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 a hardened bullet; nevertheless
I never heard of any failure.
At a short range the velocity and penetration of an ounce spherical
ball, with the heavy powder charge, were immense, but beyond 50 yards
the accuracy was imperfect.
I believe I was the first to introduce rifles into Ceylon, which were
then regarded by the highest authorities in the island as impractical
innovations, too difficult to sight, whereas an ordinary gun could be
used with ball more quickly in taking a snap-shot.
The rifles which I had provided were heavy, the 3 ounce already
mentioned, 21 lbs., and a long 2 ounce by Blisset, 16 lbs. The latter
was a polygroove, the powder charge only 1 1/2 dram when I originally
purchased it. It was wonderfully accurate at short ranges with the small
charge, which I quickly increased to 6 drams, thereby losing accuracy,
but multiplying velocity.
Twelve months' experience with elephants and buffaloes decided me to
order a battery of double-barrelled rifles, No. 10, two-grooved, with 6
drams of fine grain powder, and spherical-belted bullets. These were
most satisfactory, and they became the starting-point for future
experiments.
Shortly before the Crimean War, the musket was abolished, and about 1853
the British army was armed throughout with rifles. The difficulty of a
military rifle lay in the rapid fouling of the barrel, which
necessitated a bullet too small to expand sufficiently to fill the
grooves; this resulted in inaccuracy. Even if the bullet were properly
fitted, it became impossible to load when the barrel began to foul after
a few discharges.
At that time I submitted a plan to the authorities which simplified the
difficulty, and having left the pattern bullet at Woolwich, it quickly
appeared with a slight modification as the "Boxer bullet." My plan
designed a cone hollowed at the base. The bullet was a size smaller than
the bore, which enabled it to slide easily down the barrel when foul.
The hollow base fitted upon a cone of boxwood pointed at the insertion,
but broad at the base, which was larger than the diameter of the hollow
in the bullet. It may be easily understood that although this compound
bullet was smaller than the bore of the rifle, a blow with the ramrod
after loading would drive the conical bullet upon the larger diameter of
the boxwood cone, which, acting like a wedge, would expand the lead,
thus immediately secured within the barrel. The expansion when fired
drove the boxwood into the centre of the bullet, which of necessity took
the rifling.
The Boxer bullet superseded the boxwood plug by the use of a piece of
burnt clay, which was less expensive and equally serviceable.
Before breechloaders were invented, we were obliged to fit out a regular
battery of four double rifles for such dangerous game as elephants,
buffaloes, etc., as the delay in re-loading was most annoying and might
lead to fatal accidents.
In hot damp climates it became necessary to fire off and clean the
entire battery every evening, lest a miss-fire should be the consequence
upon the following morning from the condensation of moisture in the
nipple during night. This was not only great trouble and a wasteful
expenditure of ammunition, but the noise of so many loud reports just at
the hour when wild animals were on the move, alarmed the country.
Trustworthy gun-carriers are always difficult to procure, and it was by
no means uncommon that in moments of danger, when the spare rifles were
required, the gun-bearers had bolted from the scene, and the master was
deserted.
The introduction of breechloaders has made shooting a luxury, and has
obviated the necessity of a large battery of guns. For military purposes
the breechloader has manifold advantages--as the soldier can load while
lying down, and keep up a rapid fire from a secure cover. It was
remarked during the Crimean War that a large proportion of wounded men
were struck in the right arm, which would have been raised above the
head when loading the old-fashioned rifle, and was thus prominently
exposed.
It is not my intention to enter into the minutiae of military rifles,
but I cannot resist the satisfaction with which I regard the triumph of
the small-bore which I advocated through the columns of the Times in
1865, at a time when the idea was opposed by nearly all authorities as
impracticable, owing to the alleged great drawback of rapid fouling.
