HIGH PHEASANTS 
19 
Note on Series IV. 
In this series there is only one pattern that, from a target 
point of view, might possibly kill a perpendicular pheasant 
at 40 yds. This pattern, from a full-choke gun, consists of 
an average of 120 pellets in the 30-in. circle at 40 yds. 
perpendicular, with i|- oz. of No. 4 shot — a heavy load. 
An outline, to scale, of the under-surface of a cock pheasant 
as it would appear to the shooter when above him, was drawn 
in the centre of each of the ten separate patterns that collectively 
gave the average of 120 pellets. In this way it was easy to see 
how many pellets would have struck each bird, supposing a bird 
to be in the centre of every selected 30-in. circle. Twenty-one 
pellets would have hit the ten birds. Three birds would have 
been struck by three pellets each, five by two, and two by 
one pellet each. No bird would have been hit over a vital 
part. 
If we deduct from the average pattern of 120 pellets only 
one-fifth of their number to represent those that would pass 
behind a fast-flying overhead bird at 40 yds., however correct 
the aim, our pattern is reduced to ninety-six. In such case 
not more than an average of one pellet to each bird fired at 
could be expected, and many would not be struck at all ! 
At a height of 50 yds. No. 3 and No. 4 shot in the full- 
choke guns gave patterns that were, if possible, even more 
useless for game-shooting. I tried No. 3 and 4 shot, because 
I have met shooters who reserve a few cartridges loaded with 
these sizes for a stand where pheasants fly exceptionally high. 
From the results I obtained with Nos. 3 and 4, as shown in 
Series IV., I am confident it is a great handicap to a shooter 
to use such large sizes at very high birds. 
c 2 
