CROSS SHOTS. 53 



or across, no matter how fast it is flying, unless the wind 

 is blowing a gale, and you are shooting across the wind — 

 then the aim should be a little in the advance, as the case 

 may be, especially at long range. It is not necessary to 

 make any allowance for the motion of the bird's flight, as 

 the shot travels from the mouth of the gun, up to the dis- 

 tance of thirty, to eighty yards almost , instantaneously, 

 and it would not be worth while to calculate about the mo- 

 tion of the bird's flight, because the shot scatters at this dis- 

 tance very widely, and would compass four or five feet, and 

 one or two inches aim in front or behind the bird would not 

 alter the ease a particle. The secret in shooting cross shots 

 lies in not arresting the impetus of the gun at the time of 

 pulling the trigger. If the impetus of the gun is stopped, 

 the bird will invariably be missed by the shot striking in 

 the bird's rear. If a Partridge rises and flies to the right, 

 step back with your right foot, and aim at its body and 

 fire, and keep the gun moving in the line of flight of the 

 bii-d for an instant after the trigger is drawn. If a Par- 

 tridge rises and flies to the left, step with your right foot 

 forward, aim at the bird's body and fire, and be sure not 

 to arrest the impetus of the gun at the time of drawing the 

 trigger. There is no necessity for aiming in the advance 

 of a bird flying around, or across to be successful, as some 

 writers allege. The secret of cross shooting, or killing a 

 bird flying across, lies not in aiming in front of the bird, 

 nor does it lie in aiming behind the bird, but in aiming right 

 at the bird, and in catching perfect aim on the bird, and in 

 holding on to the aim, and in not losing it, and by not ar- 

 resting the impetus of the gun at the time of drawing the 

 ^trigger. 