There can be no doubt that the charge of 70 grains with a small-bore
bullet, '303, will have a lower trajectory (higher velocity
(equivalent to long range)) than a heavier projectile, '450, with the
additional advantage of a minimum recoil.
The earliest in the field of progress was the old-established firm of
Purdey and Co. Mr. Purdey, before the general introduction of
breechloaders, brought out an Express rifle, No. 70 bore, with a
mechanically fitting two-groove solid bullet. This small projectile was
a well-pointed cone weighing exactly 200 grains, with a powder charge of
110 grains, more than half the weight of the bullet. The extremely high
velocity of this rifle expanded the pure soft lead upon impact with the
skin and muscles of a red deer. At the same time there was no loss of
substance in the metal, as the bullet, although much disfigured,
remained intact, and continued its course of penetration, causing great
havoc by its increased surface. Nothing has surpassed this rifle in
velocity, although so many improvements have taken place since the
introduction of breechloaders, but in the days of muzzle-loaders it was
a satisfaction to myself that I was the first to commence the heavy
charge of powder with the 3 ounce bullet and 16 drams, to be followed
after many years by so high an authority as Mr. Purdey with a 200 grain
bullet and 110 grains of powder, thus verifying the principle of my
earliest experience.
This principle is now universally accepted, and charges of powder are
used, as a rule, which forty years ago would have been regarded as
impossible.
The modern breechloader in the hands of a well-trained soldier should be
a most deadly weapon, nevertheless we do not find a greater percentage
of destruction among the numbers engaged than resulted from the old
Brown Bess. The reason is obvious: battles are now fought at long
ranges, whereas in the early portion of the century fire was seldom
opened at a greater distance than 200 yards, and the actual struggle
terminated at close quarters.
A long-range rifle in the excitement of a hot action has several
disadvantages. The sights may have been set for 600 or 800 yards when
the enemy was at a distance, but should that interval be decreased by an
approach at speed, the sights would require an immediate readjustment,
otherwise the bullets would fly overhead, and the nearer the enemy
advanced, the safer he would be. Troops require most careful training
with the new weapons entrusted to their care. Although a rapidity of
fire if well directed must have a terrible result, there can be no
question that it engenders a wild excitement, and that a vast amount of
ammunition is uselessly expended, which, if reserved by slower but
steady shooting, would be far more deadly.
Although the difficulty is great in preventing troops from independent
firing when their blood is up in the heat of combat, the paramount duty
of an officer should be to control all wildness, and to insist upon
volleys in sections of companies by word of command, the sights of the
rifles being carefully adjusted, and a steady aim being taken at the
knees of the enemy.
There cannot be a better example than the advice upon this subject given
by the renowned General Wolfe (who was subsequently killed at the siege of
Quebec) to the 20th Regiment, of which he was Colonel, when England was
hourly expecting an invasion by the French:--... "There is no necessity
for firing very fast; ... a cool well-levelled fire with the pieces
carefully loaded is much more destructive than the quickest fire in
confusion."--At Canterbury, 17th December 1755.
This instruction should be sternly impressed upon the minds of all
soldiers, as it is the text upon which all admonitory addresses should
be founded. It must not be forgotten that General Wolfe's advice was
given to men armed with the old muzzle-loading Brown Bess (musket),
which at that time was provided with a lock of flint and steel.
Notwithstanding the slowness of fire necessitated by this antiquated
weapon, the General cautioned his men by the assurance, "There is no
necessity for firing very fast," etc., etc.
The breechloader is valuable through the power which exists, especially
with repeating rifles, for pouring in an unremitting fire whenever the
opportunity may offer, but under ordinary circumstances the fire should
be reserved with the care suggested by the advice of General Wolfe.
Small-bores have become the fashion of the day, and for military
purposes they are decidedly the best, as a greater amount of ammunition
can be carried by the soldier, while at the same time the range and
trajectory of his weapon are improved. The new magazine rifle adopted by
the Government is only '303, but this exceedingly small diameter will
contain 70 grains of powder with a bullet of hard alloy weighing 216
grains.
