THE GUN, AND HOW TO CHOOSE IT. 81 



its object to pieces in the hands of a dead-shot, or miss it 

 clean with a novice. This is easily ascertained by trying 

 it at a shorter range, say fifteen or twenty yards ; and if 

 at the former distance it concentrate its charge in the size 

 of a tea-cup, it certainly does carry too close, and should 

 also be laid aside. 



But this I must add, that of all the guns I have ever 

 seen, handled, or shot with, which amount to a pretty con- 

 siderable number, I have never seen one which shot too 

 closely. Nor do I believe that a gun ever did carry too 

 closely, provided that it did not lose force by supereroga- 

 tory friction, for a good shot. For it is the simplest of 

 all things, to a person who is continually making allow- 

 ances on almost every shot that he fires, if he finds that 

 his gun hits too hard and tears its game, when too near at 

 hand, either to give the animal time in the open, and let 

 it get away to a just distance, which is always the better 

 plan, or in thick covert to shoot a little wide, so as to 

 avoid raking it with the body of a charge. 



Generally, if one hear a person say that he prefers a 

 scattering gun, he may be tolerably satisfied that it is be- 

 cause the speaker cannot shoot with a close-carrying piece, 

 or, in other words, cannot cover his object. 



Lastly, in regard of trials, it is not one or two shots 

 that will thoroughly test a piece. Ten or twelve fires of 

 each barrel, should the result prove satisfactory, and with 

 little variation of effect, the same number of pellets, more 

 or less, being put into the mark and through the last sheet 

 each time, will be a sure proof of the quality of the gun, 

 at the range of forty yards. A few shots may then be 

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