Jan. 25, 1913 
FOREST AND STREAM 
109 
Our readers cannot fail to perceive that the 
word •‘charge” is, in the above case, purely arbi¬ 
trary. We necessarily conclude that Mr. Daniel 
found such answer well for the double barrel 
gun which he used, which might be of a large 
or of a small bore. Taking the average, we 
compute his charges to weigh about 9 or 10 to 
the pound, and this we may perhaps find to be 
tolerably correct as a standard on common occas¬ 
ions, since it is found in general that a bag of 
shot, weighing a quarter, i. e., 28 pounds, will 
make about 260 charges. 
Mr. Daniel continues as follows: 
“The smallest shot above mentioned (i. e.. 
No. 7) will kill at forty yards, the velocity of 
a charge of No. 7 being equal to one of No. 3 
at that distance; and since small shot fly thicker 
than large in proportion to size, and as there 
are many parts about the body of a bird where¬ 
in a pellet of No. 7 will affect its vitality equal 
to a pellet of No. 2, the chances for using the 
former are multiplied in the marksman’s favor, 
for it is the number and not the magnitude of 
the particles that kills on the spot. If sports¬ 
men would be persuaded to use No. 5 and 6 in 
grouse and partridge, and No. 7 in woodcock 
shooting instead of No. 3 and 4, and No. 4 and 
5 for black game and pheasants, instead of No. 
2 and 3, they would bring home one-third more 
game and not destroy one bird more than usual. 
They who prefer large shot and accustom them¬ 
selves to fire at great distances, leave nearly as 
many languishing in the field as immediately fall, 
whereas those that use small shot and shoot fair 
fill their bag with little spoil or waste, beyond 
what they take with them from the field.” 
We derive much satisfaction from the sup¬ 
port of so respectable an authority, and from 
the assurance of another veteran in ornithologic 
devastation, who assures us that for upward of 
twenty years he never used any shot for field 
sport above the size of No. 6, with which he 
has killed bustards and deer. The same au¬ 
thority further states that for the ordinary birds 
of small game, such as snipe and quail, No. 8 
was always found perfectly adequate. For geese 
and in general for ducks, it was his constant 
practice to load with No. 2 and 3, according to 
the expanse of water. We are likewise indebted 
to the same authority for a kind of standard, by 
which sportsmen in general may be guided with 
propriety, which serves at the same time to 
supply the deficiency prevailing in all publica¬ 
tions on this subject: 
“Many persons are unable to estimate the 
proper charges of powder and shot for their 
respective pieces. It is true, some authors tell 
us, to be guided by the weight of the ball, but 
it often happens that a ball is not at hand, and 
when obtained, unless it fits exactly and is per¬ 
fectly spherical, will not determine the true di¬ 
mensions of the bore. I have always found that 
with the best powder a charge equal to a diam¬ 
eter and a half of the bore was the best: that 
is, the most efficient quantity; that it impelled 
an equal quantity of shot with great force: and 
that without causing too great a recoil. Thus, 
if the bore were six-eighths of an inch, the load 
of powder, poured loosely into the piece, should 
raise the ramrod nine-eighths of an inch; or one 
inch and one-eighth. The wadding should be 
of thick leather, or felt (i. e., old hat) cut out 
with a machine; that should be rammed down 
firmly, but not so as to bruise the grains of 
powder. Then put in the same measure of shot 
as you did of powder, and ram it down rather 
moderately, after covering with a second wad¬ 
ding as above. Observe that shot will spread 
more or less in proportion to the force with 
which it is rammed down. The more it is ram¬ 
med, the less it will diverge. The above mode 
of charging will cause the charge in a piece of 
three-quarters of an inch bore to occupy a depth 
of full two inches and a half in depth. Some, 
who have a great predilection for large charges, 
may smile at the above quantity, which has, how¬ 
ever, answered admirably with me, and will be 
found under fair and repeated experiments to 
be the most killing charge that can be used. But 
I must remark that owing to some fault in the 
construction, and especially if the vent be placed 
at all beyond the bottom of the barrel, some 
guns will recoil severely, even with the above 
moderate charge. When such is the case, I 
should recommend that the piece be chambered.” 
The foregoing perspicuous mode of charging 
appears so' reasonable, and is founded on so 
regular a computation, that we feel a confidence 
in urging all sportsmen to give it a fair trial. It 
is obviously moderated, therefore may be con¬ 
sidered as devoid of danger. Upon that prin¬ 
ciple we could expatiate at great length regard¬ 
ing the highly culpable practice of carrying a 
piece full cocked, also of letting it swing in such 
a direction as might cause the charge, in case 
of accident, to wound any person in the field. 
The muzzle ought always to be carried above 
the shoulder, and in general it ought to be the 
endeavor of every sportsman to avoid every lia¬ 
bility to endanger either himself or any other 
person. However inconvenient stop locks may 
prove on some occasions, they nevertheless have 
the great recommendation of being on the safe 
side of the question. When a gun is put by in 
a situation accessible to other persons, even 
when unloaded, it ought to have the lock stop¬ 
ped, to prevent its being injured, but when a 
piece is loaded, which should never be the case, 
except under very pressing circumstances, due 
care ought to be taken to prevent its being in 
the hands of children, or of any but those for 
whose use it may be intended. 
Having said thus much in regard to the con¬ 
struction or kinds of guns proper for shooting 
in general, we shall proceed to state a few par¬ 
ticulars relating to the various kinds of game 
generally sought, and to give the sportsman as 
much insight as our limits may allow, regard¬ 
ing the laws in force on the subject of shoot¬ 
ing, etc. 
[to be continued.] 
Prizes for Michigan Schools. 
W. B. Mershon, of Saginaw, Mich., author 
of “The Passenger Pigeon,” and an active worker 
for bird protection, has offered seven prize 
medals to the school children of Michigan for 
various essays on birds, for feeding birds, for 
photographing them, and for success with bird 
houses. The prizes will be distributed next May, 
on Arbor and Bird Day, 1913. 
when the train arrived in jersey city. 
