SHOT-GUN PATTERNS 45 



and wild-fowl guns. Final velocities more nearly con- 

 cern the sportsman than do initial velocities ; and these, 

 as remarked, are in great measure controlled or de- 

 termined by the manner of flight of the shot-charge. 

 Naturally, if the pellets move as a compact mass the 

 air resistance will be better overcome and the diminution 

 of velocity will be more gradual. A shot-charge that 

 scatters at the muzzle quickly loses velocity, the re- 

 duction in speed being more rapid in the case of pellets 

 thus acting individually. This accounts for the superi- 

 ority in the matter of killing power at lengthier ranges 

 of the choked over the cylinder-bored gun. 



The following remarkable series of patterns proves 

 conclusively that it is possible so to bore a gun that it 

 will shoot really well with various cartridges shorter 

 than the length of its chamber. The gun used for the 

 purpose of these trials was a double hammerless ejector, 

 of 12-bore, built for me by Messrs. Cogswell and Har- 

 rison, London, especially as a handy gun for shooting 

 wild-game or wild-fowl. It weighs j\ lb., has steel 

 barrels, chambers 3 inches in length, and carries a 

 charge of ij oz. of the larger sizes of shot quite com- 

 fortably. All the shots were fired at the 40 yards 

 range, and the patterns counted within a circle 30 

 inches in diameter. 



(l) 3-INCH BRASS CASES, NO. 6 SHOT. 



Kynoch thin brass " Perfect " case, 52^ grs. Kynoch smokeless 

 powder, and i oz. chilled No. 6 shot, 270 pellets to the ounce ; 

 wadding : one Field wad, one \ inch soft felt, and one card on the 

 powder, with one card over the shot, all 10- gauge. 



Left barrel. 247, 219, 214, 268, 251, 230, average = 238. 



Right barrel. 246, 244, 252, 240, 238, 244, do. =244. 



The distribution of the pellets on the target ranged 

 from fair to very good. 