For sporting purposes the small-bore has been universally adopted, but I
cannot help thinking that like many other fashions, it has been carried
beyond the rules of common sense.
When upon entering a gunmaker's shop the inexperienced purchaser is
perplexed by the array of rifles and guns, varying in their characters
almost as much as human beings, he should never listen to the advice of
the manufacturer until he has asked himself what he really requires.
There are many things to be considered before an order should be
positively given. What is the rifle wanted for? What is the personal
strength of the purchaser? In what portion of the world is he going to
shoot? Will he be on foot, or will he shoot from horseback or from an
elephant? Will the game be dangerous, or will it be confined to deer,
etc.?
Not only the weapon but the ammunition will depend upon a reply to these
questions, and the purchaser should strongly resist the delusion that
any one particular description will be perfect as a so-called general
rifle. You may as well expect one kind of horse or one pattern of ship
to combine all the requirements of locomotion as to suppose that a
particular rifle will suit every variety of game or condition of
locality.
In South Africa accuracy is necessary at extremely long ranges for the
open plains, where antelopes in vast herds are difficult of approach. In
Indian jungles the game is seldom seen beyond fifty or sixty yards. In
America the stalking among the mountains is similar to that of the
Scottish Highlands, but upon a larger scale. In Central Africa the
distances are as uncertain as the quality of the animals that may be
encountered.
Upon the level plains of India, where the blackbuck forms the main
object of pursuit, extreme accuracy and long range combined are
necessary, with a hollow Express bullet that will not pass through the
body. How is it possible that any one peculiar form of rifle can combine
all these requirements? Rifles must be specially adapted for the animals
against which they are to be directed. I have nothing to do with the
purse, but I confine my remarks to the weapons and the game, and I shall
avoid technical expressions.
The generally recognised small-bores, all of which are termed "Express"
from the large charge of powder, are as follow:--
Small-bore Charge of Large- Charge of For all Game
Express. Powder. bores. Powder. such as*
'577 6 1/2 drams 4 bore 14 drams Elephants.
'500 5 1/2 " 8 " 14 " Rhinoceros.
'450 5 " 10 " 12 " Buffaloes.
'400 4 " 12 " 10 "
'360 Toys.
'295 Toys.
The two latter rifles, '360 and '295, are charming additions, and
although capable of killing deer are only to be recommended as
companions for a stroll but not to be classed as sporting rifles for
ordinary game. They are marvellously accurate, and afford great
satisfaction for shooting small animals and birds. The '360 may be used
for shooting black-buck, but I should not recommend it if the hunter
possesses a '400.
It would be impossible to offer advice that would suit all persons. I
can therefore only give a person opinion according to my own experience.
For all animals above the size of a fallow deer and below that of a
buffalo I prefer the '577 solid Express--648 grains solid bullet,--6
drams powder not 6 1/2, as the charge of only 6 drams produces greater
accuracy at long ranges.
The weight of this rifle should be 11 1/2 lbs., or not exceeding 12 lbs.
For smaller game, from fallow deer downwards, I prefer the '400 Express
with a charge of from 85 grains to 4 drams of powder--solid bullet,
excepting the case of black-buck, where, on account of numerous villages
on the plains, it is necessary that the bullet should not pass through
the body. The important question of weight is much in favour of the
'400, as great power and velocity are obtained by a weapon of only 8 1/2
lbs.
I should therefore limit my battery to one '577, one '400, and one
Paradox No. 12, for ordinary game in India, as elephants and other of
the larger animals require special outfit. The Paradox*, invented by
Colonel Fosberry and manufactured by Messrs. Holland and Holland of Bond
Street, is a most useful weapon, as it combines the shot-gun with a
rifle that is wonderfully accurate within a range of 100 yards. (* Since
this was written Messrs. Holland have succeeded after lengthened
experiments in producing a Paradox No. 8, which burns 10 drams of
powder, and carries a very heavy bullet with extreme accuracy. This will
be a new departure in weapons for heavy game.)
