Connecticut western news., 1877-06-22
Friday Morning, June 22. 1877.
MT. Orange Judd on Rifle Shooting

MT. Orange Judd on Rifle Shooting. MT. Orange Judd, of Middletown, writes | to Forest and Stream. concerning his ex- periences in rife practice. We make the following extracts from his letter, dated Middletown, May 26. Mir. Judd is one of the best.shots in the Connecticut Rifle As sociation, which practises at "WilIow- brook" Berlin: ''I believe in rifle clubs. If in each of 20, 900 towns of our country we have an average of twenty-five men, who, from practice, would be able to send most of their bullets within three-foot ring at for ty yards, and at least one shot in five at half mile or more. we should have con. stant ready force of half a million men, who would be able enough to warn off or strike down all the invaders the combined world could send against us. It would be wonderful economy, and add immensely to our national strength, if our general gov ernment should discharge ten regiments of regulars. and expend the money they cost
 ($s,Ooo,c coo to $l0. ,Ooo' annually) in. promoting local rifle clubs, by furnishing trainers and, if need be, ammunition, and even ranges and guns. and badges or med als to be competed for as stimulants
 My own observation is, that rife clubs are promotive of good morals. The peo-r pie will have amusement of some kind. Every rife shooter is aware that the use of liquor or tobacco units him for good marksmanship. know case where a man was fast becoming confirmed toper, but on getting interested in shooting at a club, where he was ambitious to excel, he laid aside his cup-to the great gratifca- tion of his friends and neighbors. The tendency of rife shooting is in this direc- ton. Any one giving attention to tbe matter will be surprised at the absence of drinking, profanity. low language, picker ing etc.. at the rifle range gatherings, as compared with horse racing assemblages, and even ball playing. In ball playing or boating only picked 'nine' or six take part, and have the benefit of the exercise. At the rifle club, however large, all take part. In the former two. especially in ball playing, the exercise consists of short, sudden straining spurts. In rife shooting, the continuous gun cleaning and the gen tie reaction of the gun supply just enough of appropriate exercise, while the study of the effects of gravity, wind, light, barome. ter, thermometer etc., are of an educating and elevating character. Many have died from direct or indirect injuries in the ball field, and there are today in our country at least ten thousand men and boys with broken fingers and other injuries incident to ball playing. In all the rife shooting in 'he whole country there have probably moi been score of accidents fatal or other wise. f5E= sla. @t g
 think the above reasons are enough tc testify my belief in the rifle clubs More could be added if need be. Ihave person. al reasons fer speaking well of this recrea ton. From malarial disease contracted 1T the volunteer sanitary commission service during the campaigns of 1863 and 1864, was more or less an invalid for dozel years. In the summer of 1875 I procured 'Creedmoor rif1e,' studied mp the 'princi pies of gunneIy' at taught pretty thorough, ly in my college mathematics thirty odd years ago, and, by reading, picked ul what information could from recent i'm provements and practice. Outing nearl, two years have, weather permitting spent few hours each Saturday afternoon at a rifle range. and as many other days a business would allow, sometimes an hour o two daily, towards evening-making thi my chief exercise and diversion from busi ness thought and care. As the result
 have better health and more strength an vigor, and do more business and writin, than in dozen or fifteen years prior t taking up the rife. l can but speak we of the bridge that carried me over from
 morass to solid ground. * I.
 l will say to 'Whyse' and others, ths with equally good guns, ard with con, nerve and steadiness on the part of tt shooter, great deal depends upon inlell gent study of the conditions of light, wins thermometer and barometer, etc. Cook air and higher barometer-not usually tai en much into account-indicate condcn. ed atmosphere, offering increased resis ance. and slight increase or dlminishlr of resistance, has decided effect upon
 bullet when it's force is greatly weakene
 as itis after flying 700 to 300 yards.
 change of single inch in the baromet
 will sometimes make eight or ten poin difference in the elevation required. equ to l2 or l6 feet at the .0O0 yard targets ?
 But more important still, if possible,
 the ammunition. A grain of powder b
 TOW 95 grains makes to l2 inches diff,
 ence in the striking elevation at ,O0O; S
 grains in the weight of $50 grain bullet h
 about the same effect. Again 90 grains
 powder weighed on a dry day and lief:
 the scale over night, or till the air becom
 damp, will weigh down 9l to 92 grair
 Hence buy not less than 10 pounds
 powder at time to secure uniformity, ke
 it in tightly closed cans, pour it directly |
 on the scales from tight flask, and wei
 to fortieth of a grain weight. The bu
 lets wet with saliva, and stand tht
 to dry, to shrink and fasten the patch, th
 weigh them all and sort them into lots
 the same weight and mark them as 5!
 54s, and 552 grains when they differ, g
 use on the same day those of the sal
 weight, or vary the sights if the bullets
 ". nis of the greatest importance to ha
 the bullets evenly and uniformly patch.
 and to have them go into the shell witht
 marring or crinkling of the paper. and
 just fit the shell well, otherwise slight q
 feet on one side may readily give the b,
 let wrong direction as it leaves the b
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