THE RIFLE ON GAME AT REST. 277 



After you acquire some experience in shooting at game 

 you will learn to shoot quicker and in a way that to a 

 bystander would appear as if you took a careless aim. 

 But the carelessness is apparent only and not real. It 

 is quick carefulness. But it will not do for any one 

 to begin with. 



Many persons who are good off-hand shots scout 

 the idea of resting the rifle on anything when shoot- 

 ing. This is partly right and partly wrong. On a 

 long shot there is no one whose shooting cannot be 

 improved by a dead rest; especially if there be any 

 considerable cross-wind blowing. Fora short distance 

 a rest is entirely unnecessary for one of any experience 

 in shooting game, unless his nerves be unsettled by 

 climbing, running, etc. But the beginner had better 

 take a rest even for close shots whenever he can get 

 it without making any movement that may alarm the 

 game. 



There are different ways of holding the rifle in target- 

 shooting. But I think there is but one true way of 

 holding it in shooting at game. 



ist. The butt should be against the shoulder and 

 not against the muscle of the arm. And where there 

 is much recoil it should be firmly pressed to the 

 shoulder. 



2d. The head should be held well back and not with 

 the nose against the right thumb. If there is much 

 recoil to your rifle you will be apt to flinch under fire 

 if your nose comes in the way of your thumb. Many 

 rifles are, however, so artistically made in the stock 

 that the eye can be brought down to the level of the 

 sights only by crowding the nose against the thumb. 

 Another advantage of holding the head back is that 

 the farther the eve is removed from the back sight on 



