466 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 



is another freakish perversion of the smaller bore, 

 though the fads and fancies of shooters are of much 

 trade value to the gun makers and repairers. 



The smaller bores can rarely be used to advantage 

 with less than a quarter choke, it being obvious that 

 three-quarters of an ounce of shot should be held closer 

 together than an ounce and a quarter to insure a proper 

 distribution in the pattern. 



The 28-bore is a wonderfully effective gun for up- 

 land game shooting, and its lightness makes for quick 

 execution ; but the killing circle is relatively small, and 

 a higher degree of skill is a requisite in its success- 

 ful use. 



The i6-bore, 26, 28 or 3O-inch barrels, may weigh 

 from 5^2 to 6?4 pounds, and the 2O-bore may have 

 about the same range in weights, with 6 l /2 pounds, per- 

 haps, as the maximum. Two sets of barrels, one set 

 of modified cylinder bore, the other a close choke, add 

 immensely to the efficiency of the gun. 



There is no doubt but that in the matter of de- 

 structiveness the repeating shotgun, "pump" and auto- 

 matic far surpass the double gun. Fortunately, at 

 the rise of a bevy, in upland shooting, the average 

 sportsman using such gun is not sufficiently expert 

 to fire more than two shots with any degree of cer- 

 tainty. Yet, having extra loads at his command, he 

 can take advantage of any slothful or timid birds which 

 rise after the main part of the bevy has flown, hence is 

 hardly ever caught unprepared. 



An expert with the repeating shotgun is terribly 



