The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-21
Ponder Smoke
..,---
By
Edmund McLaurin

On Saturday nights particularly,
newspaper offices throughout the
nation are usually beehives of ac-
tivity as editors and proof-readers,
seated at desks piled high with sto-l
ries Of news events throughout the
world, prepare Sunday morning edi--
tons for publication and delivery
Ito homes of subscribers and COM
mercial points of distribution. -
The size of. the average Sunday
newspaper being more. or less pre-
determined and consistent from week
to week, there are frequently oc-
| casions when, due to unusual ac-
tivity on the part of personalities
and nations in the news limelight,
something has to be left out. This
Something is generally the local
| column Of shooting news unless the
powers-that-be have themselves just
returned from an afternoon session
on the hometown range, or in some
| other manner are associated, or &C
quainted, with those whose conyer-
| sations make frequent reference to
| such things as "~possibles," 'trajec-
tories and "muzzle velocities." Such
was the case locally last week, when,
due to reasons already explained,
this column was carried forward and
published in the afternoon paper OF
Monday. To all those friends who
so kindly inquired as to the reason
for the non-appearance of Powder
Smoke last Sunday, I extend thanks.
Really, it has been a great sur
prise to me the way this column
has been received by readers of this
paper. Writing on technical phases
[of the shooting game, I would nor
mally assume that the column would
appeal to and be read by only those
who participate actively in the sport,
but, instead. I find that folks who
probably will eve be seen on a
rifle range anywhere r joining the
gun-nuts in the Sunday morning
nerusal of this column, and, in some
instances, checking up on the tech
| Iltdl pOlIllS uISNa'
pie, my recent reference to the OBJ
solete Sharps rifle and its connec.
ton with the disappearance of the
buffalo from our Western plains
caused many Of my readers to re
call grandpa's old rifle stored IN
the home attic and to bring it out
into the light of day for examina
ton, Quite a few interesting old RI
files and pistols have been brought
to my attention since my reference
to the famous Sharps rifle, which.
in turn, now prompts me to remind
nv friends that some of the old
Guns now in the hands of local cit
liens may be of considerable value,
especially if they happen to be old
muzzle-loading rifles in excellent
condition. Apparently the dyed-in-
the-wool. gun enthusiast will shoot
anything in which powder and ball
can be loaded with safety.
In my column I stated that it
has been my experience that az cal
iber rifles give relatively. poor accu-
racy, considering the latent posi-
bilities of the cartridge used, dur
ing mid.winter than during the
warm weather months, temperature
having a pronounced effect on accu.
racv in the sense of close grouping
of the total number of shots fired
on a particular target. Since maklng
that statement, the mailman has de-
livered the February issue OF flelo
and Stream, popular outdoor maya
zine, in which Col. Townsend II
len. recognized authority on all mat
tiers pertaining to the shooting game,
discusses the characteristics of the
% catber rifle and cartridge, and
definitely states, with. reproductions
of test targets as proof, that ~
caliber rifles do not give their best
accuracy in cold weather, or, to be
more exact, on those days when the
temperature is below 60 degrees Fah-
renheit.
This does not necessarily mean
that one cannot make good scores
on cold days; it simply means that
your chances of scoring ~"posslblesN
are not as favorable as on those
occasions when the weather is more
enjoyable. After a rifle barrel has
been both properly fouled and warm
ed through: the firing Of several
successive strings of five. shots each,
it. should beginat to group consistent
1lv and continue to do SO as long
as firing conditions remain I'M
changed.
Anyway, I am glad to have this
confirmation from such a well-known
authority as Col. Whelen. His lat
est article makes very interesting
reading for any marksman who is
seeking first-hand information on
the effects of temperature on the
accuracy of small-bore rifles.
The election of Nathan Haskell
!, Ito the status of executive officer
OF the Wilmington Rifle and Pistol
] c;11h Tno. should make for. .eonSid