It is a smooth-bore slightly choked, but severely rifled for only 1 1/2
inch in length from the muzzle. This gives the spin to the projectile
sufficient to ensure accuracy at the distance mentioned.
The No. 12 Paradox weighs 84 lbs. and carries a bullet of 1 3/4 ounce
with 4 1/2 drams of powder. Although the powder charge is not sufficient
to produce a high express velocity, the penetration and shock are most
formidable, as the bullet is of hardened metal, and it retains its
figure even after striking a tough hide and bones. The advantage of such
a gun is obvious, as it enables a charge of buck-shot to be carried in
the left barrel, while the right is loaded with a heavy bullet that is
an admirable bone-smasher; it also supersedes the necessity of an extra
gun for small game, as it shoots No. 6 shot with equal pattern to the
best cylinder-bored gun.
There are many persons who prefer a '500 or a '450 Express to the '577
or the '400. I have nothing to say against them, but I prefer those I
have named, as the '577 is the most fatal weapon that I have ever used,
and with 6 or 6 1/2 drams of powder it is quite equal to any animal in
creation, provided the shot is behind the shoulder. This provision
explains my reason for insisting that all animals from a buffalo upwards
should be placed in a separate category, as it is frequently impossible
to obtain a shoulder shot, therefore the rifles for exceedingly heavy
game must be specially adapted for the work required, so as to command
them in every conceivable position.
I have shot with every size of rifle from a half pounder explosive
shell, and I do not think any larger bore is actually necessary than a
No. 8, with a charge of 12 or 14 drams of powder. Such a rifle should
weigh 15 lbs., and the projectile would weigh 3 ounces of hardened
metal.
The rifles that I have enumerated would be always double, but should the
elephant-hunter desire anything more formidable, I should recommend a
single barrel of 36 inches in length of bore, weighing 22 lbs., and
sighted most accurately to 400 yards. Such a weapon could be used by a
powerful man from the shoulder at the close range of fifty yards, or it
could be fired at long ranges upon a pivot rest, which would enable the
elephant-hunter to kill at a great distance by the shoulder shot when
the animals were in deep marshes or on the opposite side of a river. I
have frequently seen elephants in such positions when it was impossible
to approach within reasonable range. A rifle of this description would
carry a half-pound shell with an exploding charge of half an ounce of
fine grain powder and the propelling charge would be 16 drams. I had a
rifle that carried a similar charge, but unfortunately it was too short,
and was only sighted for 100 yards. Such a weapon can hardly be classed
among sporting rifles, but it would be a useful adjunct to the battery
of a professional hunter in Africa.
There can be little doubt that a man should not be overweighted, but
that every person should be armed in proportion to his physical
strength. If he is too light for a very heavy rifle he must select a
smaller bore; if he is afraid of a No. 8 with 14 drams, he must be
content with a No. 12 and 10 drams, but although he may be successful
with the lighter weapon, he must not expect the performance will equal
that of the superior power.
It may therefore be concluded that for a man of ordinary strength, the
battery for the heaviest game should be a pair of double No. 8 rifles
weighing 14 or 15 lbs. to burn from 12 to 14 drams of powder, with a
hardened bullet of 3 ounces. Such a rifle will break the bones of any
animal from an elephant downwards, and would rake a buffalo from end to
end, which is a matter of great importance when the beast is charging.
Although the rifle is now thoroughly appreciated, and sportsmen of
experience have accepted the Express as embodying the correct principle
of high velocity, I differ with many persons of great authority in the
quality of projectiles, which require as much consideration as the
pattern of the gun.
