456 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 
bird, very likely it will be missed altogether, or only the 
edge of the load will prick it. Birds fly fast, but shot 
flies much faster, and while almost every one is likely 
to shoot behind wild ducks, there is very much less dan- 
ger of doing so on cross shots at upland birds. 
In the brush shooting which prevails over many parts 
of this country the birds usually get up very near te 
the gunner, and the shooting is quick and close. A 
cylinder-bore gun and a charge of small shot will give 
better results for this shooting than a choke-bore gun 
and large shot. I usually begin the season by using 
one ounce of No. 10 shot for woodcock, partridges and 
quail, but as the weather grows colder and the leaves 
fall, the birds are likely to be wilder and to be a little 
more heavily feathered, and for the very last of the 
season an ounce of No. 8 shot may be used for quails 
and partridges alike. In prairie shooting, toward the 
end of the season, when the chickens have become wild 
and get up at long range, heavier shot and a choke-bore 
gun may profitably be employed. Sage grouse, being 
very large and—the old ones—very tough birds, may 
be shot at with No. 6 shot all through the season. 
In all shooting there is really nothing more impor- 
tant than that the gunner should know just what his 
arm can do. If he thoroughly understands this, if he 
will practice as recommended, and if he has his nerves 
and impulses under good control, he can very soon 
make of himself a more than average shot. 
