GUNS. 433 



such precautions are always in the right direction, pro- 

 vided it does not take too much time to make them. 

 Shooting, for instance, at a straight tailer from the 

 center trap, when good strong live birds are the targets, 

 one had better pull up and shoot instanter, even if not 

 "dead on," than poke about to get there; for on such 

 shots the vital spot is mighty small, and distance is rapidly 

 increasing, both toward the boundary and away from the 

 score, while, if the second barrel is to be of any avail, it 

 must certainly soon be let drive at the now fast-retreating 

 pigeon. At thirty-three yards, say, a properly bored 

 pigeon-gun will give a killing spread of twenty-four to 

 thirty inches, according to the load, etc.; so that six 

 inches to one side or the other, on a straight-away shot, 

 does not signify, for still the bird will come handsomely 

 inside of the killing-circle. 



On side and quartering shots one can aflEord to be more 

 deliberate; in fact, here errors must not accumulate into 

 many inches, for it does not take a fast-flying bird long 

 to move across and beyond the width of the whole charge. 

 Smokeless powder, however, is of such decided advan- 

 tage, where both barrels may be used, that nowadays 

 scores are being made that before its advent would have 

 been qaite impossible to attain. 



DUCK-GUNS. 



In this country, the gun most universally used for 

 wild fowl shooting is the heavy ten-gauge, while in Eng- 

 land the eight-bore is the favorite. As regards shooting, 

 pure and simple, a ten can' t compete with an eight any 

 more than a twelve can with a ten-bore; but in order to 

 be a serviceable gun, if an eight-gauge, it must be of 

 considerable weight, and that is a bar against its use, 

 excepting where the shooter is at a stand-still — be it in a 

 blind, boat, or on a pass; add to which, he must be of 



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