2o8 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 



despite all that may be said of the grand-shooting M.L. swivel- 

 guns built in days gone by. In saying "a heavy charge," it 

 must not be taken that we mean more than a gun can burn, or 

 is designed to burn. This would be, as we may all know, 

 superfluous, and of no use in obtaining good results. To 

 make our meaning clear, we might say that a gun can burn 

 only a certain quantity of black powder (this is the only kind 

 in use for large swivel-guns), and no more. Evidence might 

 be borne on this point by saying that if a fowler wishes to 

 shoot a heavier charge than his gun can satisfactorily take, he 

 must obtain a larger gun. No man can burn over a certain 

 quantity of black gunpowder in a gun, but it is only too true 

 (and sorry we are to note the fact) that he can quite easily 

 create a pressure in the breech of his gun great enough to burst 

 it. We might as well here observe, for the benefit of all con- 

 cerned, that to use nitro compounds in big guns not built for 

 the use of such powders is pretty nearly a similar act to com- 

 mitting suicide. The powders to be recommended for punt- 

 guns are the large and hard-grained Colonel Hawker's and 

 Captain Latour's, both equally good, and if damp, can be 

 dried without deterioration. Dry gunpowder slowly, and do 

 not overheat it. 



It is of the utmost importance that charges of powder 

 burnt in punt-guns should be perfectly ignited in order to 

 attain good shooting results. By this it must be understood 

 that, besides making thoroughly certain that the charge will 

 be fired, it is equally necessary that the ignition be correct. 

 Later, the reader may better see what is meant. For the 

 present we might say that for good and pleasant shooting it is 

 as bad to over-ignite a charge of black powder as to do so 

 insufficiently. The latter, all may know, is simply saying 

 that, in the instance of shoulder guns, bad caps make bad 

 cartridges, no matter how good the powder, wadding, shot, 

 and general loading in them may be. Bear in mind that the 



