SHOT-GUN PATTERNS 59 



The foregoing may be considered sufficiently close 

 shooting for the general purposes of the wild-fowler. 

 Many guns are made to shoot much closer than this gun ; 

 and for shooting at extreme ranges where shots are 

 taken at 100 yards or upwards, they certainly are 

 highly advantageous. Mr. W. W. Greener, for many 

 years a prominent maker of duck-guns, makes 8-bores 

 that will throw a third of their charge within a 1 2-inch 

 square at 40 yards. This is close shooting indeed, and 

 with these extreme chokes I have been able to kill brent- 

 and grey-geese, and other tough fowl, at remarkably 

 long ranges in the open day. 



There is no gainsaying the power of 4-bores of first- 

 class construction and boring, when properly laid on at 

 good-sized bunches of fowl. Large shot undoubtedly 

 kills at tremendous ranges, greater by far perhaps than 

 many people are aware, for in the small doses used in 

 guns of narrow bore any good effects at long range are 

 less seldom observed. In the 4-bore and guns of large 

 calibre so many more pellets are carried that the killing 

 of fowl at 80 yards to 100 yards becomes much more of 

 a certainty. Some 4-bores that I have shot with have 

 astonished me by their powers, shooting apparently as 

 far and as strong as some punt-guns. There is room for 

 the display of a good deal of skill and knowledge in the 

 boring of these guns in order that they may throw the 

 shot well together at long range, and in such manner 

 and this is of quite equal importance that the gunner 

 may be enabled to fire full charges with comfort. 

 Certain guns that I have had, exhibited in marked 

 degree this quality of keeping the shot well together ; 

 and when firing from a boat I have frequently observed 

 the shot sweep a remarkably narrow and clearly-defined 



