AIDS TO SHOOTING 
Many excellent books have been written on the art 
of shooting, and yet it will be obvious to any one who 
takes the trouble to think a little, that no one can learn 
to shoot merely by reading books about it. The act 
of shooting is a complex operation, calling for close 
attention and the coordination of a variety of func- 
tions. Comparatively few people become really skilful, 
because few practice shooting enough to bring about 
this co-ordination. Most of us remain beginners all 
our lives. Many parts of the body are called into action 
in discharging a shotgun: hand, arm, frame, eye and 
brain must all act together to make the operation per- 
fect, or nearly so. If any one of these factors fails the 
act is incomplete. 
The way to learn to efficiently perform a complex 
operation is to repeat it many times. In other words, 
we learn how to do things by doing them over and 
over again. A player of instrumental music must prac- 
tice many hours a day before he can play swiftly and 
correctly. A person learning how to use a delicate tool 
must work with it a long time before he can accomplish 
satisfactory results. The professional shooters—men 
hired by the great arms or ammunition companies to go 
about to all the shooting tournaments and use the 
products manufactured by these companies—devote 
447 
