48 THE GUN: AFIELD AND AFLOAT 



as seasoned fowlers are well aware, noise tends to 

 disturb and frighten away the fowl, whilst an excess of 

 smoke too often prevents the prompt use of the second 

 barrel, and at the same time discloses the gunner's 

 location. Another important advantage is the com- 

 parative flamelessness of the nitro-compounds generally. 

 For night shooting and some of the best wild-fowl 

 shooting in this country is obtainable only in the 

 gloaming or at dead of night the importance of this 

 particular qualification will be at once perceived. I 

 have frequently observed that fowl which rested un- 

 disturbed by the rousing boom and the reverberating 

 echoes evoked by the discharge of a heavy punt-gun in 

 the twilight, would quickly spring to the flash and 

 shower of sparks sent skywards by the black powder 

 from the overloaded gun of some old coast-gunner. 



Recoil is another matter of vital importance to the 

 users of big shoulder-guns. There would be many more 

 users of big guns if it were not for recoil ; for although, 

 to a certainty, weight tells, still, after all, it is recoil 

 that kills. Thus, weight is not the sole determining 

 factor in fixing the limit as to the size of gun we 

 may handle ; for the weariness of a man tired by 

 carrying a heavy load is as nothing compared with the 

 feelings of one who has undergone a severe punching, 

 and, in fact, become thoroughly demoralized by a heavy 

 and violent recoil oft repeated. I have on various 

 goose-shooting expeditions carried for many miles, 

 over extremely rough ground, a 4-bore weighing three 

 times as much as an ordinary 12-bore game gun, 

 without experiencing a tithe of the discomfort ex- 

 perienced after being mauled and pounded by a severer 

 kicking gun of half the weight. 



