26 



SPORTSMAN'S HAND BOOK. 



overcome the tendency to group the shot, hence give quite 

 an even distribution. 



It can be put down as an axiom that guns having the 

 straightest barrels, other things being equal, will give the 

 best results. 



The next consideration that has much to do with the 

 good and bad shooting is the quality and quantity of the 

 ammunition. There can be no denying the fact that a good 

 quality of ammunition is better than a poor quality; but as 

 to quantity, opinions differ greatly. From some unaccount- 

 able cause, there . appears to be a general opinion that 

 breech-loaders require very much more powder than the 

 old-styled muzzle-loaders, when, as a matter of fact, guns 

 properly chambered and properly charged require less. In 

 well-constructed breech-loaders there are absolutely no es- 

 caping gases unless the plunger cuts through the primer. 

 In muzzle-loaders it quite often occurs that sufficient gas 

 escapes at the nipple to throw the hammer back to a full 

 cock. In guns of ordinary weight, 8 pounds to 8*4 pounds, 

 I would not advise 5 drams of powder to i*^ ounces shot, 

 nor would I think of I dram of powder to 13 buckshot. 

 The proportion of powder to shot that gives the best gen- 

 eral results will be found to be 3 drams of powder to one 

 ounce of shot. On page 546 of " Haswell " will be found 

 proportions of powder to shot for the following numbers of 

 shot, as determined by experiment: 



NOTE. Two ounces of No. 2 shot with 1.5 drams of powder pro- 

 duced the greatest effect. The increase of powder for the greater 

 number of pellets is in consequence of the increased friction of their 

 projection. 



