184 THE THEOR V OF SHOOTING 



the subject, nor have I any very great opinion of 

 theoretical instruction on such matters. It is sufficient 

 to say that all who try to be good shots will be sure in 

 the end to succeed in being able to judge distance and 

 pace. The difficulty may be said to consist chiefly in 

 determining the angle at which the bird may be flying, 

 and so aiming that the shot will strike that most vital 

 spot, the neck. This ' angle-shooting,' as it may be 

 termed, presents greater difficulties on some days than 

 on others. Bad light may prove detrimental to success, 

 or maybe the sportsman may be bilious, or otherwise 

 out of sorts, and cannot therefore shoot up to his usual 

 form. In such cases I have known men who, being 

 wonderfully good shots as a rule, have preferred to 

 stop shooting and go home sooner than make a mess of 

 it, being, by reason of their livers being out of order, etc., 

 unable to shoot steadily or judge the pace of the birds 

 correctly. People are perpetually asking the most 

 absurd questions, as to how far they ought to fire 

 ahead of this, that, and the other description of bird. 

 Such queries are common enough in the Field and 

 other sporting papers. Now how on earth can it be 

 supposed that it is possible for anyone to inform them 

 on this point ? All kinds of birds do not fly at the 

 same pace. Circumstances must alter cases. Wind, 

 pace, angle, heaps of things have to be taken into 

 consideration. Such must ever be a matter for judg- 

 ment, and practice alone will enable the sportsman to 

 form a correct estimate. The estimate having been 

 formed, as it must be, instantaneously, the gun is swung 

 on to, and then ahead of, the bird, and the necessary 

 allowance is thereby given. There is no time on such 

 occasions for theory. Practice and common-sense are 



