RECREA TION. 



owing to the greater "safe area" as ex- 

 plained above. 



If the animal be standing " head on " 

 to the shooter, at ordinary range, the 

 " sticking point," or upper central part 

 of the breast, should be chosen. An 

 error of aim upward would cause the 

 ball to strike the neck or head, while if 

 too low, it would strike the lower chest, 

 especially endangering the heart, lungs 

 and abdominal organs. An error to 

 either side would probably produce a 

 broken shoulder as well. This shot is 

 very effective if the ball be of fair size 

 as compared with that of the animal. 

 As the ball frequently strikes only soft 

 parts, it often passes entirely through the 

 animal lengthwise, — generally, perhaps, 

 in the deer or antelope, if we use a rifle 

 of 40 calibre with a fair charge of pow- 

 der and a ball of the ordinary weight. 



If the quarry be running toward the 

 hunter, the shot in the forehead is an 

 excellent one, especially if it be delivered 

 from a little above the level of the game. 

 This would undoubtedly be the best 

 shot to make with a bear at close range, 

 for it should be instantly fatal. Yet a 

 grizzly's skull might turn a glancing 

 bullet of light weight, for I have known 

 of several instances in which the human 

 skull has done so, although not in case 

 a rifle was used. With a rifle of light 

 weight, it would be better to shoot low 

 and strike the neck or mouth if one 

 were placed in such a position that there 



A QUARTERING SHOT IN THE SHOULDER. 



THE STICKING POINT. 



would be a likelihood of a glancing of the 

 ball, as, for example, if one were on a 

 lower level than the bear. And still, I 

 have seen a 40-82 Winchester kill a 

 silver-tip bear by cutting the merest 

 furrow through the top of the skull, 

 scarcely penetrating the brain. 



If the bear stands on his hind feet, 

 the centre line of the neck or breast 

 offers the preferable point of attack, 

 probably involving a fracture of 

 the spine as well as injury of the 

 important organs intervening be- 

 tween it and the anterior surface 

 of the body. 



In shooting from the rear the 

 aim should be for a centre shot, for 

 otherwise it is likely that a ham, the 

 most valuable part of the game, for 

 the table, will be ruined, and the 

 shot will at the same time be less 

 effective. In case the bullet does 

 not pass the entire length of the 

 animal it will be rather less effect- 

 ive than one from the front, but if 

 it avoids the larger bones in its pas- 

 sage it will probably traverse the 

 whole body, and be equally danger- 

 ous to the game. If the hunter 

 be slightly above the animal, the 

 spine, however, offers a better mark. 

 A quartering shot, either from 



