86 THE GUN: AFIELD AND AFLOAT 



over, but in many instances they as likely as not are 

 caused by defective or badly-placed wadding. 



One frequently hears the expression "cheap" cart- 

 ridge used. I would, however, remark that a cartridge 

 can only be cheap in proportion to its effectiveness. 

 Inferior cartridges that will not bring down game at 

 all fair-shooting distances with a good gun well aimed, 

 may be accounted as so much lumber, dear at any price. 

 Cartridges costing los. 6d. per 100 may prove in the 

 result both by way of sport and pleasure in handling 

 the gun far cheaper than cartridges costing js. 6d. 

 per 100. For the sake of illustration, we will take two 

 men : A. shooting cartridges costing 105-. 6d., and B. 

 those costing ys. 6d. per 100 ; each is the other's equal in 

 the matter of gunning ability, and each shooter expends 

 the same number of cartridges, 100, in the course of 

 a day's sport. At the end of the day A. has a bag 

 of 75 head, whilst B, can show but 60 head of game. 

 Assuming that these two sportsmen went out for the 

 pure love of sport, need we ask which would derive 

 the most satisfactory return for his outlay? If, on the 

 other hand, we put them down as the veriest pot-hunters 

 who ever handled fire-arms, it will readily be imagined 

 which of the twain would rejoice the more greatly over 

 the tangible results of his day's shooting. 



Now and again a complaint may be heard in the 

 shooting-field to the effect that a cartridge has merely 

 " fizzled," and that the shot has scarcely been propelled 

 out of the gun-barrel. Whenever it is possible to have 

 such complaints thoroughly investigated, it is generally 

 found that the cartridge loader, and not the powder 

 manufacturer, is at fault. It will be apparent that if 

 a few grains only of powder are put into a case, that 