The Express rifle is a term signifying velocity, and this is generally
accompanied by a hollow bullet which is intended to serve two purposes--
to lighten the bullet, and therefore to reduce the work of the powder,
and to secure an expansion and smash-up of the lead upon impact with the
animal. I contend that the smashing up of the bullet is a mistake,
excepting in certain cases such as I have already mentioned, where the
animal is small and harmless like the black-buck, which inhabits level
plains in the vicinity of population, and where the bullet would be
exceedingly dangerous should it pass through the antelope and ricochet
into some unlucky village.
As I have already advised the purchaser of a rifle to consider the
purpose for which he requires the weapon, in like manner I would suggest
that he should reflect upon the special purpose for which he requires
the bullet. He should ask himself the questions--"What is a bullet?"
and "What is the duty of a bullet?"
A bullet is generally supposed to be a projectile capable of retaining
its component parts in their integrity. The duty of the bullet is to
preserve its direct course; it should possess a power of great
penetration, should not be easily deflected, and together with
penetrating power it should produce a stunning effect by an overpowering
striking energy.
How are we to combine these qualities? If the projectile has great
penetrating force it will pass completely through an animal, and the
striking energy will be diminished, as the force that should have been
expended upon the body is expending itself in propelling the bullet
after it has passed through the body. This must be wrong, as it is
self-evident that the striking energy or knock-down blow must depend
upon the resistance which the body offers to the projectile. If the
bullet remains within it, the striking energy; complete and entire,
without any waste whatever, remains within the body struck. If,
therefore, a bullet '577 of 648 grains propelled by 6 drams of powder
has at fifty yards a striking energy of 3500 foot pounds, that force is
expended upon the object struck,--provided it is stopped by the
opposing body.
We should therefore endeavour to prevent the bullet from passing through
an animal, if it is necessary to concentrate the full power of the
projectile upon the resisting body.
This is one reason adduced in favour of the hollow Express bullet, which
smashes up into minute films of lead when it strikes the hard muscles of
an animal, owing to its extreme velocity, and the weakness of its parts
through the hollowness of its centre.
I contend, on the contrary, that the bullet has committed suicide by
destroying itself, although its fragments may have fatally torn and
injured the vital organs of the wounded animal. The bullet has ceased to
exist, as it is broken into fifty shreds; therefore it is dead, as it is
no longer a compact body,--in fact, it has disappeared, although the
actual striking energy of a very inferior bullet may have been expended
upon the animal.
If the animal is small and harmless, this should be the desired result.
If, on the other hand, the animal should be large and dangerous, there
cannot be a greater mistake than the hollow Express projectile.
I have frequently heard persons of great experience dilate with
satisfaction upon the good shots made with their little '450 hollow
Express exactly behind the shoulder of a tiger or some other animal. I
have also heard of their failures, which were to themselves sometimes
incomprehensible. A solid Express '577 NEVER fails if the direction is
accurate towards a vital part. The position of the animal does not
signify; if the hunter has a knowledge of comparative anatomy (which he
must have, to be a thoroughly successful shot) he can make positively
certain of his game at a short distance, as the solid bullet will crash
through muscle, bone, and every opposing obstacle to reach the fatal
organ. If the animal be a tiger, lion, bear, or leopard, the bullet
should have the power to penetrate, but it should not pass completely
through. If it should be a wapiti, or sambur stag, the bullet should
also remain within, retained in all cases under the skin upon the side
opposite to that of entrance. How is this to be managed by the same
rifle burning the same charge of powder with a solid bullet?
The penetration must be arranged by varying the material of the bullet.
A certain number of cartridges should be loaded with bullets of extreme
hardness, intended specially for large thick-skinned animals; other
bullets should be composed of softer metal, which would expand upon the
resisting muscles but would not pass completely through the skin upon
the opposite side. The cartridges would be coloured for distinction.
