ON THE CHOICE OF SHOT GUNS 37 



C, that none of the pellets will kill by body wounds, but 

 only the small number that chance to hit head, neck, or wing. 



The pellets that come under the description applied to C 

 can be greatly extended beyond the distances named, and at 

 ranges to which it would be foolish to apply the term " killing 

 circles." Thus the author has seen a roe deer killed at 

 60 yards with No. 6 shot from a 12 bore. Lord Walsingham 

 has made four consecutive shots with No. 5 shot at wild ducks 

 at an average range of about 88 yards, or, to be accurate, at 

 84! yards, 89 yards, 84 yards, and 1 14 yards. But these lucky 

 shots in vital spots do not affect the question, except to show 

 that it is difficult to apply a limit to the killing power of even 

 weak pellets when they strike head, neck, or wing. Outside the 

 zone marked A one is certain to do some wounding without 

 killing the game, but although many pellets will hit without 

 being straight for vital spots, others will probably kill the same 

 bird. But in the C zone it is always two or three chances on 

 wounding to one chance of killing. 



The reason for attempting to draw a distinctive line between 

 these zones for the different guns and loads is that there is far 

 too much unhealthy, random shooting at game, which gives 

 rise to prolonged agony, while the sportsman is dining well, and, 

 as he believes, sleeping the sleep of the just. Even on the 

 baser score of economy and next year's sport, it is wise to 

 wound no more game than human blundering compels, and 

 not to lay ourselves out to wound by attempting to kill when 

 the chances are so bad that the wild shooter would not risk 

 them upon a horse - race, much less in a mere commercial 

 speculation. 



There has often been controversy on the difference of 

 penetration from a choke bore and a cylinder. When penetra- 

 tion was taken by recording the number of sheets of paper, or 

 boards, pierced by one pellet, or even by three, the choke bore 

 always won. But really this was merely a double counting of 

 pattern, because when two guns shoot with the same velocity of 

 shot, that which has the best pattern will also have most pellets 

 through. That is how it came to be settled by the public 



