The New York herald., 1874-08-13
RIFLE SHOOTING.

Should be Rectifed.
The great popularity which military and LONG
range rife shooting has acquired In Europe. and
Is fast attaining among ourselves, renders It not
inappropriate that the attention OF the general
pubic should be called to matter of such vast
importance to the citizen soldiery OF America
upon whose valor and knowledge In the use OF
firearms the peace and integrity Of this Union de-
pend.
An uninstructed man may take up rife and
blaze away for whole day at target without hit
ting 1t, while one who understands the use OF his
weapon can make repeated bulls eyes with IL. The
Importance, therefore, OF possessing good rine
and knowing Well how TO use 1t, whether as
means OF amusement or OF national or individual
defence, cannot be overrated. Every American
citizen capable Of bearing arms should have gun
ana know how to handle IT. and nothing can be
more mortifyng 10 our military pride than to see
regiments OF militia, that are maintained
at tho cost of the State, 90 in front OF
the ride ranges without understanding
even how to handle or carry gun,
much less to make good shooting with 1t.
From the time OF Roster, or Nuremberg, $50
years ago, down to that OF the celebrated English
mathematician, Robbins, and until now, the most
unremittlng efforts OF scientific men have been
directed to the Improvement and manufacture of
rihed arms. And the great perfection to which
the art of rife shooting mas been brought repre-
sents the sum OF the available practical knowl-
edge that these and other eminent men have con-
trbuted, through long years OF study, to the
science OF ballisJics.
Rines In endless variety have been produced.
The MIME, Wnitworth Remington, Ward Burton,
Sharpe and o variety OF others, constructed upon
seemingly different, but really similar principles,
have, in their respective spheres OF usefulness
contributed something to the general store OF
knowledge upon the subject Of rine shooting. And
the shapes OF the different bullets in use are as
numerous and various as the charges Of powder
that are thought necessary TO accomplish q given
range with the greatest accuracy. The length OF
barrel Its calibre and the number OF grooves as
we'll as the best angle Of inclination OF the twist
to the axis OF the bore are very important ques-
tions, which may still be considered as open to
dispute. The "gatn twistn Of America and the
constant twist, which finds favor in some parts Of
Europe, both have their admirers and advocates.
General Jacobs, distinguished East Indian ride
man, says Of the gain twist that
IT'S PRINCIPLE 10 EVIDENTLY UNPHILoS0PHICAL;
| for, besides altering the shape OF the bullet 1t
causes Increased resistance or friction at the
muzze. the very place where relief is wanted at
the instant OF the bullets escape from the gun.
1t Is laid down that the effect Of al errors Affect
ing the flight Of projectile must be proportionate
to the duration OF their causes. Hence the effect
OF recoil must be twice as great in forty.inch
barrel as 1t would be IN one Of twenty inches, for
the gun must have been acting on the shoulder,
and the unsteadiness OF hand on the gun, twice as
long in the former as In the latter case. Rides
from seven to ten pounds weight are heavy
enough to afford q steady and firm hold. There
should be waste OF metal about the
BARREL bit too much solidty. within reason
able limits, cannot be given to IL near
the chamber. A more rapid twist than
one turn in twenty-four to thirty inches adds
should not be less than twenty -four nor more than
thirty-three inches long. There should not be
barrel, and iour is considered preie able to either
OF these numbers. The grooves should be only
dssp to give the bullet ns
subject lays down the principle that "in long
w rapd n se as Is 70
| becomes very great at the muzze, and though
MODERATE CHARGES SHOW GOOD RESULTS.
better elevation will not be attained by increasing
the CHARGE" General Jacobs says that one turn IN
twenty-Iou inches Is the best KIND OF twist; but
| Mr.. WhitwOrth claims that turn in twenty inches
Is the best for his hexa0onal bore. From what has
( been said 1t may Dc deduced tnat the nature OF
than the quantity OF powder used directly Affect
the curvature or 6atness OF the trajectory.
sions appear, they comprise the condensed results
! OF tens OF thousands OF experiments, covering
ansifuse caicuation on the part OF numerous dis.
tinguished rinemen.
|
the rfng OF the piece is an efreotve means OF
keeping an elongated projecte with Its point for
ward toward the mark, and the greater the
figure this may be used. whitworth, Ward.
Burton, Remington, and some other noted
makers, use projectiles OF from one and half to
three and a half calibres tdametersl long. The
good results that can DC accomplished by the use
Hythe in 1857. wien it was shown that the advan-
tage Of such extraordinarily long projecties over
the Enfield conical bullet tPrichett's) was IS
twenty to one. At 1880 yards, over a mile,
THE BOLT PRoJECrILE sTRUcK THE TARGET
with force, when the Enfield ball made nits at
lao yards. At ], 100 yards the bolt Da was equal
to the Enfield at 500 yards; and when both were
as u sSe
! grams OF powder bolt ball was sent through
thrty.three half inch elm planks, and 1t imoedded
same distance the Enfield ball. with an equal
charge 10 that OF the other, penetrated only twelve
were equally remarkable. The bolt ball required
but one degree and fifteen minutes al distance
ball needed an additional fifteen minutes OF eleva-
tion TO reach the mark. AT 500 yards the bolt ball
needed but two degrees and twenty minutes, while
the Enfield projectile could not find the target
with less than an additional fifteen minutes ele-
Sa
that Of the bolt ball. ana tie former is there ore.
RroportionaSly more inaccurate than the @ latter. latter
IN USE BY THE UNITED STATES ARMY
and the National Guard, while the bolt ball ap-
proaches more nearly to tne shape OF the projecte
used in the sporting rlnes OF Remington, Ward
Burton ana others. In the experiments above al
luded to- the Endeld bullet and bolt pail were both
OF the same weght-S6o grains, and driven by .
similar charge OF pOwdcr-seventy grains.
Some Of our own rincmen at Creedmoor think
that not less than 05 to los grains OF powder are
necessary drive 4S0 grains mOre or less OF lead
q distance OF 1000 yards. This Is erroneous. and
the use OF so much powder adds nothing to, but
OH the contrary lessons the effectiveness OF the
shooting. ANY ck-woodsInan knows that each
cabre OF rife can only burn . given volume OF
powder and no morc and tnat the surplus over this
quantity Is shot unignited out OF the muzzle. Much,
therefore, depends upon the purity and hOmogene.
! ity OF the powder, especially wnen we consider
that It's Inflammation Is progressive and
noe instantaneous. When the best and
purest descriptions of nitre, sulphur and charcoal
are used, and the different processes Of the man.
ufacture OF the powder, from tue mixing OF is
component parts to the pressing Of the mill cake