134 



RECREA TION. 



When you make a difficult kill, call it a 

 "scratch" shot; and never try to explain 

 to a companion how you missed that 

 " straight away." Any one who is con- 

 stantly grieved, because he don't kill every- 

 thing in sight, is a game hog, whether he 

 wears English corduroy or overalls. If 

 you find no real pleasure afield, unless a big 

 bag is secured, no amount of practice will 

 make you a real sportsman, or an agree- 

 able companion for one. In conclusion, I 

 propose to give away the entire secret of 

 successful shooting; of course, you must 

 not tell anyone. " If at first you don't suc- 

 ceed, try, try again." Let trap shooting 

 alone, as a help for field work. Quail shoot- 

 ing, I think, is the most difficult of all 

 upland shooting; and I advise beginners to 

 tackle Bob White, and keep banging away 

 at the hard as well as at the easy rises. 

 Use a light " open " gun, and a good stiff 

 load. A woodcock load won't do for quail. 

 When I say "open" I mean cylinder; 

 don't be persuaded to buy a choke bored 

 gun, nor a cheap one. If you can master 

 a straight stock, all the better. Too long 

 a stock is an error; a short one can be 

 handled more quickly. The drop, hang or 

 balance of a gun, is not so important as 

 many think. Bear in mind that practice 

 only will bring proficiency. 



" Pull," Marion, Ind. 



SHOOTING AT MOVING OBJECTS. 



How to shoot game on the run, is what 

 Homer Raleigh, of East Oakland, Cal., 

 wishes to know. 



Having lived in the Rockies a good 

 many years, at a time (28 years ago) when 

 a gun was a man's best friend, and con- 

 stant companion, I will venture to give 

 Mr. H. R. a pointer or two. 



The first, and most essential thing in 

 shooting at moving objects, is to be able 

 to keep the sights and eye in perfect align- 

 ment, while the muzzle of the gun is being 

 moved in every direction necessary. That 

 can be learned in a short time, at home, by 

 practice. Hold the gun hard and solidly 

 against the shoulder, with the left hand 

 well extended. Catch the sights, then don't 

 change the relative position of the head, 

 shoulder and gun, in following the game, 

 but swing the whole upper part of the 

 body. After practising this for a while, 

 you will find that you can roll your eyes to 

 locate the game, and when the gun catches 

 up with the object, and you look for the 

 sights, they will be in line. 



The right hand should be depended on 

 only to steady the gun, and press the 

 trigger. Then it will be free to operate 

 the lever in repeating guns, which will 

 give you shot after shot without taking the 

 gun from the shoulder. After you can do 

 this well, get someone to roll a barrel head, 



down a gentle slope. Its motion will be 

 much like that of a running deer. Try at 

 first at 50 yards, and as you improve in- 

 crease the distance. You will soon learn 

 how far ahead of a moving object it is 

 necessary to hold. 



This combination, with a level head, and 

 steady nerve, will be hard for game to beat. 

 N. E. R., Scranton, Pa. 



In answer to Homer Raleigh, E. Oak- 

 land, Cal., will say: First learn to use your 

 rifle, as you would a shot gun; that is, to 

 shoot it with both eyes open. Learn to see 

 the sights, and the object, with your right 

 eye, if you are right handed; and with your 

 left eye, if you are left handed. Be sure and 

 see the object with the opposite eye. When 

 you can do this, take a~ piece of cardboard 

 about 2 inches square. Make a hole in it 

 to fit the muzzle of your gun tightly, and 

 to come y 2 inch above the front sight. 

 Shove this up against the front sight. Then 

 using a stationary target, look at sights 

 with one eye and target with the other. 

 You will find the result as good as if no 

 paper was on your gun. 



Then get a friend to throw a tomato can, 

 12 to 15 feet high, and 8 or 10 feet from 

 muzzle of gun. Pull a coarse sight, just as 

 the can starts down, and you will hit it 99 

 times out of 100. When able to do this 

 fairly well, get the round top of a lard 

 bucket, or something similar, and have 

 some one roll it past you, about 20 feet 

 from you. Sight just ahead, and you will 

 find results good. 



By such practice, you can do as good 

 work with rifle as with a shotgun. 



F. M. H. 



Wormleysburg, Pa. 



Editor Recreation: Seeing a request 

 from Homer Raleigh, in November Rec- 

 reation, for some one to give pointers on 

 how to shoot with rifle, on the run, I will 

 offer a few suggestions. While I don't 

 claim to be an expert, I find no trouble in 

 knocking over a rabbit or a fox, on the 

 run, and can often kill small birds, such as 

 snipe, kingfishers, etc., on the wing. Have 

 broken 5 out of 6 one ounce vials, swung 

 on a 10 foot string, like the pendulum of a 

 clock, distance 10 steps, with a revolver. 



The best method I know, for a beginner, 

 is to take a small cheese box, paint a 2 inch 

 centre, with some bright color, and get a 

 friend to roll it down a hill. Stand away 

 about 20 or 30 paces, at right angles, for 

 side or cross shots, and see how many bul- 

 lets you can put through the box before it 

 reaches the foot of the hill. The first 

 lesson should be in a smooth sod field. 

 After you can hit the box nearly every time 

 go to a corn field, or tobacco patch, where 

 there are rows or hills thrown up, and you 



