THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
apart, for by the time the grouse have entered the “ danger zone,” when, 
for the safety of your neighbour, it is unsafe to fire, the grouse are still 
a long way off, if flying on the exact centre line between the two butts. 
Moreover it is much safer for the butts to be close, for then the firer sees 
the next one so plainly, when the gun is at his shoulder, he does not think 
of firing; whereas, when the butts are seventy or eighty yards apart, they 
are scarcely noticed by the firer in the absorption of the moment. 
(18) It is an unpardonable sin for anyone to aim at a grouse and follow 
it with his gun across the next butt, with his finger on the trigger, even 
though he does not fire till it is quite safe. It is a very dangerous practice 
of which no one should be guilty. 
RECORD BAGS 
It is an extraordinary circumstance that with all the improvement in 
the way of guns, cartridge cases, smokeless powder, and the knowledge of 
driving grouse, the great bag made by Sir Frederick Milbank on August 
20, 1872, has never since been equalled. It was a wonderful performance, 
and for just forty years this record has stood. There was no idea of 
endeavouring to achieve a record performance, or to beat some one else’s 
total, but he simply took his part in the ordinary way as a member of 
the party, and no extra effort was made to prolong the shooting beyond 
the arrangements for the day. This made the sporting conditions quite 
ideal. 
A statement of these conditions may be of interest, and have been lately 
sent to me by his son, as the following letter will show : 
Barningham Park, 
Barnard Castle. 
October 20, 1911. 
Dear Meysey -Thompson, 
On back of this you will find what you want about my father’s shoot 
at Wemmergill. We had, as you will see by the list, eight drives, and 
I send you what niy father killed in each of the eight drives. This I 
have copied from his own handwriting to-day. We were six guns, 
but one gun came late, and missed three drives, which made a big 
difference, in a day like that, to the bag. I hope this will give you all 
the information you require. 
Sincerely yours, 
POWLETT C, MILBANK, 
66 
