186 
MINUTES OE PROCEEDINGS OE 
Taking the practice of the 22nd August, 1862.—Table III. first. The 
special shot fired on this occasion were those having the centre of gravity 
situated about midway between the apex and base of the shot. The results 
of the practice were not so satisfactory as might have been obtained, in 
consequence of the gun used having an inclined sight to allow for the 
derivation to the right of the service shot, and no allowance having been 
made for this right deflection until the 16th round; still it can be seen from 
the Eeport, that when the angle of elevation was such as to ensure a 
sufficiently long time of flight, the deflections of the special (flat-headed) 
shot to the left were very decided. At 1° the time of flight was doubtless 
too short to allow of any apparent differences in the deflections, still the 
Eeport shows that the flat-headed projectiles did not deflect so much to the 
right as the conoidal pointed shot. At 2° the deflections of the former 
were also more to the left than those of the service shot. The wind blowing 
across the range from left to right might probably have caused all the shot 
fired to bear off slightly to the right. The 6 rounds from 10 to 15 fired at 
5° proved however decisively that the flat-headed shot deflected to the left. 
Taking rounds 10 to 15 the mean deflections were. 
Mean deflections. 
Service shot . 1*6 yds. right. 
Special shot .. 7’8 „ left. 
The mean deflections of rounds 16 to 19, when the allowance for the right 
deflection of the gun with service shot was taken oft* by giving S' right 
defl ection (the axis of the gun pointing therefore along the range) were, 
Mean deflections. 
Service shot . 7 - 4 yds. right. 
Special shot . 2-6 „ left. 
In firing No. 16 round there was probably some mistake in “laying,” or 
perhaps the shot may have turned over in flight, for rounds 18 and 19 
showed as clearly as before (13, 14, and 15) that the flat-headed shot 
deflected to the left j if No. 16 round be omitted the mean deflection of 17 
and 18 rounds will be 6*9 yds. left. 
On the 4th September, 1862, an old pattern sight was used and 8' right 
deflection given throughout the practice, so that the axis of the piece was 
not inclined to the line of the range, but pointed directly along it. The 
mean deflections obtained, the practice of the 4th September, 1862, Table 
IV., were as follow 
o° 5° 10° 
yds. yds. 
Special shot. *95 right 6*8 right 
Special shot (centre of gravity towards base) ... 1*2 left 1*2 left 
Special shot'* (centre of gravity towards point).. 2 - 3 left 1*4 left 
yds. 
25’5 right. 
71 right. 
18 left. 
Erom the Eeport it may be observed that at 2° the deflections of the 
special shot were invariably to the left; at 5° the mean deflection is also to 
* 12th round omitted as elevating screw broke. 
