MANY select their shot, in proportion to the she 

 of the bird, when it ought to depend more on that of 

 the caliber ; for it is not so much the magnitude of 

 the pellet, as the force with which it is driven, that 

 does the execution. 



For instance, a common sized gun (well breeched, 

 and properly bored) will shoot No. 7 better than any 

 other shot ; and although a deviation, according to 

 circumstances, may be sometimes necessary, yet I am 

 confident, that had you, for a whole season, no other 

 sized shot in your possession, you would (taking 

 every thing, from mallard and hare to quail and Jack- 

 snipe) find that you had shot with more universal 

 success, killed more game, and brought down your 

 birds in a handsomer style, than* you had ever done, 

 while whimsically following other plans. 



For my own part, I should scarcely ever, with a 

 small gun, use any other shot, except for killing 

 snipes in February and March, when other birds 

 should not be fired at. In this case, unless I had 

 a very close shooting gun, I should use No. 8, the 

 difference between which and 7 is more than that of 