If the metal is pure lead, the bullet '577, with an initial velocity of
1650 feet per second, will assuredly assume the form of a button
mushroom immediately upon impact, and it will increase in diameter as it
meets with resistance upon its course until, when expended beneath the
elastic hide upon the opposite side, it will have become fully spread
like a mature mushroom, instead of the button shape that it had assumed
on entrance. I prefer pure lead for tigers, lions, sambur deer, wapiti,
and such large animals which are not thick-skinned, as the bullet alters
its form and nevertheless remains intact, the striking energy being
concentrated within the body.
The difference in the striking energy of a hollow bullet from that of a
solid projectile is enormous, owing to the inequality in weight. The
hollow bullet wounds mortally, but it does not always kill neatly. I
have seen very many instances where the '500 hollow Express with 5 drams
of powder has struck an animal well behind the shoulder, or sometimes
through the shoulder, and notwithstanding the fatal wound, the beast has
galloped off as though untouched, for at least a hundred yards, before
it fell suddenly, and died.
This is clumsy shooting. The solid bullet of pure lead would have killed
upon the spot, as the bullet would have retained its substance although
it altered its form, and the shock would have been more severe, The
hollow bullet exhibits a peculiar result in a post-mortem examination:
the lungs may be hopelessly torn and ragged, the liver and the heart may
be also damaged, all by the same projectile, because it has been
converted into small shot immediately upon impact. Frequently a minute
hole will be observed upon the entrance, and within an inch beneath the
skin a large aperture will be seen where an explosion appears to have
taken place by the breaking-up of the lead, all of which has splashed
into fragments scattering in every direction.
Common sense will suggest that although such a bullet will kill, it is
not the sort of weapon to stop a dangerous animal when in full charge.
Weak men generally prefer the hollow Express because the rifle is
lighter and handier than the more formidable weapon, and the recoil is
not so severe, owing to the lightness of the bullet.
My opinion may be expressed in a few words. If you wish the bullet to
expand, use soft lead, but keep the metal solid. If you wish for great
penetration, use hard solid metal, either 1/10 tin or 1/13 quicksilver.
Even this will alter its form against the bones of a buffalo, but either
of the above will go clean through a wapiti stag, and would kill another
beyond it should the rifle be '577 fired with 6 drams of powder.
The same rifle will not drive a soft leaden solid bullet through a male
tiger if struck directly through the shoulder; it will be found
flattened to a mushroom form beneath the skin upon the other side,
having performed its duty effectively, by killing the tiger upon the
spot, and retaining intact the metal of which it was composed.
A post-mortem inquiry in the latter case would be most satisfactory. If
the bullet shall have struck fair upon the shoulder-joint, it will be
observed that although it has retained its substance, the momentum has
been conveyed to every fragment of crushed bone, which will have been
driven forward through the lungs like a charge of buckshot, in addition
to the havoc created by the large diameter of an expanded '577 bullet.
Both shoulders will have been completely crushed, and the animal must of
course be rendered absolutely helpless. This is a sine qua non in all
shooting. Do not wound, but kill outright; and this you will generally
do with a '577 solid bullet of pure lead, or with a Paradox bullet 1 3/4
ounces hard metal and 4 1/2 drams of powder. This very large bullet is
sufficiently formidable to require no expansion.
Gunmakers will not advise the use of pure lead for bullets, as it is apt
to foul the barrel by its extreme softness, which leaves a coating of
the metal upon the surface of the rifling. For military purposes this
objection would hold good, but so few shots are fired at game during the
day, that no disadvantage could accrue, and the rifle would of course be
cleaned every evening.
The accidents which unfortunately so often happen to the hunters of
dangerous game may generally be traced to the defect in the rifles
employed. If a shooter wishes to amuse himself in Scotland among the
harmless red deer, let him try any experiments that may please him; but
if he is a man like so many who leave the shores of Great Britain for
the wild jungles of the East, or of Africa, let him at once abjure
hollow bullets if he seeks dangerous game. Upon this subject I press my
opinion, as I feel the immense responsibility of advice should any
calamity occur. It is only a few months since the lamented Mr. Ingram
was killed by an elephant in the Somali country, through using a '450
Express hollow bullet against an animal that should at least have been
attacked with a No. 10. I submit the question to any admirer of the
hollow Express. "If he is on foot, trusting only to his rifle for
protection, would he select a hollow Express, no matter whether '577,
'500, or '450; or would he prefer a solid bullet to withstand a
dangerous charge?"
