Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-06-21

A bullet weighing from $50 to 200
grains and having started with muz.
zle velocity of about 1000 to $500 feet
per second would be affected by a
~lnd, blowing one mile an hour at
rlght angles about one inch at three
hundred yards. The government
claims that with about SO grains
charge, $50 grain bullet and 200 feet
velocity the drift is eight-tenths of an
men. The hunter can see that, even
with d heavier bullet. say 22O and
l'9oo feet velocity, and say a ten.mile
wind, under such conditions govern
ment says drift is about two feet at
three hundred yards, some experi.
menting on rifle range will not do
any harm.
1t Is deplorable that so plain ne
cesstty as close accurate long range
and mid-range shooting should be
tossed aside so lightly by tour military
higher powers. History Tin this coun.
try as well as others) teens with in
stances of the tremendous stopping
power of aimed firing, and yet we find
experiment with telescope and other
sights pursued half heartedly, a
breech mechanism that looks like an
iron-worker's rivet-setter, and a mag
azine reminding one of slipping
change into his change pocket and
long hikes" to the exclusion of about
ten times the amount of rifle practice
now to be had. THE writer feels bet.
ter, now that is over.) To revert to
matters pertaining to aiming, bear in
mind the relative Importance of the
threatening dangers, l. e., at extreme.
ly long range, elevation must be
watched more closely than at mid or
short range because whereas an err
ror OF elevation of 1-15O of an inch at
1000 yards defects the bullet ten
inches while at 500 yards the error
would be only FIVE inches, wind
blowing at right angles ten miles an
hour would at 1000 yards give 22O
grain bullet with 1000 feet velocity
a deviation of but Is feet, or at 500
yards cause deviation of four feet.
One can gauge the wind very closely,
which demonstrates the point of the
argument because your object at long
range in any event would be wider
than 1t was high
Hunters ought to get very clearly
in mind the trajectory and velocity Of
the projectile SO that they can use
the same faculty which enables one to
throw a stone more or less accurately
with the hand or sling-shot. Probably
the tendency is to shoot too far ahead
in most cases.
Remember 800 yards Is only 900 feet
and most ammunition will carry that
In one-half second. and that the ira
jectory is very fiat. highest point
eight inches, government load, so that
an error so yards either way Is only
a matter of few inches. When find.
ing" an object. always aim or rather
set the sight for point less than the
assumed range unless some dry sand
or gray dirt is just beyond or to one
side when by aiming on it you can
gradually come up until you hit. 1t is
impossible in the confines of short
article like this to go into minute de-
tails, and no effort is made to do so
here. My advice to all is to approach
men of the type of Anderton, Doyle,
Casely. Keogh, Tewes. Hudson, Leush.
ner. and many other fine square shots,
and somewhere you will imbibe some
thing that will benefit, and you will
enjoy the good fortune to meet men
of standing in their profession, who
are as generous as they are intelligent
and we'll posted.