GUNS 23 
long. And these two things even a moderate shot ought to 
be able to discover with the utmost ease. I have bought guns 
from a good maker’s stock, and I have had guns built for me, 
and I have found that, except in one or two cases, one has 
made as good shooting as the other. 
It is my opinion that when a sportsman’s build—length of 
arm and so on—combined with his eyesight, are fairly normal, 
elaborate experiments in bend and exhaustive trials at shooting 
grounds, where the ‘‘expert” could no more bring down a 
snipe or high curlew than they could hit the moon, are not in 
the least necessary. 
Without any trials at a shooting ground, without even the 
use of the ‘‘try-gun,’’ Messrs. Greener were able to build me 
a double 1o-bore last season which answered admirably from 
the very first shot, and is one of the most accurate and hard- 
hitting weapons in my possession. 
We will now consider the different types of wildfowling 
guns, a somewhat vexed question, as sportsmen know well, 
and a question upon which no two writers on fowling matters 
are quite in agreement. 
In beginning with guns of the largest calibre which can 
possibly be fired from the shoulder, we may dismiss the 2-bore 
at once. It is quoted in no first-class gunmaker’s list, it is 
of no more real utility than guns of lesser gauge, it is enor- 
mously expensive, and can only be used satisfactorily under 
the most exceptional circumstances. 
In short, it is practically obsolete in these days of perfection 
in weapons and nitro-powders. Messrs. Eley Brothers do, 
I believe, make a 2-bore paper case, but it is almost identical 
with that of the thin brass case for 4-bores. These 2-bore 
cases do not hold a bigger charge. 
In fact, the first really practical shoulder gun into the 
merits of which we need enter is the 4-bore. 
The 4-bore is by no means a zecesszty for the wildfowler. 
