392 lewis' AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. 



force to the poAver we are in possession of; and, from many 

 experiments, I am inclined to think that a fourteen gauge, two 

 feet eio'ht barrel, should never be loaded with above an ounce 

 and a half of shot (No. 6 will suit her best), and the utmost 

 powder she will burn. A fifteen gauge will not require more 

 than one ounce and one-fourth ; and no doubt No. 7 would be 

 thrown by her quite as strong as No. 6 by the fourteen gauge 

 gun, and do as much execution at forty yards with less recoil ; 

 and setting aside all other reasons, I should, on this account, 

 prefer the fifteen gauge gun, if both be of a length, finding I 

 can do as much execution at the same distance with the one as 

 with the other. To render a fourteen gauge barrel superior, I 

 think Colonel Hawker is right in stating that it should never 

 be under thirty-four inches, which description of barrel I very 

 much approve.""" / 



The sheets of paper for our target should not be less than a 

 dozen in number, and the charge that fires the strongest and 

 keeps the shot in the most compact round form, is the one best 

 adapted for the gun. A most erroneous idea exists among 

 young Sportsmen as regards loading : many suppose that by 

 increasing the quantity of shot they also increase the chances 

 of killing, because, as they say, there is a much greater num- 

 ber of pellets to be driven against the object fired at. This, 

 however, is not the case, as the shot, in the first place, being 

 too heavy for the charge of powder, does not receive the same 

 degree of projectile force from its explosion as it would have 

 done if both were properly proportioned ; and, moreover, the 

 quantity of shot being too great, the pellets strike against each 

 other in their course, and become disarranged ; the recoil is also 

 considerably increased, and the gun may be bursted. 



If, on the other hand, too much powder is used, it flies wildly 

 out of the barrel unconsumed, as may be seen by firing at a 

 sheet of paper at a distance of fifteen yards or so, when the 

 grains of powder will be found forced into the paper instead of 

 being consumed by the explosion. 



In fact, the whole theory of loading and overloading guns 

 may be summed up in a few words. Every gun should be 



* A drachm of Dupont's sporting canister powder Avill be sufficient to com- 

 mence these experiments. 



