86 MANUAL FOE YOUNG SPORTSMEN. 



Joe Manton flint-and-steel lock, and the first week they 

 will not kill three fair shots out of ten ; in any given time, 

 not one will shoot as well as he did with his copper caps, 

 and probably one half of them will never become respect- 

 able shots at all. 



In the like manner is it, of all other improvements; 

 it is comparatively easy to advance from skill in an unim- 

 proved art, with the improvement of the appliances, to 

 excellence. It is almost impossible, excellence being 

 attained with worthy implements, to retain that excel- 

 lence practising an inferior method, which must be re- 

 learned with inferior means. 



Now, in using the gun, there are three principal points 

 to be considered ; so that the art may be properly divided 

 into three heads : How to use the gun safely that is, 

 with the least possible danger to yourself and others; 

 how to use it effectively that is, with the greatest power 

 of bringing down, under all circumstances, the object at 

 which it is directed ; how to use it serviceably that is, so 

 that it shall be always ready for service, so that it shall 

 suffer the least from being constantly used, and endure the 

 longest wear and tear without deterioration. 



The maxims for using a gun safely, are few in number, 

 and simple ; but they can never be infringed without seri- 

 ous risk, either to the shooter himself, his companions, or 

 innocent, unconcerned bystanders. No one has a right to 

 incur these risks himself, from mere carelessness, much 

 less to inflict them on others. In my view of the facts, 

 there are extremely few cases of accidents with fire-arms, 

 as they are called, involving loss of life, which do not 



