212 OF SHOOTING, 



source of this error appears to be overcharg- 

 ing, and it is by correcting this that the bad 

 opinion so entertained of many pieces might 

 be removed : every barrel, according to its 

 caliber and weight, should have a suitable 

 quantity of powder and the like of shot, 

 which will be attended with greater certainty 

 and effect than any others, and these must 

 be determined by repeated trials. If the 

 sportsman increases the quantity of shot a- 

 bove this, he lessens the force of the discharge, 

 and at the same time increases the recoil ; 

 and -if he increases the powder, that of the 

 shot remaining the same, he also increases 

 the recoil and disperses the shot much more 

 than before. In every kind of fire-arms, 

 large charges of powder are found to dis- 

 perse the shot very much, whilst with smaller 

 charges than are generally used it is thrown 

 more even and close ; if the object, therefore, 

 the sportsman is about to shoot at is at too 

 great a distance for the shot to take effect, 

 and it may happen that he cannot approach 

 nearer to it, he ought not to increase the 



