210 SHOOTING FROM THE HIP 



To attempt to get a gun to the shoulder in such cases 

 means being behind everything fired at, whether it be 

 ground or winged game. 



I maintain that in these days of nitro compounds, 

 smokeless powder, etc., when recoil is reduced to a 

 minimum, we should be able to shoot nearly as well 

 and straight from the hip as from the shoulder ; and 

 here the advantage of holding the gun loosely is more 

 than ever manifest. That such excellence is obtain- 

 able is proved by the performance of the little ' Nim- 

 rod,' who shoots better from his hip than anyone else 

 can from the shoulder ; and the fact of his being able 

 to break glass balls with a rifie from his hip is con- 

 clusive that we ourselves are generally very much 

 behind the times in our ability witli a gun, and it 

 argues very little for our own performances, that with 

 the perfect guns of the present day we are unable to 

 shoot without shouldering our guns and taking careful 

 aim. Nor do I think that shooting at the present 

 time, despite all the modern advantages and improve- 

 ments which we possess, is advancing as it should. I 

 can well remember, thirty years ago, a relation of my 

 own who used to throw two pennies into the air and 

 rarely fail to hit them right and left with a breech- 

 loadino; rifle. An uncle of mine was also able to per- 

 form the same feat, and could knock over rabbits with 

 a rifle-bullet, even when going as hard as they could 

 up-hill. Many years ago we had regularly organized 

 matches with rifles at rooks : every rook shot at 

 was obliged to be on the wing at the time. One 

 but rarely hears of such scientific practice nowa- 

 days, and it is but a stupid and monotonous perform- 

 ance shooting rooks by the dozen whilst sitting on the 



