60 THE GUN: AFIELD AND AFLOAT 



track upon the water at 90 and 100 yards. Certain sizes 

 and charges of shot are thrown better than others, and 

 for this reason a pound or two expended on cartridges 

 for target experiments, to determine as to the most 

 suitable charges, sizes of shot and methods of loading, 

 will be money well expended by the owners of heavy 

 wild-fowl guns. The knowledge thus gained will 

 assuredly prove greatly helpful in furthering their sport, 

 and in adding many ducks and geese to the bag in the 

 course of a season's shooting. 



Punt-gunning is not by any means a new sport, and 

 yet few statistics are available relative to the target 

 performances of punt-guns. It is also worthy of remark 

 that nearly all previously published records of punt-gun 

 trials are those obtained with black powder. Although 

 it cannot be denied that our sable friend has proved both 

 trustworthy and effective, it will surely come about that 

 black powder must give way to a nitro-compound in 

 those cases where breechloading punt-guns are em- 

 ployed. Certain of the nitros may be used with excellent 

 result in the largest calibre shoulder-guns, and thus it is 

 but a step further, a natural transition in fact, to secure 

 their services for use in punt-guns. Of a certainty, the 

 larger the gun the more must any gain in the direction 

 of reduced noise, smoke, recoil, and fouling be 

 appreciated. 



The Smokeless Powder Company may, I believe, 

 justly claim to be pioneers in the direction of getting out 

 a nitro-compound suitable for use in punt-guns. Some 

 few years ago, the late Mr. J. D. Dougall then being 

 manager, experiments were carried out with this 

 Company's S. R. Martini-Henry rifle powder in heavy 

 swivel-guns. This particular form of powder is slow in 



