IN THEORY AND PRACTICE 
17 
charge have a chance of taking effect, as the slower ones would 
catch up the mark aimed at, in the same way as they all 
show when plating a gun horizontally at a target. 
This does not, however, apply to a running bird, or a bird 
on the water, as in this case the aim should be taken at the 
ground or water about a yard short of the mark. The upper 
half of the shot-circle will then strike it and the lower half 
ricochet up to it. If a running bird or a bird on the water — 
I am alluding to a fair range — is shot at as if with a rifle, 
it often escapes, as most of the upper part of the circle of shot 
will pass above it, and only the lower part come chiefly 
into use. 
In all my experiments I eliminated any wild or partially-off- 
the-target pattern, and fired another shot to replace it. With 
such a large target as 7 ft. by 7 ft. I had no pattern up to a height 
of 50 yds. that was not satisfactory enough for obtaining a 30-in. 
selected circle, as I could not well miss the mark, or fail to place 
the bulk of the shot-charge on some part of it. At 60 yds., 
however, it was sometimes difficult to say where the pellets were 
thickest or thinnest in number, or whether the central ones were 
placed on the linen front ; and at 70 to 80 yds. this difficulty 
was greatly increased. 
With a modified-choke barrel I had very few bad patterns 
up to 50 yds. perpendicular, though they were naturally very 
open at altitudes over 40 yds. With full-choked guns (I tried 
three) some strange experiences and very poor patterns 
occurred, even at 40 yds. At 50 yds. high I more than 
once, with a full choke, failed to place a quarter of the 
charge on the target, big as it was. 
c 
