22 
HIGH PHEASANTS : 
might be most useful in the matter of hitting the head or 
neck of a high bird. 
One of the best shots in our islands uses i oz. of No. 8 for 
especially high birds only, and kills them as cleanly and 
consistently as anyone could wish. When using Nos. 8 or 9 
for shooting snipe, have not many of us been surprised at 
the long distance at which a chance wild-duck can be 
brought down dead with such small shot ? 
The Comparative Velocities of Small and Large Shot in 
Relation to Killing Game. 
It is a common error to suppose that a small size of shot, 
as No. 7, is considerably slower in reaching a bird than a large 
size, such as No. 3 or No. 4. At 35 yds. No. 7 would only 
require about 3 ins. more forward allowance at a crossing 
bird than No. 3 : a trifling amount when, perhaps, the 
forward aim given is several feet, and the killing diameter of 
the shot -circle is some 3 ft. 
As the difference in the time of arrival of No. 3 and No. 7, 
at an object 35 yds. distant, is practically the same as the 
difference in time of arrival of No. 3 and No. 6 at an object 
40 yds. away, I will take the two latter sizes for comparison, 
as 40 yds. is the usual range in gun-trials. 
Time of arrival of No. 6 shot at 40 yds. = '1378 sec. 
No. 3 „ „ = -1329 >, 
Difference = '0049 ,, 
A bird crossing at a rate of 40 miles an hour has a speed of 
