494 DUCK SHOOTING. 



larger charges. However, after shooting for a day 

 and a half, he acknowledged his gun's inefficiency un- 

 der these conditions, and thereafter used a heavier one. 



Each individual has his personal preferences as to 

 size and weight of gun and the way in which it should 

 be loaded, and these preferences will depend largely on 

 the man's experience, the kind of shooting he has been 

 accustomed to, and that which he purposes to do at any 

 particular time. For sea shooting, the choice of most 

 men will be a heavy gun, weighing perhaps ten pounds, 

 and of ten gauge, and heavily choked as to its left bar- 

 rel. The charge to be used will vary with the arm and 

 the gunner, for we all know that each gun has its own 

 idiosyncrasies, and that no hard and fast rule for load- 

 ing can be laid down. The gunner should target his 

 weapon with different charges, at different distances, 

 from forty to seventy yards, and should experiment 

 until he has found the combination of powder, shot and 

 wads to give him the most even pattern at these various 

 distances. 



Many men always carry two guns in the blind, one 

 of them with the right barrel a cylinder, so-called, and 

 the left slightly choked, and the other with the right 

 barrel moderately choked, and the left full choked. 

 With such a combination one is prepared for almost 

 any contingency that may arise and can cover a wide 

 range. 



Most men shoot heavier charges of shot than can be 

 efficiently used, and thereby gain nothing in numbers 

 killed, but add somewhat to their own discomfort. In 



