The Rifle
Media
Part of The Marksman Magazine
- Title
- The Rifle
- Language
- English
- Year
- 1939
- Rights
-
- Fulltext
- 12 THE MARKSMAN August, 1939 THE RIFLE Rifle making is one of the very oldest arts. Rifles or implements closely resembling a barrel tube have been manufactured since the discovery and use of powder. It is not generally known, even by scientists, just when and where gun powder was invented and first used. Histories referring to the origin of gun powder regarding its introduction admit that powder was used for fighting prior to 275 A.D. Since that time it has been a constant se_ ries of experiments with explosives, resulting in the making of black po":ders which held sway during modern times up to the invention and common use of smoke_ less powder generally accepted by the pubHc around 1900. During the last thirty years enormous strides have been made in the manufacture of gun powder. Today gun powders are available for sporting use which will propel a small caliber bullet at the rr/uzzle velocity of 3,900 feet per second or greater. Game rifles in a broad way are class~ fied as small game, medium size game, and large game rifles. Large game rifles are again divided into two classes, for ~ large African and Indian game. The small game rifle usually has a caliber from .25 to .25; the medium game usually has a caliber from .25 to' .30; the large game rifle depending upon the powder of the cartridge, runs from .25 caliber .600 Nitro Express. Without a doubt the .22 Long Rifle Rim Fire Cartridge enjoys the greatest popularity. This cartridge can be used in the well-known .slide action or pump acAugust, 1939 THE MARKSMAN 13 repeating rifle, bolt action, single shot, lever action, and automatic :rifle. During the last two or three years the .22 rim fire cartridge has been manufactured and offered in a strong brass alloy case and should not be used in old guns. This strong case permits high breech pressure which in turn al... most doubles the power of the ordfoary .22 Long Rifle cartridge. Accordingly using a modern .22 rifle and high speed cartridge, the hunter may kill small game up to 200 yards. This cartridge is also supplied in a hollow point lead bullet which has a tremendous shocking power and has been known to kill woodchucks at 200 yards. The medium game rifle from caliber .25 to caliber .30 is used for game ranging in size of a woodchuck up to and including .small size deer. A variety of cartridge loads and styles of bullets is available for the medium game rifle. The large game rifle ranging in caliber from .20 up to .405 Winchester may be had in a large variety of cartridges and loads. This rifle is used for game ranging in size from medium size deer up to and includfing the Alaskan Kodiac bear and also the American grizzly. One of the very most popular calibers is the caliber .30-06 Military cartridge for sporting bolt action rifles. However, there are many other cartridges which will suffice iif one doe:s not care for the bolt action style of rifle and such a large cartridge. It is impossible here to go into great detail regarding game rifles because there is an endles.s variety of models and cartridges. Certain calibers, however, have been accepted by the hunter as sbmdard for each class of game shooting. One will do well to choose a popular cartridge and the model or style of gun best suited for himself, that is, a slide action, a lever action, a bolt action, or an automatic model rifle. Target shooting in matches with the well-known .22 caliber rifle is becoming more and more popular. For this style of .shooting, if one is to be outstandingly successful, a gun weighfog 8 pounds ·or more .should be used having micrometer receiver sights and globe front .sight installed. In addition to this, many matches allow rifles with target telescopes. The rifle target telescope has many advantages; through jt, one can easily see the bull's-eye, the shots may be easily spotted and the eye strain is less. It is not necessary to have an expensive rifle. For large bore matches one needs a bolt action rifle chambered for the caliber .30-06 cartridge. This rifle should be equipped with the mi~ crometer receiver sight, and the globe front sight if the matches permit. Some matches permit the use of a rifle target telescope, which has the many advantages, as described above for the small bore rifle. All (Continued on page 54) 54 THE MARKSMAN August, 1939 THE RIFLE (Continued from page 13) target rifles, of com·sse, should be equipped with strong swivels and a wide flexible leather adjustable gun sling. For African and Indian big game hunting, it is recommended that a chojce be made from the foJlowing: ca Uber 30-06; caliber 9.3 x 62 Manser: caliber 10.75 x 68; 404 Magnum; caliber .375 or .47!5 Magnum for bolt action magazine rifles. Practically every English big game rifle is assembled on a Mauser action, made only in the Mauser factory and imported from Germany into England. There are 20 d·:fferent Genuine Mauser actions. Each of these action is designed and made for a particular cartridge and should not be altered or converted for any other cartridge. For the largest and most dangerous game, it is particularly recommended a double barrel rifle chambered for the .475 No. 2 Nitro Express shooting a 480 grain metal covered bullet with a foot pound muzzle ene1·gy, apprmdmately 5,152, although numerous popular cartridges closely approximate this performance. The double barrel rifle is really two individual rifles built as one. Two shots can be fired with 'grea•test speed. Even with a broken hammer or defective cartridge, it still functions, thereby rendt!ring it .the safest protection in an eme.rgency against dangerous game. JUDGE J ARANILLA • • • • (Continued from page 48) * * * * although the latter is .credited with having made more than 100 straight consecutive birds in skeet. Last year, when ·the first Open Skeet Championship was held, Judge JaraniHa also came out on top~_and his feat this year is truly remarkable. The field of competitors was not very large this year, with only eight members competing. The failure of the Baguio shooters to make the trip to the lowlands accounted in part for the small number of entries. Furthermore, veteran shots like Doc Waterous, A. D. Hileman, Roy Thorson, and a few others, failed to enter the match .. The results of· the second Skeet championship follow: lst.--Judge Jar~illa - 25, - 21 - 24 - 23 - 93 2nd.-Martinez - 22 - 23 - 23 - 22 - 90 3rd.-Roehr - 23 - 22 - 21 - 24 - 90 4th.-Staight (R.C.) - 21 :...__ 21 - 22 - 24 - 88 5th.-Myers (Tom) - 21 - 23 - 22 - 21 - 87 6th . ...:._Curtis - 22 - 23 - 21 - 21 - 87 .7th.-Norton - 20 _:_ 20 - 23 - 19 ~· 82 8th.-Alvarez - 20 - 21 - 20 ·- 20 - 81