544 FOREST, FIELD, AND PRAIRIE. 



do the work of the other. A knowledge of this will save much 

 annoyance and some money. The first requisite of a short range 

 rifle is, that you shall be able to hit any mark small enough to be 

 seen over what are technically called "hunting sights," with an 

 off-hand shot from the shoulder. Greater accuracy than this is not 

 needed. Such a rifle ought to shoot close enough to place a major- 

 ity of any number of shots within the following sized targets : 2- 

 inch ring up to fifty yards distance ; 4 in. do. 100 yards ; 6 inch 

 do. 1 50 yards, and 8 inch do. 200 yards. A good off-hand shot 

 can do this and fire very quickly, and his gun ought to be able to 

 shoot as close as he can hold it. Major H. W. Merrill, a grey old 

 army officer who has passed half his life in Florida and Texas, in 

 and out of the saddle, has laid down the following rules : 



ist. To avoid shooting over, a finer sight is always required at and about two- 

 thirds of the range, than at any other point of the range, (say within fifty to 

 eighty yards). 



ad. The same uniform sight throughout the whole range will give no greater 

 err6r than the greatest standing error of the rifle. 



3d. Hence knowing this, the same uniform sight throughout may always be 

 used, unless one requires a different sight in order to accomplish his purpose. 



4th. In hunting, use the same fine or standard sight, within about the first 

 fifty and the last twenty-five yards of this range. And why ? because the standing 

 error of the rifle is so small within these limits, that it may be disregarded en- 

 tirely. At the greatest, it is only about one inch, and from thence to nothing at 

 the two point blanks. So much for sighting within the range. 



5th. But, for different distances beyond the range, as 125, 150, etc., yards, use 

 a sight " coarser" and coarser, " the further off your game is." 



To summarize, the formula for sighting seems to stand thus : 

 Coarse very near the piece, with a less coarse to fine at twenty yards, 

 (centre, p. b.,) thence finer to extra fine at sixty-six yards (there- 

 abouts and greatest error), thence less fine to fine at one hundred 

 yards (centre p. b.), thenge coarser and coarser (beyond the range). 

 Of course different rifles, and the same rifle with different charges, 

 etc., produce different curves, or errors. Hence in general, learn 

 well by practice and study the deviations of your rifle along the 

 whole distance, and then (for close shooting) seek to so aim as to 

 correct them. 



Good shooting, however, cannot be done without good ammu- 

 nition. Mr. E. A. Palmer recites in Forest and Stream : " My 

 method of loading cartridges is to fill the shell, leaving only space 

 enough to put in a thin cut wad of paste board, and not over one- 



