds.

There is a row of little white crosses in the Nairobi graveyard, where lie the victims of a misplaced confidence in the gun-maker's assertion that a small bore with sufficient velocity will stop anything.

One more instance of the Pukka Shikarri's opinion of the very small bore, high-velocity rifle. Some years ago when the 22 high-power Savage was first put on the market, it was exploited in many of our magazines by a picture of a tiger killed with one shot in Upper Assam, India. One was given to understand that it was done by a man who heard a noise during the

RIFLE TYPES

night in the tea-patch near his house. He opened the window and fired at the intruder, and found out in the morning that he had killed a tiger. Shortly after this a Mr. X from somewhere in the West wrote to Forest and Stream advocating and strongly recommending the use of the 22-caliber high-velocity Savage rifle on all except the very largest pachyderms. He said incidentally that any man who used heavy ordnance was a coward. To this I replied in the same paper that no man in his senses would employ any but the weapon recommended by men of experience, a 450-bore No. 2 Cordite or better, against the larger Felidae in heavy jungle. Mr. X did not reply. But as I wished to have an opinion on the subject, I sent two copies of the paper to Major R. J. Cunninghame in Nairobi. In due course I received a reply in which he said : If Mr. X and his friends of 22 high-velocity persuasion will buy a one way ticket to Mombasa and will come here with their 22 Savage rifles in one hand and their last will and testament in the other, I will put them up against lion, and will wager what you like that they will quickly have use for the latter instrument if they employ the former.

Now, the two instances are merely given to show that it was generally conceded that something more than energy, however great it may be, is necessary, if the said energy be expended superficially.

We require energy, but we must also have the vehicle to convey it to that portion of the body of the animal where it will reach and expend its force on the vital organs. In order to accomplish this, we must have a bullet of sufficient weight and stability to carry deep enough to do its work efficiently.

Chapter II

For use against non-dangerous game, I most strongly recommend a 30-caliber with a bullet of sufficient weight to carry the energy of the cartridge deep enough to reach the vital organs of the game. Much has been written about the medium-bore high-velocity weapon. It is my experience that the 35-caliber, the nine-millimeter, the 375-<bore and the 405-bore are purely superfluous weapons in a battery, for if we want a gun to give a smashing blow, enough to stop or turn a charging animal, we want one that will deliver a shock absolutely certain to kill or turn it. The medium-bore high-velocity rifles cannot be relied upon to do this. Their heavier bullets and higher trajectory place them in the inaccurate class; thus, they are not dependable when used against the largest game. On looking through my game book, I find that it contains a fair comparison of various rifles and details of shots at almost all kinds of game.

In 1897, 1 used a 30/30 Winchester which was not powerful enough even for moose. I shortly changed to a Winchester 1895 model, taking a 303 Lee-Metford cartridge. For in those days one could obtain expanding bullets of more variety and type for this cartridge than for our own 30/40 Krag, while the ballistic value of the two weapons is almost identical. I found, however, that for woods shooting, the 303 was not sufficiently powerful for the quick shot or two usually obtained at moose, and therefore changed to a 375-bore Holland and Holland Manlicher, shooting a charge of 40 grains of Cordite and a soft pointed bullet of 270 grains weight. I found that for shots at short range under 150 yards it almost ideally fulfilled the requirements of a moose gun, invariably killing with one or two shots when well placed. This rifle was superseded by a 375 double by Holland, shooting 42 grains of Cordite and a 300-grain bullet. The ballistic value of this cartridge is almost identical with the 405 Winchester, with this advantage, however, that the axis of the bullet of the 375 is longer than that of the 405 and the vehicle, therefore, is more dependable in carrying the shot through the shoulders of a moose, since more of as

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I used this gun for eight years, chiefly in Canadian shooting, and found it in all respects extremely satisfactory. Practically all of the expanded bullets remained in the body of either moose or caribou if hit anywhere about the chest or fore shoulders. \

With the introduction of the United States Springfield model 1903, I tried the earlier pattern of cartridge with the 220-grain bullet on moose and found that its fault, as compared with the 375, lay in the lack of shocking force. When the cartridge was changed in 1906 to the sharp pointed 150-grain bullet of 2,700 foot-seconds velocity, I found that the velocity was too great for the soft point expanding bullet, especially on heavier game, and that they broke up superficially many times. With the 150-grain solid bullet, provided a heavy bone was hit, the bullet generally tumbled or keyholed, making a slashing wound.