India is a vast empire, and various portions, according to the
conditions of localities, have peculiar customs for the conduct of wild
sports. In dense jungles, where it would be impossible to see the game
if on foot, there is no other way of obtaining a shot except by driving.
The gunners are in such case placed at suitable intervals upon platforms
called mucharns, securely fitted between convenient forks among the
branches of a tree, about 10 or 12 feet above the ground. From this
point of vantage the gunner can see without being seen and, thoroughly
protected from all danger, he may amuse himself by comparing the success
of his shooting with the hollow Express or with the solid bullet at the
animals that pass within his range, which means a limit of about 50
yards. I contend that at the short distance named; a tiger should NEVER
escape from a solid bullet; he often escapes from the hollow bullet for
several reasons.
It must be remembered that animals are rarely seen distinctly in a thick
jungle, countless twigs and foliage intercept the bullet, and the view,
although patent to both open eyes, becomes misty and obscure when you
shut one eye and squint along the barrel. You then discover that
although you can see the dim shadow of your game, your bullet will have
to cut its way through at least twenty twigs before it can reach its
goal. A solid bullet may deflect slightly, but it will generally deliver
its message direct, unless the opposing objects are more formidable than
ordinary small branches. A hollow bullet from an Express rifle will fly
into fragments should it strike a twig the size of the little finger.
This is quite sufficient to condemn the hollow projectile without any
further argument.
While writing the above, I have received the Pioneer, 24th June 1888,
which gives the following account of an escape from a tiger a few weeks
ago by Mr. Cuthbert Fraser, and no better example could be offered to
prove the danger of a hollow bullet. It will be seen that a solid bullet
would have killed the tiger on the spot, as it would have penetrated to
the brain, instead of which it broke into the usual fragments when
striking the hard substance of the teeth, and merely destroyed one eye.
The bullet evidently splashed up without breaking the jaw, as the
wounded animal was not only capable of killing the orderly, but Mr.
Fraser "heard, in fact, the crunching of the man's bones." He says "that
he felt that he had the tiger dead when he fired, but the Express bullet
unfortunately broke up." He had fired the left-hand barrel into the
tiger's chest without the slightest result in checking the onset; had
that been a solid bullet it would have penetrated to the heart or lungs.
ADVENTURE WITH A TIGER.
The following experience of a sportsman in the Deccan is from the
Secunderabad paper of 14th June 1888:--
"Mr. Cuthbert Fraser had a most miraculous escape from a
tiger the other day at Amraoti. The lucky hero of this
adventure is a District Superintendent of Police in Berar.
He is well remembered in Secunderabad as Superintendent of
the Cantonment Police before Mr. Crawford. A son of Colonel
Hastings Fraser, one of the Frasers of Lovat, he has proved
his possession of that nerve and courage which rises to the
emergency of danger--on which qualities more than all else
the British Empire in India has been built, and on which,
after all is said, in the last resort, it must be still held
to rest. To quote the graphic account of a correspondent,
the escape was about as narrow as was ever had. Mr. Fraser
was told by his orderly that the tiger was lying dead with
his head on the root of a tree. The orderly having called
him up, he went to the spot. Mr. Fraser then sent the
orderly and another man with the second gun back, and knelt
down to look. Just then the tiger roared and came at him
from about eighteen feet off: he waited till the tiger was
within five feet of him and fired. As the tiger did not
drop, he fired his second shot hurriedly. The first shot had
hit exactly in the centre of the face but just an inch too
low. It knocked the tiger's right eye out and smashed all
the teeth of that side of the jaw. The second shot struck
the tiger in the chest, but too low. What happened then Mr.
