STRAIGHT FORWARD SHOTS. 51 



these distances, notwithstanding the aim may be all right, 

 the scattering of the shot makes it very uncertain as to 

 killing them. To prove this statement let the sj)ortsmau 

 place a target off thirty yards distant, and fire at it, and 

 he will be surprised to see how widely scattered the shot 

 strikes at that distance. Then let him take into consider- 

 ation that so small a space as one inch square would be 

 sufficient to let a Partridge through flying straight off, 

 and he would readily be convinced how easily a Partridge 

 could escape being hit^beyond this distance. As- I have 

 already stated a Partridge flying straight off presents a 

 small mark to hit. It is not so when it is flying around, 

 or across to the right, or the left — yon have a larger mark 

 to shoot at, and the bird exposes all its vital parts to the 

 fire, and one pellet of shot will be sufficient to bring it 

 down, because the shot hits a vital part. But when a Par- 

 tridge flies straight off all its vital parts are protected, and 

 if you hit it with one pellet of shot, it is in the rump, and 

 that would not always be sufficient to bring it down, and 

 the only chance that is left is to break its wing. If the 

 shot fails to do this, the bird goes on wounded, or perhaps 

 escapes through the shot without one happening to hit. 

 When in the field always choose a Partridge that is flying 

 to the left to fire upon in preference to one that is fly in o- 

 straight off. The chances are two to one in your favor of 

 killing the bird flying to your left. A Partridge flyino- 

 straight oft' is a beautiful and easy mark to get aim at, and 

 this is the reason that youug beginners, and bad marks- 

 men, are more successful in shooting Partridges flying 

 straight off than in any otber direction, because they al- 

 ways shoot in a hurry — being excited, they fire upon the 

 bird very close, at short range, so that the shot are not 

 scattered, and if the gun happens to be pointed correctly, 

 the bird is generally killed. But it is not so with cross 

 shots — there must be a combination of movements to be 

 successful in catching aim, which requires judgment, prac- 

 tice, and experience of years, in perfecting the eye, and in 

 handling the gun. 



