HINTS ON PUNTING TO FOWL 1253 



of the gun is most important when taking sitting shots, 

 especially on water. A little allowance is often made (accord- 

 ing to loading) in practice, and generally an approximate 

 height in a moment of anxiety is found sufficient to prove 

 successful. Should this allowance be overrated, sad will be 

 the result. With flying shots, the height of the gun does not 

 so much matter. Having full power to raise or lower the gun 

 bodily, will be found beneficial when a shot has to be taken 

 over a low mud bank or similar ground. 



In concluding the remarks on the height a punt-gun should 

 be laid above water-level for each respective shot, we would 

 endeavour to remind readers that everything depends upon this 

 feature if the fowl are to be properly "raked." We may give 

 example of this by saying that by firing a gun set too high at 

 fowl on the water, the result is that the shot is plunged, if set too 

 low the shot is thrown in such a way that the bulk of the charge 

 strikes the water short and bounds high over the fowl. It is 

 then that the young fowler wonders why he never kills more 

 than three or four fowl at a shot when he should at least 

 have bagged a score. Should the gun be correctly set and 

 aimed, the result, no doubt, will be satisfactory. The first 

 part of the charge will catch those birds which have sprung on 

 sight of the smoke or flash, the centre shot will "rake" the 

 sitting birds, whilst the late and low-flying pellets will ricochet 

 and kill those fowl which happen to be tardy. Then it is, 

 and usually not until then, that the fowler has gained the art 

 of making a good shot, even if not yet advanced in skill 

 enough to take the fowl on wing. The tyro must, of course, 

 first learn to make good sitting shots before attempting flying 

 ones. The beginner who attempts flying shots is going the 

 wrong way to success, for certain, and many will be his 

 failures. 



Distance is a most important matter in wildfowling, and 

 can only be calculated through experience. Fixed guns (i.e. 



