398 WILD FOWL SHOOTING. 
loading. I have tried every wad in existence, and 
really can detect no difference: the only thing to be 
observed is, they must be tight-fitting lubricators, and 
what they lack in thickness should be made up in num- 
bers. Don’t letus use felt wads in this fifty, but com- 
mon pink-edge. I suggest this to make simplicity in 
loading, although [am partial to felt wads, and use 
them entirely over powder. As we are going to use 
1 1-8 oz. shot, our wadding must be sufficiently thick 
to just allow the shell to crimp nicely,—so we will put 
2 pink-edge wads over the powder on top of the card 
we already have in. Here we will use No. 9 wads, be- 
cause we want to confine the load, and see there is no 
possibility of gas escaping, besides, the more we confine 
the powder the more force we obtain. Now, on this 
we wil’ put another card wad,—we could get along 
without it, but it helps fill up the shell and keep the 
thick wads firmly together. You noticed I put in each 
wad separately, and pressed them down with the hand 
loader or ramrod. Now we want the pressure even, 
and we will give each shell two or three light taps with 
our mallet, just enough to make it compact, but not 
to break the grain. Then the shot goes in with card 
wad on top: We should use a card wad because the 
ight, and a thin wa, 
just so it will hold the load firmly is better than a thick 
one. The shells are now ready for the crimper. We 
will use the old style,one that turns the edges in 
smoothly and roundly, being careful with each shell 
resistance on the shot should be | 
that the edges are crimped so they turn down and rest 
solidly against the wad. Too much pains can not be 
taken in crimping shells, especially for wild fowl shoot- 
ing. for they receive at times rough usage, and must 
