THE GUN, AND HOW TO CHOOSE IT. 45 



into the plane of vision, the stock is certainly too crooked, 

 and not improbably too long. If, on the other hand, the 

 eye palpably over-ranges the breech, or fails to reach it 

 when the head is naturally couched to the aim, the stock 

 is, in the first place, manifestly too short, in the second, 

 as much too long. 



An ordinary shot will, by no possibility, shoot decently 

 well with a gun defective on either side. A very crack 

 shot, indeed, perfectly deliberate, and carrying all his ex- 

 perience and practice continually in his mind, will, after a 

 few shots, probably, so adapt his aim, by elevating his line 

 of sight, or by depressing the muzzle of his piece, as to 

 kill his shots ; but he will never do so in his usually 

 beautiful, sharp, clean, unhesitating style for the posture 

 of his head will necessarily be forced and unnatural ; the 

 gun will, as necessarily, not hold its correct natural posi- 

 tion and purchase against the hollow of his shoulders ; 

 and, furthermore, the shooter will be obliged constantly to 

 adjust his aim and search about for his object ; instead of 

 finding it precisely in its proper relative position to his 

 eye, as soon as the butt touches his shoulder. 



This fitness of a gun to the shooter, can only be ascer- 

 tained by himself, how little soever he may know about a 

 gun ; and he must not think of selecting a friend, how 

 competent a judge of fire-arms soever, to choose for him, 

 in this particular ; though, in all other regards, he will be 

 unwise, indeed, if he do not obtain and defer to judgment. 



Whether the gun comes truly to his shoulder and eye, 

 he must try himself, and he may easily do it thus : 



Let him, wearing any easily-fitting coat, accustomed to 



