230 CAUSES OF DRIFT. 
The gun was fitted with new-pattern sights, and no allowance given 
for deflection, the axis of the piece pointing therefore along the range. 
Taking the practice of the 22nd August, 1862.—Table III. first. The 
special shot fired on this occasion were those having the centre of 
eravity 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 Report, 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 Report 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. 
16 yds. right. 
78 4, left. 
The mean deflections of rounds 16 to 19, when the allowance for the 
right deflection of the gun with service shot was taken off by giving 
8 right deflection (the axis of the gun pointing therefore along the 
range) were, 
Service shot 
Special shot 
Mean deflections. 
Senvicenshobieeesesnteacaece: 7-4 yds. right. 
SHOSGLAL SINOBcoocsssosvocee sooosooe 2iOMen selenite 
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; 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 follows :— 
22 5° 10° 
yds. yds. yds. 
SIATI@® SWOllns. opcaccn900 000000090000992900990232900000c06 ‘95 right 68right 25:5 right. 
Special shot (centre of gravity towards base) .. 12 left 1-2 left 71 right, 
Special shot* (centre of gravity towards point) 2°3 left 1-4 left 18 left. 
From the Report 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 the ft. That all were not to the left at 5° and 10° arose most probably 
from the unsteadiness of some shot and the turning over of others 
during flight; for the grazes of the shot which deflected to the right 
showed that the axis of the shot was considerably inclined to the line 
of the range. The unsteadiness during flight of the special shot at 95° 
* 12th round omitted as elevating screw broke. 
