ON THE MODES OF TTSING THE GUN, AND THE DOG. 39 



with, a fair elevation only, do not fail to mark the depth of indent- 

 ation they make on the wall or target. Without this proof of tliG 

 strength of the delivery of its charge, the shot may ball among the 

 feathers of your game when you come to use it, but not enter the 

 vitals or break a wing. Let a good sized trimmer afloat, and blaze 

 away at that, having some observant person with you to mark 

 the effects of the shot. Snow on the ground affords a good indica- 

 tion of the range and garnish of a gun, as well as of its elevation, if 

 you accurately measure the distance." 



Aft iron, target, however, forms a sufficiently efficient mode of 

 trying both the range, garnish, and force of the shot. Chalk it 

 well over, and renew the chalkiug after each firing. It would be 

 well also to have a large linen sheet, or otherwise several large 

 sheets of white paper pasted together, and placed under the target 

 to catch the shot, whose figure, by being more or less indented, 

 would show the ^eater or less force with which they were pro- 



Eelled against the iron. The surface of the paper laid down must, 

 owever, be large, or the rebound of the shot would carry them be- 

 yond its limits. Let the trials also be varied by using different pro- 

 portions of powder and shot, not only as regards their own rela- 

 tive proportion towards each other, but likewise as they relate to 

 the gun. Let daily trials also be made under every variety of cir- 

 cumstance ; as the methods of loading the gun, of holding it, its 

 state of being clean or foul; the state of weather, likewise, whether 

 it be dry or moist, windy or calm. 



Milled hoard, or very strong brown paper, either of them, will 

 make an excellent target, when an iron one is not to be procured. 

 Each sheet should be hung by_ tenter-hooks against a wall; or, in 

 preference, to a square of boarding raised ona^ole. The dimensions 

 of the square (or it may be a circle if the trier pleases) will rest 

 with the sportsman ; we should recommend one about a foot and 

 a half, marked off iu squares, and the same crosswise if a circle be 

 employed. The paper, when it is used, should also, like a draught- 

 board, be squared around by chalked lines, drawn an inch and 

 a half or two inches apart. At proper distances on the outer cir- 

 cumferences of the target or wall to be shot against, let tenter- 

 hooks be placed to secure the brown, paper. Measure off the 

 ground to certaia distances, commencing at fifteen yards, and in- 

 crease each trial bjr five, until it arrives to fifty yards, witli as 

 many more as the trier pleases. As soon as a shot has been made, 

 note the range, the charge used, the number of shot wliich have 

 entered each square, and the depth to which they have penetrated. 

 Chalk over each indentation, and repeat the experiment at 

 another distance. 



The squares of the target, or circles within the circle, if a round 

 one be preferred, should exhibit marked superfices, somewhat in 

 unison with the usual solid dimensions of the various game. The 

 first square therefore may be two inches, which will take in the snipe, 

 as that of two and a half may be considered appropriate to the dimen- 



