344 SHOOTING. 



cartridges were, of course, not only useless but 

 dangerous. They have been from time to time 

 improved, and almost every difficulty has been 

 overcome. The sporting cartridges now made 

 never ball, they act with a considerable degree of 

 precision and certainty, and that they may be safely 

 trusted may be inferred from the fact that they 

 are often preferred by persons engaged in pigeon 

 matches. Various materials were used experimen- 

 tally to fill up the interstices between the pellets, 

 but nothing seems to answer so well as the material 

 now used. Another difficulty in their construction 

 presented itself. It was requisite to accommodate 

 them to the various methods of boring pursued by 

 different gunmakers, and the unequal length of 

 barrels, the object in view being to produce a car- 

 tridge that would suit all barrels of the same gauge, 

 and this has been in a great measure, if not wholly, 

 accomplished. The liability to ball which, not- 

 withstanding various improvements made in them, 

 was not effectually obviated for many years, during 

 which they were tried, and in many instances pre- 

 maturely condemned, either from real defects, or 

 from the parties not knowing how to use them. 

 They were not brought to perfection until the 

 year 1837. 



The wire-cartridges possess two principal ad- 

 vantages over loose shot ; they are propelled with 

 greater velocity, and thrown more evenly. A loose 

 charge is always thrown in patches ; the shots of 

 a cartridge, as seen on a target, are comparatively 

 equi-distant from each other. There are four 