In 1910 I found that the 375-bore was not powerful enough for the heavy African game. As notes in my game book, often repeated, show: "Used the .465 to finish with." This led me to discard the 375 -bore, for I found that the Springfield with the 180-grain solid bullet was fully as good a killer and infinitely more accurate at the longer ranges encountered on the veldt, while for the smaller antelope the 150-grain soft pointed bullet with 2,700 foot-seconds velocity was almost what was required. I say "almost" for I had some cartridges loaded with 165-grain 30/30 bullets, and found their killing qualities excellent, the only drawback being the changes in sight necessitated by the blunt-pointed bullet in place of the sharp Spitzer.

After all, the remaining energy of the Springfield 180-grain, 2,700 foot-second velocity cartridge at 100 yards is the factor that we can count on ; for it is greater at that distance than that of the 375 Cordite or 405 Winchester, while infinitely superior in accuracy; this, together with its low trajectory, makes a hit in a vital part on game easier and the absolute judgment of distance not so important.

Now, finally, we come to the selection of the heavy rifle, the life-saver. In this choice we are governed primarily by the shocking force needed at the distance ordinarily used, which must be sufficient to stop the charge of heavy and danfe fe

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(1) Game is not dangerous unless it charges.

(2) When charging, a head shot will be generally required.

(3) The distance is usually short, not over 50 yards.

(4) A reasonable amount of accuracy is needed in the weapon to place a shot under the strain of excitement in or near a vital point at that distance.

It is the general consensus of opinion among experienced hunters of heavy game that a rifle with 5,000 foot-pounds muzzle energy will kill at a distance from 50 to 100 yards, and that by using a larger weapon we handicap ourselves by the weight and time required to recover from the severe recoil for a second shot; therefore, a rifle of 450-bore, shooting a bullet of 480 grains weight with a muzzle velocity of 2,150 foot-seconds, has become the standard weapon for this work.

The 475- and 465-bore rifles are merely modifications of the above cartridge, as it is against the law in most British colonies for sportsmen to employ guns of the same caliber as the Martini- Henry 450-bore or to import cartridges taking bullets of that size.

The accuracy of such a weapon, which is almost invariably a double rifle, is a four to five-inch group using both barrels at 50 yards, while its weight is between 11 and 13 pounds.

The 256 Manlicher has been rated favorably for many years as a reliable gun against non-dangerous game. Its reputation is, I think, due rather to accuracy than to its shocking power. The normal cartridge of 2,550 foot-seconds velocity, with a bluff soft -nosed bullet, has scarcely energy enough to kill cleanly game of any considerable size. It will be noted that it does not come up to the general requirement of 2,500 foot-pounds. With the solid bluff pointed bullet, extremely good penetration is obtained, as the following instance will show.

In Africa a very well known elephant shot and his wife came upon a herd of elephants. They both tried the head-shot on two of the beasts about 60 yards away, both animals standing close together and side on. Mr. X and his wife each aimed at exactly the same spot on each animal, halfway between the orifice of the eye and the ear at the forward edge of the ear flap. Both animals went down stone dead from brain shots. Mrs. X was using a 256 Manlicher with solid bluff pointed bullets, while Mr. X had a 475 Cordite with solid metal jackets. The tiny bullet, so well placed, had equaled the big gun in this instance; but Mr. X still advocates and strongly advises the use of the 475, because at close quarters, should a charge occur, it will turn an elephant with a stunning shock, even if the brain is not reached, as more power is transmitted laterally by the larger bullet.

