SHOOTING THE DUCK AT SEA 43 



from the muzzle of his gun. Distance is always 

 much underestimated by beginners, who should keep 

 this fact constantly in mind. 



The extreme range at which it is fair or sports- 

 manlike to fire at fowl is a question on which wild- 

 fowlers hold widely varying opinions. Plenty of 

 amateurs with more money than sense perhaps 

 fire when no professional would think of doing so. 

 They wound and gather a bird or two from time 

 to time, and I suppose they are satisfied with their 

 sport and with themselves. A hundred yards range 

 is usually considered not unsportsmanlike where 

 competition exists and when heavy shot is used. 

 When free or moderately free from competition, it is 

 bad policy to indulge in a shot at such a range, as a 

 better chance is likely to be had at the same birds 

 later on. Individually, I consider that eighty yards 

 represents the extreme range at which it is wise to 

 fire when competition is small. An eighty yards 

 range yields plenty of cripples as a rule. One of 

 seventy yards gives vastly more satisfactory results. 

 The ideal range for a swivel-gun is sixty yards. As 

 this means a deadly killing circle, anything shorter is 

 undesirable. The gunner having reached what he 

 is pleased to consider extreme range, holds himself 

 endeavouring of course to work his punt still nearer 



