Of
course it is just as easy and as certain to kill an elephant with
a smooth-bore as with a rifle, as he is seldom fired at until
within ten or twelve paces; but a man, when armed for wild sport,
should be provided with a weapon which is fit for any kind of
ball-shooting at any reasonable range, and his battery should be
perfect for the distance at which he is supposed to aim.
I have never seen any rifles which combine the requisites for
Ceylon shooting to such a degree as my four double-barreled No.
10, which I had made to order. Then some persons exclaim against
their weight, which is fifteen pounds per gun. But a word upon
that subject.
No person who understands anything about a rifle would select a
light gun with a large bore, any more than he would have a heavy
carriage for a small horse. If the man objects to the weight of
the rifle, let him content himself with a smaller bore, but do
not rob the barrels of their good metal for the sake of a heavy
ball. The more metal that the barrel possesses in proportion to
the diameter of the bore, the better will the rifle carry, nine
times out of ten. Observe the Swiss rifles for accurate
target-practice - again, remark the American pea rifle; in both
the thickness of metal is immense in proportion to the size of
the ball, which, in great measure, accounts for the precision
with which they carry.
In a light barrel, there is a vibration or jar at the time of
explosion, which takes a certain effect upon the direction of the
ball. This is necessarily increased by the use of a heavy charge
of powder; and it is frequently seen that a rifle which carries
accurately enough with a very small charge, shoots wide of the
mark when the charge is increased. This arises from several
causes, generally from the jar of the barrel in the stock,
proceeding either from the want of metal in the rifle or from
improper workmanship in the fittings.
To avoid this, a rifle should be made with double bolts and a
silver plate should always be let into the stock under the
breech; without which the woodwork will imperceptibly wear, and
the barrel will become loose in the stock and jar when fired.
There is another reason for the necessity of heavy barrels,
especially for two-grooved rifles. Unless the grooves he
tolerably deep, they will not hold the ball when a heavy charge
is behind it; it quits the grooves, strips its belt, and flies
out as though fired from a smoothbore.
