342 



SHOOTING. 



The heavier and harder the metal of which shot 

 is made the better.* 



CHARGING THE FOWLING-PIECE. 



It is not usual to charge the gun until arriving 

 at the shooting ground. When there, however 

 advisable on the score of caution it may be, flash- 

 ing off a quantity of powder to clear out, dry, and 

 warm the gun before loading, has certainly a Cock- 

 ney appearance ; the more sportsman-like practice 

 is, the party having reliance on the person who 

 cleans his gun, merely to permit the ramrod to 

 fall lightly to the bottom of each barrel. The 

 barrels are then held as perpendicularly as possible 

 while the powder is poured in, so that nearly the 

 whole charge may reach home, and not adhere in 

 its descent. The barrel is then tapped with the 

 ramrod, or the gun slightly shook against the foot, 

 that powder may find its way into the pivots, 

 this is the more necessary when coarse-grained 

 powder is used. A wadding is then gently pressed 

 down. The shot is next poured in, and a slight 

 shake of the gun in an upward direction causes it 

 to lie evenly ; a wadding is pressed upon it. The 



* As shot is numbered differently by different manufacturers, we 

 give the number to the ounce of the sizes to which we have re- 

 ferred : 



180 



A. A. about 



B. B. 

 B. 



1. 



2. 



3. 



40 



50 



60 



75 



80 



110 



130 



4. about 



5. 



6. 



7. 



8. 



9. 

 10. 



220 



270 



350 



600 



1000 



1700 



