87 



DUCK AND PUNT-GUNS. 



In the shooting of game birds it is not considered sports- 

 manlike to use a larger bore than No. 12 ; but in the species 

 of sport which we are now considering, the object is to get 

 birds, never mind how; and, as a consequence, there is no 

 limit to the bore, or to the charge which may be used, so 

 that the sportsman is not knocked over by the recoil. For 

 inland shooting, especially of " flappers," a. common game-gun 

 is sufficient; but for general winter shooting what is called a 

 duck -gun must be chosen, it being capable, from its bore, of 

 carrying a large charge, and of killing at greater distances 

 than the game-gun from its barrels being nearly a foot 

 longer. Of course these increase the weight very con- 

 siderably, and this point limits the two qualities above 

 mentioned, according to the strength of the shooter. Few 

 men are strong enough to carry a gun of more than twelve 

 -or fourteen pounds weight, and yet this is the lowest at 

 which a duck-gun is fixed by Colonel Hawker. The fol- 

 lowing are his directions. The duck-gun "should weigh 

 from 12 to 201bs. ; should have a substantial stock, such as 

 u fancy workman would be ashamed of; it should be made 

 :so large at the breech, that neat gunmakers would laugh at 

 it ; the stock should rise well up to the eye, because you 

 have not the power to lower your head when holding out a 

 heavy weight; and, above all, the barrel should lie level, and 

 well up to the eye, instead of being let down, into the stock 

 so as to pitch under the mark in quick firing. A duck-gun 

 should have either no heel-plate at all, or one of a metal 

 which will not rust after loading in a wet place. The ad- 

 vantage of a duck-gun is, that it will carry large shot more 

 compactly, and may be fired with double or treble the charge 

 for a piece of ordinary size. You are, therefore, enabled to 

 use large shot with the same advantage that No. 7 may be 

 lired from a double gun; by which means, at a large object, 

 you may kill considerably farther, and, in a flock, many more 

 birds at a shot. The recoil of a duck-gun, can only be 

 checked by weight of metal; and there are two ways to 

 dispose of it: the one, by immense thickness, whereby the 