About ten years ago Gibbs of Bristol introduced a magnum Manlicher, 256-bore, with pointed bullet of 3,100 foot-seconds velocity. This weapon has been used extensively and tried out pretty thoroughly in Africa and against the heavy bear and walrus of the Arctic; the verdict has been that the bullet is too light for the velocity of the cartridge and breaks up before penetrating the vital organs of the animal. Both in Africa and in the Arctic with Steffanson, the breech pressure developed is greater than the primer pocket could stand, causing a blow, back past the edges of the firing pin, of small particles of copper and foil from the primer. All of which goes to show that the velocity of the cartridge has been forced too far.

A rather general rule may be applied to the extreme velocity cartridge with the normal weight of bullet: 100 feet per second for each l/100th of an inch diameter of the bullet will give us a rational cartridge without dangerous pressure or undue premature disintegration of the bullet on impact, provided that the longer type of bullet is used.

And now the question arises of the 30-caliber rifle. This cartridge has the advantage of being the standard adopted by the government of this country and we have at hand infinitely more data to base our opinion as to its utility and effectiveness than we have on any other. Then, too, not only from year to year but from week to week, one may compare the scores made with this cartridge in the various rifle competitions. It takes us from theorizing and experimental work to the actual effect and results obtained.

There are two types of 30-caliber United States Government cartridges, the Krag 1898 model and the Springfield 1906 model, the former with 2,000 foot-seconds velocity, the latter with 2,700. The 30-caliber Krag cartridge, while ft

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Krag

Length of barrel, inches

Diameter of bore, inches

Weight of bullet, grains

Powder charge, grains

Primer

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Breech pressure, pounds per square inch Remaining energy at 100 yards, foot-pounds

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Both cartridges lack the necessary energy to bring them up to our required standard of 2,500 foot-pounds at 100 yards. We can, however, do so by increasing the powder charge and using one of the more progressive types of powder.

If we increase the velocity of the 150-grain bullet to 3,000 feet per second, we will obtain the necessary energy and the not undue pressure of 56,000 pounds at the breech. But this method does not give us the sustained energy; besides, the bullet is too light to convey the increased power; it breaks up too quickly on impact and, with the increased velocity, is more erratic in its flight.

However, if we load the Springfield cartridge with the 180-grain bullet and raise the velocity to 2,700 feet per second, we obtain the muzzle energy of over 2,900 foot-pounds and the remaining energy, at 100 yards, of over 2,500 foot-pounds, with an average breech pressure of 44,000 pounds per square inch. This still retains for us our desired accuracy, with enough weight in the bullet to convey this energy through the muscles and bones of the animal and deliver the shock to the vital parts.

Theoretically, with an increase of weight and length in the bullet, we should employ a quicker twist to prevent stripping or cross-riding the lands; with the very imperfectly made bullets which were first issued with the Krag an extremely quick twist was found to give more accuracy. Some of the Palma Match rifles were made one turn in 8% inches, but it was found that with a more perfect jacket and a harder core of lead or alloy to the bullet, a slower twist was fully as accurate.

One of even one turn in 14 inches is amply sufficient to spin the 180-grain Springfield bullet true on its longer axis up to 1,200 yards. In this country we have followed this theory in special long range barrels for years, merely increasing the number of lands and decreasing their width to give more holding surface to the bore of the rifle. An instance occurred some years ago at one of our arsenals which demonstrated the above. A rifling machine had by accident been boring an 11%-inch twist and in the renovating of the machine-shop the set of the cutter on that particular machine was painted over and the error remained unnoticed, but the men who were testing the rifles on the range noticed that the barrels from this certain machine made better groups than those from the others. On investigation, the cause was found as above and the machine again set for the regulation twist, one turn in ten inches. A fine example of progressiveness.