RIFLES, ETC. 49 



used if desired. There is really no necessity to have sights on a sporting rifle beyond 

 300 yards for this country. Most game is shot within 200 yards, and with the 

 foresight taken a little full, the standard 100 yards sight is sufficient for that. Young 

 sportsmen should remember that for one bullet that goes under the game ten go over 

 its back, the cause of oversighting. A new rifle should be tried at a target before 

 using it on game, in order to find out its accuracy at different sporting ranges. It 

 does not follow that a good target shot will be successful at game, for it is quite 

 a different thing shooting at an inanimate bull's-eye to shooting at a beast that 

 is probably looking at you and may be off at any moment. If game had a small 

 envelope pinned on the middle of their shoulders they would be killed oftener. 

 In thick cover, especially with trees throwing a lot of shade, it is often very difficult 

 to locate the right spot on the beast's body, but care should be taken not to 

 shoot at the whole animal ; one should always try to get the sights on its shoulder or 

 just behind it. A small buck, such as a duiker, if any distance off, will require very 

 accurate shooting to kill it. 



Sit down if possible, or, if the grass is too long, a rest against a tree helps 

 the accuracy of the shooting, but the hand ought to come between the rifle 

 barrel and tree, to prevent the jump of the rifle throwing the bullet wide. Both 

 the back and fore sights of a rifle should be screwed in so as to prevent them shifting, 

 and a sight-protector kept over the foresight except when one is hunting. On 

 no account have a sight-protector that covers the bore at the muzzle, one that an aim 

 can be taken through is the best. As a sling often comes in useful, especially 

 on hilly ground, loops ought to be brazed on the rifle barrel and screwed 

 into the stock. An automatic safety bolt on a rifle is a great mistake ; 

 it should always be non-automatic, meaning that after reloading the weapon 

 is at once ready to fire without having to push forward the catch. A sportsman 

 should clean his own rifle, for a native is very clumsy-handed, and will be likely to 

 scratch the weapon or knock off the bead on foresight. 



A spare foresight should always be taken, as it can be fitted at once if the one on 



the rifle gets broken. A spare mainspring, striker, and other important parts ought 



also to be carried, for if any of these get broken, having them at hand would save 



the trouble and expense of sending the weapon home, besides the annoyance of a 



long wait, perhaps in the best time of the shooting season. For cleaning rifles 



nothing is better than pure Rangoon oil or vaseline. The former is very good for the 



stocks of rifles, as rain will run off a stock which has been well rubbed with it, instead 



of soaking into the wood. 



A few lessons from the gunmaker as to the method of taking the rifle to pieces 



H 



