CHAPTER VIII 



ON LOADING PUNT-GUNS 



In another chapter we discuss the question of ignition for punt- 

 guns. At present we turn our attention to loads and the load- 

 ing of these weapons. Everybody knows that a gun, to shoot 

 well, must be carefully and properly loaded, and it is quite as 

 easy to do this correctly as otherwise. Every gun requires its 

 correct charge to give its best shooting. Overloading of the 

 powder charge is really worse than underloading, because the 

 excess of powder is only blown out of the gun unburnt, and 

 develops gases outside the gun, which find their way amongst 

 the shot and scatter it. Besides this, the over-quantity of 

 powder is against the correct working of the other parts of the 

 charge, resulting in open patterns, which simply means weak 

 penetration. It is an error to think that large quantities of 

 powder in proportion to shot benefit the shooting of a 

 gun ; nevertheless, many people imagine this. A charge of 

 powder with the doubt cast on the full side may be well, but 

 further quantities are only detrimental to good practice. On 

 the other hand, an under-load of powder can only be ex- 

 pected to result in bad penetration of the shot, especially 

 if this latter is not proportionately reduced. Good patterns 

 of shot can be secured by using light loads of powder and 

 keeping the shot charge constant ; but what is the use of 

 pattern if the penetration is bad ? Every size of bore in 

 swivel-guns — in fact, to be exact, every gun — may be said to 

 have a load with which it shoots best. Most guns, however, 



205 



