8 SHOOTING. 



inches, which is tlie ordinary length, and the sight taken from the 

 centre, and a ball was projected from one of them, it would make 

 one-eig-hth of an inch declination from its true course in every two 

 feet six inches it had to travel, whicli would make, in forty vards. 

 a declination of siv inches. From this cause, the right-hand oarrel 

 always shoots to the left, and vice versa. Now, to remedy this, 

 suppose the thickness between the two barrels to be at the breech 

 three-sixteenths of an inch, then let the space at the muzzle be 

 the same ; and where tlie barrels are thus laid together, and the 

 sight ])laced between them, the ball would only make a d(;clinatiou 

 of lialf an inch (the bore being five-eighths oi' an inch), bc;iug the 

 distance between the centre oi' the barrel-bore and the exterior of 

 the barrel-surface. The method by which this error is attempted 

 to be rectified, by tiling away so much of the brecch-surfacc as shall 

 bring the calibers of the barrels into a more rectilinear direci ion, 

 is considered nothing more than remedying one defect by creating 

 another — and a defect, too, pregnant with great hazard to life and 

 limb. The great matter to be accomplished is, thatthc iunctionof 

 the gun-barrels should be so made that the centres of the calibers 

 of the muzzles, and the centres of the caHbers of the breeches, if 

 not exactly C(iuidistant, should at least be considerably more so 

 than is commonly effected; tlie approximation b(?ingin general in 

 direct ratio to the length of the barrels. 



On what are called the Mevalion and the Elevated Rib of a gun, 

 there has been a great deal written. These points involve nice and 

 abstruse questions as to the precise movements of bodies thrown 

 out of projectiles generally. The line which a charge of shot takes 

 when lired from a double gun, is called the Ibie of impulse. 

 Whether it be rectilinear or curvilinear is still a point of dis]nitc. 

 But one thing is certain, that the shot is nnder the influence of the 

 ordinary and universal law of gravitation, wliich impresses upon it 

 a constant tendency to faU to the ground. The distance to wliieh 

 its flight may be prolonged depends upon the goodness and con- 

 formation of the gun, the materials with which it may Ijc loaded, 

 and the various minute matters which constitute the tact, aim, &c., 

 of tlie person using the instrument. A curvilinear direction of tlie 

 shot is assumed as a fact by gunmakers, aud their grand object is 

 to bring the shot 1o the mark aimed at by the emplo>inout of 

 mechanical expedients — such as straight stock, or an artifleial_ ele- 

 vation of the muzzle of the piece, in proportion to the lenglli of tlic 

 barrel. All tliese matters, though lying within the express business 

 of the gunsmith, are still matters of which the sportsman should 

 know something, because they bear directly upon practical results 

 of great moment to his own safety. 



On the Elevated Rib Colonel Hawker and Mr. Greener have 

 written at some length. Their opinions are entiiled to great 

 wcigiit on this question. Both maintain the different lengths of 

 barrel reciuire a corresponding height of the rib, and that a greater 

 height is requh-ed for a person accustomed to use a crooked stock, 



