Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-10-27

These proportions cannot be materially deyated
rom without destroying the eject. IL the powder is
decreased, the discharge IS weakened; II the pow
der is increased the shot spread; If the wei Of
the charge Of shot Is decreased there will not be
sufficient number Of pellets for effective shooting:
il the weight OF the charge Of shot is increased the
discharge IS weakened.
The usual objection to large shot is, that after it
has travelled thirty yards II becomes dispersed; but
let the powder be reduced to ~ drachm, and that
objection fails. II II is not overchargod with pow
der, light gun will shoot No 2 shot close enough
TO bring down game with more certainty at thirty
or forty yards stance, than II charged with small
shot, and two or three dracbms Of powder.
As few sporismtn ever tried so small a charge Of
powder as u drachm with so heavy charge Of shot
as OF or as large size No. 2, we invite trial of
the experiment we are about to suggest, with any
gun that may happen TO he in their possession moi
geigbing more than ~ lbs. With the above pro.
portions ol powder and shot-ihe shot being oiled
let the shooter ire at forty yards, with good eeVa.
uon-Jccau3e large shot dfoops more than 3maIl-At
an unbound book nailed to a wall with an open
newspaper double sheCO spread IN front of it
And afterwards let him charge the same gun with
/ No. or shot, and any variation Of the relative
proportions OF powder end shot that his f,ncv ~
/ suggest and FIRE at a similar target The news.
I paper will prove that the Urge shot is carried
With sJihs cIOscEcssj and the book will show
/ which bfOidsije would have told hest on n
grouse On opening the book the LARGE tbo,
the leaves will BE- bulged in beyond IL. a
book presents to the shot nm elastic BODY. Ike
down, through which large shot does not penetrate
much further than small, because u has to dsplnce
and carry with g. a larger mass Of paper. Fur and
feathers Of game DO not present such a resstisp
body 10 .hc shot as the leaves Of book do; there.
fore, although large shot will bear the above test
much lairer way Of trying II would be TO ERE nj
thin pieces OF wood fixed upright, "a pile Of clcoi
! boxes would unGVer the purposol. The latter tria
would, We think, convince any one Of the great df
, ference IN momentum between the two charges A
forty yards not more than three No polIcs coul,
be calculated upon 10 strike a partridge and thos,
from light gun would necessarily be weak: where
as, AZ that distance with our charge, two No. 2 pel
lets might be calculated upon, and with what enrc
we leave the cXperlmentast TO decide, when he ha
tired tat target composed Of pieces Of wood one
eighth, third, and ono-haf Of an inch thick
II Is not 80 much the velocity as the momentum
Of a shot that renders IL effective. The momentum
Df shot increases in dnoct ratio with its weight
. ! the momentum Of No. 2 shot much more iha
compensltes for tho diminished weight Of powde
, and additional weight Of lead that we have recon-
, mouded"
The powder and shot chargers may be regulated b
We Ching the powder with sGpcnce, aul the Fhot VIII
four half The shooter must not ADOPT these pre-
portions " smaller shot " used, they would Onl
lihu gun shoots too close aud does not TccO, Oh
quafTty ~ powder may be increased
u shoots too close add ieeols the quantity Of sh'
Ifrt spreads shot too much, and docs not reoof, III
quantity ~ shot may be increased.
Iu spreads slot too much, and reco the powder mu
When these proportions are used the gun reeoils lea
! wiihihe No. 2, and mos with the No. charge,