io9 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. 



are said to possess an equal stock with that of the justly cele- 

 brated Job, perhaps if he is good at figures, and has served in 

 a broker's office in Wall Street, he may be enabled to discover 

 the exact quantity required." 



This agreeable writer, in a later portion of the same article, in 

 speaking of the ordinary method of shooting, described hereto- 

 fore, states that, " The best gun you can use is a double-baiTel, 

 of 3 I'eet 6 inches in the barrels, and 9 guage, which, if substan- 

 tially made, will carry a quarter of a pound of shot in each bar- 

 rel, and still be sufficiently light to enable you to knock over a 

 single bird going with the wind, at sixty or seventy yards, with 

 as much ease as you ever floored a Woodcock in July." 



With regard to this, I have only to observe that Colonel 

 Hawker, who unquestionably knows more of the art of gun- 

 making and all that pertains to it, than any living man not 

 brought up to the trade, and whose decided leaning is toward 

 long barrels and small calibres, heavy metal and heavy charges, 

 has distinctly stated that " the proper length for a fourteen guage 

 gun is forty-four diameters, or 2 feet 8 inches — 32 inches ; that 

 a Duck gun of 7 guage — two sizes larger than that named 

 above — and of 13 pounds weight, should be 3 feet 6 inches in 

 the baiTel — being considerably more than forty-four diameters, 

 which would give but 3 feet 2.^ inches barrel. 



For 9 guage, therefore, 3 feet 2\ barrels are amply sufficient, 

 greatly exceeding forty-four diameters. 



Again, the weight of a single gun of 7 guage being 13 pounds, 

 a double gun of 9, and the same length, ought to be at least 20 

 pounds, and we greatly doubt any gentleman knocking over a 

 single bird, going with the wind, at sixty or seventy yards, with 

 a 20 pound gun, as easily as he could floor a Woodcock in 

 July. 



Yet, once again, the Colonel says, that a gun, to carry 3 ounces 

 of shot, which he elsewhere states to be 7 guage, should not 

 weigh less than 12 nor above 16 pounds; whereas, one to carry 4 

 or 5 ounces of shot should not be less than 16 or above 20 pounds ; 

 whereas, this writer recommends the firing 4 ounces of shot out 



