384 WILD FOWL SHOOTING. 
size is needed, but that one should not change sizes 
after becoming accustomed to one in particular. 
Within the past few years, great prominence has 
been gained in the shooting world by the use of ‘wood- 
powder. There are two kinds now being extensively 
used,—the “Schultze gun-powder,” made in England, 
and the “ American wood-powder,” manufactured in 
this country. Both of these powders are expensive, 
and possibly out of reach of the average hunter so far 
as price is concerned. Both these grades have their 
champions. The claims put forth by both, are, one 
might say, identical. They claim superiority over black 
powder on the ground, “it is cleaner, stronger, gives a 
greater penetration, less recoil, and but a trifling 
amount of smoke.” 
SHELLS.—I am not an advocate of brass ones, and 
think they should only be used when the hunter is too 
poor to use paper shells. In my experience, there is 
not a single virtue they possess that cannot be found 
in paper shells. To say they outshoot paper ones is 
easily said, but a faithful trial of them under all cir- 
cumstances has failed to convince me of it. If itisa 
question of economy, all right, use them ; but, if you ex- 
pect to be benefited by their use you will be disappoint- 
ed. For years I used them at the trap, and after ducks, 
and the more I saw of them, the more disgusted I be- 
came. The shot was constantly shaking out, the wads 
becoming loose, until at times, I would have three to a 
dozen charges of shot shaken out and loose in my 
pocket. Then again, the jar of the first barrel would 
loosen the wad in the other, the shot would patter in 
the water or on the leaves, a duck would fly off, while 
