HOW TO LEARN TO SHOOT. 139 



if the sight appear to be an inch or two wide of the mark, 

 at the time of drawing the trigger. 



The knack of bringing the sight up, and the eye down, 

 correctly to the true level, will gradually be improved with 

 practice ; and precision will be obtained imperceptibly 

 and by degrees, far more rapidly than one would expect. 

 But the habit of dwelling on the aim, and poking about 

 with the muzzle in the hope of at length fixing the sight 

 point-blank, if once acquired, is so difficult to be shaken 

 oft 7 that I may almost say it is impossible. After a while, 

 still loading with an exceeding light charge of powder, it 

 will be advisable occasionally, and when the shooter does 

 not expect it, to put in about half an oz. of small shot, 

 and let him, as before, fire at the mark on first sight. 



If he be aware that the gun is loaded, he will be ner- 

 vous with endeavor to aim more steadily ; and without 

 doing so a whit, will do so far more slowly. Not knowing 

 when to expect shot, and when mere blank cartridge, he 

 will blaze away just as unconcernedly as ever, and speed- 

 ily finding that he comes, as he very shortly will, to plant 

 his shot in and all round his mark, firing as soon as the 

 heel-plate is at his shoulder, he will quickly acquire perfect 

 confidence in himself, and that unconscious equanimity, 

 which is the cause, as it is the invariable consequence or 

 accompaniment of being a good shot. 



After this habit is well acquired, and the sitting or 

 stationary mark can be hit almost to a certainty, it is won- 

 derful how nearly the pupil has arrived to being a good 

 flying shot, even before he has attempted to shoot on the 

 wing. 