Fraser does not exactly know, but he next found himself
lying in front of the tiger, one claw of the beast's right
foot being hooked into his left leg, in this way trying to
draw Mr. Fraser towards him; the other paw was on his right
leg. Mr. Fraser's chin and coat were covered with foam from
the beast's mouth. He tried hard to draw himself out of the
tiger's clutches. Fortunately the beast was not able to see
him, as Mr. Fraser was a little to one side on the animal's
blind side and the tiger's head was up. Suddenly seeing Mr.
Fraser's orderly bolting, he jumped up and went for the man,
and catching him he killed him on the spot. Mr. Fraser had
lost his hat, rifle, and all his cartridges, which had
tumbled out of his pocket. He jumped up, however, and ran to
the man who had his second gun, and to do so had to go
within eight paces of the spot where the tiger was crouching
over his orderly. He heard, in fact, the crunching of the
man's bones and saw the tiger biting the back of the head.
He now took the gun from his man. The latter said that he
had fired both barrels into the tiger--one when he was
crouching over Mr. Fraser, and the other when he was over
the prostrate body of the orderly. The man had fired well
and true, but just too far back, in his anxiety not to hit
the man he would save, instead of the tiger. When afterwards
asked if he was not afraid to hit the Sahib, 'I was very
much afraid indeed,' he replied, 'but dil mazbut karke
lagaya: I nerved myself for the occasion.' 'A good man and
true!' a high officer writes, 'who after firing never moved
an inch till Mr. Fraser came to him, although close to the
tiger all the while. He is one of the Gawilghur Rajputs--a
brave race, Ranjit Singh, a good name.' The man said he had
no more cartridges left and so they both got a little
farther from the tiger, as the orderly was evidently done
for. Afterwards they found one more cartridge for the gun
and tried to recover the body, but it was no use. The tiger
was lying close, most of the buffaloes had bolted and the
Kurkoos would not help. Mr. Fraser then sent six miles off
for an elephant. But the animal did not arrive till dark, so
Mr. Fraser went home in great grief about the poor orderly
and at having to leave the body. His own wound was bleeding
a great deal, it being a deep claw gash. Next day they got
the body and the tiger dead, lying close to each other.
Perhaps no narrower escape than Mr. Fraser's has ever been
heard of. To the excellent shot which knocked the beast's
eye out he undoubtedly owes his life. He says that he felt
that he had the tiger dead when he fired, but the Express
bullet unfortunately broke up. Probably, he thinks a 12-bore
would have reached the brain."
I could produce numerous instances where failures have occurred, and I
know sportsmen of long experience who have given up the use of hollow
bullets except against such small game as black-buck and other antelopes
or deer.
So much for the Express hollow bullet, after which it is at the option
of all persons to please themselves; but personally I should decline the
company of any friend who wished to join me in the pursuit of dangerous
game if armed with such an inferior weapon. In another portion of this
volume I shall produce a striking instance of the result.
The magazine rifle, which is destined to become the military arm of the
future, can hardly merit a place among sporting rifles, as it must
always possess the disadvantage of altering its balance as the
ammunition is expended. The Winchester Company have, I believe, produced
a great improvement in a rifle of this kind, '400, which carries a
charge of 110 grains of powder; but even so small a bore must be unhandy
if the rifle is arranged to contain a supply of cartridges. For my own
use I am quite contented with one '577, a '400, and a No. 12 Paradox -
all solid bullets, but varying in hardness of metal according to the
quality of game; for the largest animals a pair of No. 8 rifles with
hard bullets and 14 drams of powder.
I can say nothing more concerning rifles for the practical use of
sportsmen, although a volume might be devoted to their history and
development. Shot guns are too well understood to merit a special
notice.