HOW TO LEARN TO SHOOT. 149 



that it is practicable to shoot with a rest, other than such 

 as may be obtained from his own person by the shooter. 

 And as target-shooting is only the practice by which he 

 proposes to fit himself for the end, riot the end itself, it is 

 as such that the shooter is to regard it. 



In the Middle States, where there is but little game to 

 be shot with the rifle, the rifle-clubs are, in my opinion, 

 taking a wrong direction, as both the style and character 

 of their weapons, and the manner of their shooting, are 

 utterly unsuited either for the chase or the field. Their 

 best and most lauded marksmen would, from what I have 

 seen, read, and heard of their performance, make very poor 

 work in field or forest-shooting with- " the deer before the 

 hounds." 



Again, it is highly advisable to practise at long ranges, 

 at least two and three hundred yards, for on the prairies, 

 where now only game exists of the species to be followed 

 with the rifle, in sufficient numbers to render the sport of 

 great moment, a majority of the shots fired will lie within 

 those distances. 



In speaking of the necessity of taking a direct and 

 exact aim at one small point, when shooting with single 

 ball, I do not, of course, mean to say that the small point 

 to be aimed at is always identical with the small spot to be 

 hit, and that no allowance is to be made for velocity of 

 motion or distance of the object. 



Far from it. Allowance must be made when an animal 

 is crossing at speed, even greater with the rifle than with 

 shot gun, unless the shooter have the knack which, if he 

 have it, is perhaps the best of keeping his hand and muzzle 



