The Shot- Gun. 793 



pletion we desire before their publication. It may, however, interest 

 our readers to know how one can see the form of the cloud of shot 

 as it rushes through the air at the rate of 800 or more of feet in a 

 second. It is viewed in the following manner: A disk of about 

 6 inches in diameter, formed of thin black paper, has cut in it one 

 or more narrow, radical slits. The disk is set in rapid rotation, by 

 means of clock-work, and the top of the disk rotates in a direction 

 opposed to that of the charge of shot. On looking through the 

 slit at a point on white background while the charge of shot is 

 passing, one gets an instantaneous glance at the passing shot, 

 which is of such short duration that all the shot appear stationary in 

 the line of sight. By changing the position of the apparatus and 

 the point at which you view the passing cloud of shot, you obtain 

 views of its form at various distances from the gun. 



In our experiments on the velocity of shot, the numbers given are 

 those which refer to the pellets which first struck the target. A 

 cross-flying bird shot at must be struck successively by pellets as 

 it passes, and the killing power of a gun evidently depends on the 

 form of the cloud of shot which it projects and high velocities given 

 to the pellets forming the cloud of shot. 



On the Fitting of the Gun to the Shooter. — There are 

 two dimensions of a gun which must conform to the shooter, in 

 order that he may shoot successfully and comfortably. These 

 arc the length of the stock, measured from the middle of the butt- 

 plate to the front trigger, and the "drop" of the stock, or the 

 distance from the upper edge of the toe of the butt to a straight 

 edge laid on the rib of the gun and extending to the end of the 

 butt If the purchaser will try the fit of several guns of different 

 lengths and drop of stock in the following manner, lu- may select 

 on.- which will exactly suit him : Stand in front of a mirror 

 placed flat against a wall. Throw the gun into position to aim 

 at your right eye. If you now see your eye just above the rib, 

 and also the upper surface of the rib of the gun, you may con- 

 clude — if the gun always comes into this position — that it fits you. 

 That customers may select the gun best adapted to their use. gun 

 dealers should have on hand one with a stock whose length and drop 

 could be altered by means of screws or clamps. 



