336 



WILD FOWL SHOOTING. 



LOADING. This is one of the most important 

 things about using the shot-gun with success, and 110 

 matter how good a shot a man may be, if he is shoot- 

 ing shells poorly and improperly loaded the effect is 

 immediately noticeable. Too much pains can scarcely 

 be taken in loading shells. There is a load designed 

 to bring out the greatest shooting powers of every gun. 

 What that load is, can only be ascertained by practical 

 experience ; and when a man buys a new gun he should 

 experiment until he has learned the load that gives the 

 desired effect. The old adage, " more haste, less speed," 

 is illustrated in loading shells. Perhaps the construc- 

 tion is not literal, and yet the gist is true, for the more 

 haste in loading shells, the less good results are ob- 

 tained. Let a hunter who knows he is an expert 

 .shot use shells either on wild fowl or at the trap that 

 he doubts their effectiveness, and he cannot do himself 

 justice, because, he does not feel absolutely sure of 

 scoring the simplest shots. Then let him miss a few 

 shots that he feels he should have made, and the day is 

 spoiled for him ; he either quits in disgust, or with 

 grating teeth bangs away all day long, knowing he is 

 bucking against an adverse fate. For a number of 

 years I would not use any loaded shells other than those 

 loaded by myself. I would not be so egotistical as to 

 think others could not load them as wjell, and yet, when 

 I loaded them myself, I had that confidence in the effi- 

 cacy of the load, that when I missed a shot that ought 

 to have been a hit, the shells were never blamed. 

 There is a sense of satisfaction in this, that every ex- 

 perienced hunter knows and has felt. How often it 

 happens that hunting in a boat with a companion, one 

 who has proved himself an excellent shot, through 



