ON LOADING PUNT-GUNS 



217 



balls and the other as soft as putty. There is no such differ- 

 ence. Some say soft shot flattens out on a bone and more 

 severely wounds a victim than if the bone were broken. But 

 even a hardened shot will also do this. Then it is argued 

 that hard shot gives clean penetration through flesh, and 

 should a bone be struck, it smashes it. Yet, again, soft shot 

 will break bones. Further, it is said hard shot " leads " a gun 

 less than soft, yet is liable to bulge the barrel of a choke-bored 

 gun. And, again, hard shot is thought to give better patterns 

 through maintaining, when thrown from the gun, its spherical 

 form, and not being easily crushed, which might create 

 "balling" of the shot charge. We do not wish to state 

 our preference, yet trust that by our brief reference to the 

 advanced theories (for such many of them must be), we 

 leave the reader to choose for himself, and close our remarks 

 on the point by repeating what we have already said, i.e. both 

 kinds will kill if birds are within range. 



As a guide to gunners, we give the following latest tables 

 of shot sizes, etc., as manufactured by two leading firms of 

 shot makers : — 



ABBEY IMPROVED CHILLED SHOT CO., LTD., NEWCASTLE. 



