334 WILD FOWL SHOOTING. 



size is needed, but that one should not change sizes 

 after becoming accustomed to one in particular. 



Within the past few years, great prominence has 

 been gained in the shooting world by the use of wood- 

 powder. There are two kinds now being extensively 

 used, the " Schultze gun-powder," made in England, 

 and the " American wood-powder," manufactured in 

 this country. Both of these powders are expensive, 

 and possibly out of reach of the average hunter so far 

 as price is concerned. Both these grades have their 

 champions. The claims put forth by both, are, one 

 might say, identical. They claim superiority over black 

 powder on the ground, " it is cleaner, stronger, gives a 

 greater penetration, less recoil, and but a trifling 

 amount of smoke." 



SHELLS. I am not an advocate of brass ones, and 

 think they should only be used when the hunter is too 

 poor to use paper shells. In my experience, there is 

 not a single virtue they possess that cannot be found 

 in paper shells. To say they outshoot paper ones is 

 easily said, but a faithful trial of them under all cir- 

 cumstances has failed to convince me of it. If it is a 

 question of economy, all right, use them ; but, if you ex- 

 pect to be benefited by their use you will be disappoint- 

 ed. For years I used them at the trap, and after ducks, 

 and the more I saw of them, the more disgusted I be- 

 came. The shot was constantly shaking out, the wads 

 becoming loose, until at times, I would have three to a 

 dozen charges of shot shaken out and loose in my 

 pocket. Then again, the jar of the first barrel would 

 loosen the wad in the other, the shot would patter iu 

 the water or on the leaves, a duck would fly off, while 



