SPORTING RIFLES AND THEIR USE 355 



sporting rifle will probably always remain a matter of 

 some controversy. I have always preferred a plain 

 open V backsight, with ivory inverted ^\, terminating 

 a shade below the point of the opening, to catch the 

 eye ; and the foresight a plain, bright bead. Sporting 

 express rifles are generally made with a series of 

 elevating flaps for every 50 yards of range over 

 100 yards, and in some cases over the first 50 yards. 

 In the case of cordite rifles, there is usually a flap for 

 every 100 yards of additional range. Personally, 1 

 object to these flaps for sporting purposes, and have 

 never used them. I have always had them removed 

 from my rifles or screwed down. The argument in 

 support is this : The distance over point-blank range 

 has to be instinctively and rapidly calculated, in any 

 event, and it is just as easy, with practice, to make 

 this calculation and shoot accordingly up to any 

 ordinary distance at which game is killed, say a limit of 

 400 yards, without the elevating flaps as with them. 

 In the former case a trifle more foresight requires to 

 be taken in the V backsight. In the latter case the 

 appropriate flap requires to be lifted, and then the 

 same amount of foresight is taken. To my mind the 

 former operation is as easy as the latter, while all 

 danger of a flap being accidentally raised and in- 

 advertently used at point-plank range is avoided. I 

 have known this happen with disastrous results to the 

 rifleman on more than one occasion. 



It may be as well here to clear our minds on the 

 subject of the term * point-blank ' range, and what it 

 exactly means. 



The term itself is a loose expression. Theoretically, 

 there is no such thing as ' point-blank ' range, or a 

 range at which the bullet travels in a direct horizontal 



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