. GROUSE SHOOTING (PART VIII\* DRIVING' 367 



gun that danger may be incurred in a grouse shelter, 

 as he then hands it close past you.* 



Never give your loader a gun to charge with one 

 barrel unfired ; always first fire both, or, better still, 

 if you have time, keep the gun in your hands and 

 pop in a second cartridge from the pocket. 



There is often an advantage in firing one barrel. 

 For instance, if three grouse fly towards you, one a 

 trifle nearer than the others, you may kill them all in 

 front of your shelter if you fire one barrel of one gun, 

 put it down, and then snatch up the second gun, and 

 fire a quick right and left with that at the brace which 

 follow the single bird. If in the above case you fired 

 a double shot first, the third bird would be past 

 before you could handle and use your second gun. 



I consider, for a young shooter, that hammer guns 

 are very undesirable to use in the confined space of a 

 grouse shelter. The manipulation of the hammers in 

 the hurry, and not seldom flurry, of shooting driven 

 grouse, is an action that may produce a mishap, and 

 is much against rapidity in loading and firing as well. 



With a good hammerless gun the mere act of 

 loading makes it absolutely safe, and it cannot be 

 fired as it is being handed to you by an assistant, nor 



* The handling of guns in agronse shelter is a qnite different matter 

 from handling them when the shooter and his assistant have plenty 

 of space, as in covert shooting for instance ; directions for changing 

 guns under the latter conditions are given at page 100, First Series. 



