BRASS AND PAI'KR SHOT SHELL. 29 



Overcharges of powder are a detriment to the good 

 shooting of any gun. Shot discharged from the muzzle of 

 a gun is very similar to water discharged from a hose 

 nozzle. A hose nozzle to throw a solid stream to any great 

 distance must be chokebored, very similar to a chokebored 

 gun. There is a limit to the distance that water can be pro- 

 jected by pressure through a nozzle, and an increased press- 

 ure at that limit will reduce the effective distance. There 

 is certainly a limit to the effective distance of the best shot- 

 guns; and overcharges of powder will reduce the effective 

 distance from the same cause that an over-pressure will re- 

 duce the distance to which water can be thrown. 



Heavy or overcharges cause heavy recoil, which is not 

 only unpleasant to the shooter, but detrimental to good 

 shooting. The force of the recoil backward is at the ex- 

 pense of the force of the discharge forward. This fact is 

 very easily demonstrated. Take a gun that weighs 8 to 8^ 

 pounds; have the shells loaded with 5 drams of powder and 

 l^ ounces of shot. Let some small man, who weighs about 

 140 pounds and who has more pluck than muscle, fire a few 

 of the shells at a target forty yards. Then have a large, 

 muscular man, of 210 pounds weight, shoot the same gun 

 with a similar charge. The results will be found very dif- 

 ferent. The heavy, muscular man by his weight and muscle 

 will hold the gun square to the work, and put all the force 

 of the discharge on the projected shot. The small man, if 

 quite active, will keep on his feet, but when he examines 

 his target will find it just as much poorer as the gun kicked 

 him harder than it did the heavy man. There can be a cer- 

 tain amount of recoil that is not unpleasant, but rather a 

 satisfaction; charges just up to that point will be found 

 very effective. Charges would vary according to the weight 

 of the gun, as well as the weight and muscle of the shooter. 



I hope good may result by a full discussion of this 

 subject. 



