HINTS FOR BEGINNEES. O 



fitart. It is as applicable to shooting as to life. If you 

 begin under advantageous circumstances success becomes 

 probable. Success begets confidence, and with confidence 

 we are certain to shoot well. An habitually bad shot has 

 no confidence. Constant failure makes him doubt his 

 ability, his gun, in fact, every portion of his shooting 

 paraphernalia. Nearly all persons who do not shoot 

 regularly fire their right barrel first. When such is the 

 case, your left barrel should shoot the strongest, as the 

 second shot is generally at longer range. A good work- 

 man, however, will use either indifferently, a practice to be 

 commended, so that one barrel may not become more worn 

 than the other. A fault which a great number are addicted 

 to, is using too much shot, An ounce of number five, or 

 any of the smaller sizes, is amply sufficient for a twelve 

 or even ten-bore gun. However, if you have reason to use 

 a larger grain, a quarter of an ounce more may be added 

 to the charge The reason for this is that the small packs 

 closer, and thus makes a more formidable resistance to 

 the explosive power. For strong shooting, and, therefore, 

 long shots, it is the driving force that is required, which 

 you counteract by surplus lead, as friction is increased 

 and so power wasted. 



Old hands may smile after reading the above, and justly 

 say, "The fellow has told us nothing new "; but remem- 

 ber we are not all old hands, and that there are many 

 beginners, for whose benefit these hints are given. 



The fly rod, like the gun, cannot be too light, as long 

 as it possesses the requisite strength. For while fishing 

 it is incessantly at work, the respite for loading not even 



