Wild Beasts and their Ways, vol 1 | Page 4

Volume 1
CHAPTER I
THE RIFLE OF A PAST HALF CENTURY
Forty years ago our troops were armed with a smooth-bore musket, and
a small force known as the "Rifle Brigade" was the exception to this
rule.
The military rifle carried a spherical bullet, and, like all others of the
period, it necessitated the use of a mallet to strike the ball, which, being
a size larger than the bore, required the blow to force it into the rifling
of the barrel in order to catch the grooves.
Sporting rifles were of various sizes, but they were constructed upon a
principle generally accepted, that extreme accuracy could only be
obtained by burning a very small charge of powder.
The outfit required a small mallet made of hardwood faced with thick
buff leather, a powerful loading-rod, a powder-flask, a pouch to contain
greased linen or silk patches; another pouch for percussion caps; a third
pouch for bullets. In addition to this cumbersome arrangement, a

nipple-screw was carried, lest any stoppage might render necessary the
extraction of the nipple.
The charge of powder in ordinary use for a No. 16 bore (which carried
an ounce spherical ball) was 1 1/2 dram, and the sights were adjusted
for a maximum range of 200 yards. Although at this distance
considerable accuracy could be attained at the target upon a quiet day,
it was difficult to shoot with any precision at an unmeasured range
owing to the high trajectory of the bullet. Thus for sporting purposes it
was absolutely essential that the hunter should be a first-rate judge of
distance in order to adjust the sights as required by the occasion. It was
accordingly rare to meet with a good rifle-shot fifty years ago.
Rifle-shooting was not the amusement sought by Englishmen, although
in Switzerland and Germany it was the ordinary pastime. In those
countries the match-rifle was immensely heavy, weighing, in many
instances, 16 lbs., although the bullet was exceedingly small.
The idea of non-recoil was paramount as necessary to ensure accuracy.
It will be at once perceived that the rifle was a most inferior weapon,
failing through a low velocity, high trajectory, and weakness of
penetration.
In 1840, I had already devoted much attention to this subject, and I
drew a plan for an experimental rifle to burn a charge of powder so
large that it appeared preposterous to the professional opinions of the
trade. I was convinced that accuracy could be combined with power,
and that no power could be obtained without a corresponding
expenditure of powder. Trajectory and force would depend upon
velocity; the latter must depend upon the volume of gas generated by
explosion.
The rifle was made by Gibbs of Bristol. The weight was 21 lbs., length
of barrel 36 inches, weight of spherical belted bullet 3 ounces, of
conical bullet 4 ounces, charge of powder 16 drams. The twist was one
full turn in the length of barrel. The rifling was an exceedingly deep
and broad groove (two grooves), which reduced the difficulty of
loading to a minimum, as the projecting belt enabled the bullet to catch

the channel instantly, and to descend easily when wrapped in a greased
silk patch without the necessity of hammering. The charge of powder
was inserted by inverting the rifle and passing up the loading-rod with
an ounce measure screwed to the end; this method prevented the
powder from adhering to the sides of the barrel, and thus fouling the
grooves.
An extraordinary success attended this rifle, which became my colossal
companion for many years in wild sports with dangerous game. It will
be observed that the powder charge was one-third the weight of the
projectile, and not only a tremendous crushing power, but an
extraordinary penetration was obtained, never equalled by any rifle that
I have since possessed.
This weapon was in advance of the age, as it foreshadowed the modern
Express, and the principle was thoroughly established to my own
satisfaction, that a sporting rifle to be effective at a long range must
burn a heavy charge of powder, but the weight of the weapon should be
in due proportion to the strain of the explosion.
When I first visited Ceylon in 1845, there were several renowned
sportsmen who counted their slain elephants by many hundreds, but
there were no rifles. Ordinary smooth-bore shot-guns were the
favourite weapons, loaded invariably with a double charge of powder
and a hardened ball. In those days the usual calibre of a gun was No. 14
or 16. A No. 12 was extremely rare. The charge for No. 16 was 2 3/4
drams of fine grain powder, and drams for No. 12. Accordingly, the
light guns, or "fowling-pieces," as they were termed, were severely
tested by a charge of 6 drams of the strongest powder with