62 THE COMPLETE SHOT 



care and trouble. There is a possibility of a professional 

 loader varying his method to suit fluctuations in strength and 

 rapidity of powder. He can do it by means of the turnover, or 

 by adding to or reducing the charge; but this is outside the 

 range of the amateur's skill. He would not know what was 

 wanted. Even the best nitro powders do vary, batch for 

 batch, and also by reason of the heat of the weather as well as 

 by that of their storehouse. 



The best place to keep cartridges in during the winter is 

 the gun-room with a fire, and in the summer in the gun-room 

 also, if it is dry enough not to require a fire ; but the principal 

 safeguard is to keep cartridges and their bags and magazines 

 out of the sun as much as possible. The sun will easily raise 

 the so-called " pressure " by about a ton per square inch in some 

 cartridges. How much this may really be it is difficult to 

 even suggest, but Lieutenant Hardcastle has estimated that 

 " pressures " are not reliable within 30 per cent, and the author 

 would have said by more. Fifty per cent, added is a very 

 different proportion to 50 per cent, of reduction. In one case 

 it is as 2 to 3, and in the other case it is as 2 to I. 



