(V> MUZZLE-LOADERS AND BREECH-LOADERS. 



jection to the safety or shooting qualities of the 

 breech-loader, will say : "I can shoot ^fast enough 

 with a muzzle-loader." 



For woodcock and quail-shooting, rapidity in load- 

 ing is not essential, although frequently after a bevy 

 of quail has flushed, one or two birds will loiter long 

 enough to be killed by the reloaded breech-loader, 

 that would fly before the muzzle-loader could be re- 

 charged. But for killing English snipe, that have a 

 habit of rising one after another in tantalizing suc- 

 cession before the unloaded gun ; for ducks and rail ; 

 but above all for bay-snipe, one-half if not two-thirds 

 of the bag depends upon celerity in loading. Duck 

 shooting is frequently best in wet weather, when 

 even Eley's "central fire double water-proof" caps 

 will not always insure the ignition of the powder ; 

 and in thick covert the caps, especially if they do 

 not fit perfectly, will occasionally be brushed oif ; 

 whereas the breech-loader is impervious to wet, and 

 is not liable to the last difficulty ; above all, where 

 different kinds of game are expected, and it may be 

 important to change quickly the load for ducks, to 

 buckshot for deer, or double B's for geese, the 

 breech-loader has an infinite superiority. 



The comparative merits of the two guns may be 

 stated as follows : 



For shooting quail or woodcock, where there is 

 no necessity for great rapidity in firing, there is 

 little advantage in a breech-loader ; and, unless load- 

 ed cartridges sufficient for the entire trip are carried, 

 the reloading them during the evening after a hard 



