The Rifle and Hound in Ceylong | Page 4

superseded the antiquated muzzle-loader, that the hunter of
dangerous animals is possessed of an additional safeguard. At the same
time I look back with satisfaction to the heavy charges of powder that
were used by me thirty years ago and were then regarded as absurd, but
which are now generally acknowledged by scientific gunners as the
only means of insuring the desiderata of the rifle, i.e., high velocity,
low trajectory, long range, penetration, and precision.
When I first began rifle-shooting thirty-seven years ago, not one man in
a thousand had ever handled such a weapon. Our soldiers were then
armed*(*With the exception of the Rifle Brigade) with the common old
musket, and I distinctly remember a snubbing that I received as a
youngster for suggesting, in the presence of military men, 'that the
army should throughout be supplied with rifles.' This absurd idea
proposed by a boy of seventeen who was a good shot with a weapon
that was not in general use, produced such a smile of contempt upon
my hearers, that the rebuke left a deep impression, and was never
forgotten. A life's experience in the pursuit of heavy game has
confirmed my opinion expressed in the `Rifle and Hound' in 1854--that

the best weapon for a hunter of average strength is a double rifle
weighing fifteen pounds, of No. 10 calibre. This should carry a charge
of ten drachms of No. 6 powder (coarse grain). In former days I used
six or seven drachms of the finest grained powder with the old
muzzle-loader, but it is well known that the rim of the breech-loading
cartridge is liable to burst with a heavy charge of the fine grain,
therefore No. 6 is best adapted for the rifle.
Although a diversity of calibres is a serious drawback to the comfort of
a hunter in wild countries, it is quite impossible to avoid the difficulty,
as there is no rifle that will combine the requirements for a great variety
of game. As the wild goose demands B B shot and the snipe No. 8, in
like manner the elephant requires the heavy bullet, and the deer is
contented with the small-bore.
I have found great convenience in the following equipment for hunting
every species of game in wild tropical countries.
One single-barrel rifle to carry a half-pound projectile, or a four ounce,
according to strength of hunter.
Three double-barrelled No. 10 rifles, to carry ten drachms No. 6
powder.
One double-barrelled small-bore rifle, sighted most accurately for
deer-shooting. Express to carry five or six drachms, but with hardened
solid bullet.
Two double-barrelled No. 10 smooth-bores to carry shot or ball; the
latter to be the exact size for the No. 10 rifles.
According to my experience, such a battery is irresistible.
The breech-loader has manifold advantages over the muzzle-loader in a
wild country. Cartridges should always be loaded in England, and they
should be packed in hermetically sealed tin cases within wooden boxes,
to contain each fifty, if large bores, or one hundred of the smaller
calibre.

These will be quite impervious to damp, or to the attacks of insects.
The economy of ammunition will be great, as the cartridge can be
drawn every evening after the day's work, instead of being fired off as
with the muzzle-loader, in order that the rifle may be cleaned.
The best cartridges will never miss fire. This is an invaluable quality in
the pursuit of dangerous game.
Although I advocate the express small-bore with the immense
advantage of low trajectory, I am decidedly opposed to the hollow
expanding bullet for heavy, thick-skinned game. I have so frequently
experienced disappointment by the use of the hollow bullet that I
should always adhere to the slightly hardened and solid projectile that
will preserve its original shape after striking the thick hide of a large
animal.
A hollow bullet fired from an express rifle will double up a deer, but it
will be certain to expand upon the hard skin of elephants, rhinoceros,
hippopotami, buffaloes, &c.; in which case it will lose all power of
penetration. When a hollow bullet strikes a large bone, it absolutely
disappears into minute particles of lead,--and of course it becomes
worthless.
For many years I have been supplied with firstrate No. 10 rifles by
Messrs. Reilly & Co. of Oxford Street, London, which have never
become in the slightest degree deranged during the rough work of wild
hunting. Mr. Reilly was most successful in the manufacture of
explosive shells from my design; these were cast-iron coated with lead,
and their effect was terrific.
Mr. Holland of Bond Street produced a double-barrelled rifle that
carried the Snider Boxer cartridge. This was the most accurate weapon
up to 300 yards, and was altogether the best rifle that I ever used; but
although it possessed