380 LEWIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. 



shooting deliberately, that is, waiting till the bird gets at a proper 

 distance before firing. Either of these plans will obviate all the 

 difficulties. 



In pigeon-shooting matches, cartridges are far superior to loose 

 shot; and one of the best pigeon-shooters among our friends in- 

 formed us that, at a match contested by him and some others of 

 our acquaintance a few days since, the only two birds which he 

 missed were those fired at with loose shot. This experience cer- 

 tainly is very strong in favor of the cartridges. In fact, so much 

 superior are plain shot-cartridges considered to loose pellets, that 

 their use has been ruled out of pigeon-matches pretty generally. 



In wild-fowl shooting, as before stated, shot-cartridges made of 

 strong paper are of great advantage, and the distance at which Eley's 

 patent wire cartridges will kill is almost incredible. We have seen 

 canvas-backs killed with a small partridge-gun loaded with wire 

 cartridges at a height that would seem to preclude the possibility 

 of reaching them even with a large duck-gun. 



Eley's patent cartridges are a most excellent invention. The shot 

 is enclosed in a thin sheet of wire gauze, which of course will not 

 burst so soon as the paper frame, and consequently will carry its 

 contents much farther in a mass, and therefore for general close 

 shooting they are more objectionable than our home-made ones. In 

 wild-fowl, squirrel, deer, or even grouse-shooting, wire cartridges 

 will be found to be of incalculable advantage ; and the only objec- 

 tion to be urged against them in these cases is their expensiveness. 



When using paper cartridges, it is more necessary to examine 

 the state of the second barrel after the discharge of the first than 

 when using loose shot, as paper cartridges are more apt to loosen 

 and move up the barrel than when loose shot has a tight-fitting 

 wadding put over it ; this danger, however, may be obviated by 

 placing a wadding over the cartridge, and in this way it will be 

 doubly secure. 



Paper cartridges are used very extensively in rail-shooting, 

 owing to the facility of loading with them, and also from their 

 being less liable to lead the ban-els than the loose shot. 



