GUNS AND CHARGES 299 



best retriever and the best dog on grouse I ever 

 owned. 



Who would not prefer to shoot twenty-five brace of 

 birds over perfect dogs to kilhng twice that number 

 from the butts ? Surely no sportsman can compare 

 the pleasure of the one with that of the other — 

 especially if he trains his own dogs, which, when 

 treated with kindness and proper judgment, never fail 

 to do all they can to show him sport. 



Before bringing this portion of the work to a close, 

 I think it advisable to add a few more words on the 

 subject of guns and suitable charges for them, the size 

 of bores, etc., as such information may be of possible 

 assistance to a beginner. 



The following table of loads, suitable for a 12-bore 

 of two weights, i.e., guns of that bore for early and 

 late shooting, will be sufficient : 



Bore. 

 12 



Some orunmakers assert that a 20-bore o^un hits harder 

 than a 16, and a 16 than a 12, Now, my own expe- 

 rience goes to prove that nothing is gained by using 

 the smaller bores except lightness ; and there are 

 several drawbacks to the use of small-bore light guns, 

 which are not compensated for by their being lighter, 

 I have tried 20, 16, and 12 bores, and find that the 

 latter hit just as hard as the others ; besides which, 

 i2-bores are now made to weigh only 6 lb., and no 

 sportsman of any experience would care to use any- 

 thing lighter than this, or risk the chance of accident 



