8 THE COMPLETE SHOT 



employ expert shooters who can do this if it is to be done. 

 Buy the rifle with which they do it in your presence, and it 

 will then be your own fault if you cannot perform likewise. 

 This test of a single rifle is quite satisfactory; but a double 

 rifle has to be dealt with differently, as is explained in 

 another chapter. Of course, it is a mistake to shoot a rifle 

 from any sort of fixed rest ; the weapon, when loose in the 

 hands, bends its barrel, or flips, jumps, and also recoils, and 

 it is good or bad according as it does accurate work under 

 the action of all these influences. A rest to steady the arms 

 is quite permissible, but a vice to hold the rifle is not 



Once Mr. Purdey expressed the opinion that he could learn 

 as much from his customers as they could from him. The 

 author thought this so shrewd a remark, that, having a know- 

 ledge of the many good sportsmen and big-game hunters who 

 employ the weapons of the Messrs. Holland & Holland, Messrs. 

 John Rigby, and Messrs. Westley Richards, he wrote to each of 

 them to ask their opinions of the best bore and weight of rifle, 

 sort and weight of powder, sort and weight of bullet, and velocity 

 of bullet to be expected, for each of the following animals, as if 

 each were the only object to be pursued by the sportsman. 

 He stated at the same time, that compromise to meet the re- 

 quirements of several, or many, of these animals he regarded 

 as a personal and individual matter to the sportsman. He 

 pointed out also that in asking for opinions he knew that he 

 was asking for a consensus of opinion of the past customers 

 of the firms in question. It is interesting to compare the 

 views of each maker as to the best rifle to use for everything, 

 from a rook and rabbit, to an African elephant charging down 

 on the gunner, and requiring the frontal shot. What is intended 

 is the very best weapon to have in hand at the moment, if there 

 were nothing else to be considered. Mr. Holland's reply is as 

 follows : 



" 98 NEW BOND STREET, LONDON, W., 

 " October nth, 1906 



" DEAR MR. TEASDALE-BUCKELL, It is impossible in the 

 space of a short paragraph to go thoroughly into the question 



