$68 FOREST, FIELD, AND PRAIRIE. 



Concentrators and Wire Cartridges. — Concentrators are sec- 

 tions of cartridges or shells inserted in the shell to produce close 

 shooting. Wire cartridges are woven wire receptacles in which 

 shot are mixed with bone dust, the object being to cause the shot 

 to hold together or " ball " for a certain distance, thus carrying 

 closer and farther. 



Flannel Shot Cartridges. —A cheap long range shot cartridge 

 is made of small bags of flannel or cheviot cloth about two inches 

 long, filled with, say one and one-eighth ounce No. 5 shot, loaded 

 into brass shells containing three and one-half drachms Hazard 

 ducking powder. They are good for seventy-five yards. 



To Load Paper Shells. — Use one card wad and two Ely's pink 

 edge, or one card wad and one Ely's thick felt on powder and one 

 Baldwin wad on shot. All wads should be the size of the gun, 

 although many persons use a size larger. 



When loading, first see that the caps or primers are pressed 

 well in their places, and do not project above the heads of the 

 shells ; then place the shell on a block with a hole under the cap, 

 so deep that a stray shot or other small article will not give some- 

 thing for the cap to rest on. There will be no danger of an acci- 

 dental discharge with any reasonable usage in loading or ramming 

 home the charge. 



To Load a Choke Bore. — Charge with three and a quarter 

 drachms of C. & H. No 6, and one and an eighth ounces of No. 6 

 shot, and use over the powder a thick, soft felt Ely's wad, and over 

 the shot half of a similar wad, cut even and level with a sharp knife. 

 The paper shell should not be turnied down more than will suffice 

 to just hold the wad in place. Buckshot can be used in a choke- 

 bored gun, provided they chamber in the muzzle. 



A Shell Holder. — Take a dry pine board two inches thick, eight 

 inches wide and long enough to hold the required number of shells. 

 Mark it in one and a quarter inch squares for ten-gauge shells, or 

 a little less for twelve-gauge. Bore a hole of the right size for the 

 shell to fit snugly through the centre of each square. Fit a thinner 

 board on one side of this, and hinge it there so it can be thrown 

 back to put the shells through. Bore half inch holes through this 

 just opposite those in the thick board. Now supposing the shells 

 are empty, with the old caps on, throw back the light board or lid. 



