88 r PI AND SHOOTING. 



tice, at home, of raising the gun, and trying to have the 

 sight upon a nail-head, or other small mark, when the 

 stock strikes the shoulder. 



Xervous men often miss by shooting before the bird 

 has reached its line of flight, forgetting in their excite- 

 ment to hold over, while others thoughtlessly lire directly 

 at a bird descending from its perch, instead of holding 

 under. 



Sometimes it is seen that a flying bird will pass from 

 view, behind leaves and twigs, before the gun can be 

 brought to bear upon it. In this case, always make a 

 quick estimate as to where the bird will probably be by 

 the time you can fire, and then shoot to hit that point. 

 The cool man, quick to decide, kills many birds in this 

 manner. 



Cross-shots are not frequent, and do not require as 

 much allowance as we give to ducks, the flight of grouse 

 in timber being slower, and the shooting at shorter 

 distances. In large openings, however, the speed occa- 

 sionally equals that of teals. 



An eight-pound, double-barreled, twelve-bore gun 

 seems to be the favorite for this game; although when I 

 once stood beside a snow-covered brush-heap, from which 

 ten birds emerged at two-second intervals, I wished for 

 a repeater. 



On account of the short distance at which most grouse 

 are killed, and their zigzag flight in timber, an open-shoot- 

 ing gun will not only bring more birds to bag, but it will 

 do it in a manner that permits of their being roasted 

 instead of converted into hash. 



The conditions upon which guns are usually targeted 

 are, \\ ounces of No. 8 shot, thirty-inch circle, distance 

 forty yards. 



Upon this basis, the right barrel, if habitually used 

 first, should make a pattern of about 250 pellets; the left. 



