The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-02-14
VOL. U---NO. BOB.
From tfs Net0 YORK spirit of The Times.
LETTER FROM INDIANA.

SULTS-GREAT DUCK KSHOOTING-HOW To IIANDL
THE GUN WITH FACILITY-HoW TO COVER TIL
GAME QUICKLY AND SURELY-THE ADVANTAGE
OF PIGEON SHOOTING FROM THE TRAP AS PRA,
TICE FOR mPRoyEMENT-QUAIL AND RABBIT
SHOOTING, WITH REMARKS APPERTAINING 7
FIELD SPORTS.
To the Editor Of the esprit of the Times"
Dear Sir-ln the course of conversation at w
rious times and places with those who are fond r
sports by 'iood and field" and particularly in ar
sWer to many communications from the s'lovers {
the gun, IN various parts of this country, | hav
yentured to give you few chapters and relate, $
iar as my practical experience has taught me, tho
which | deem essential to be observed in order t
become perfect master of the gun, and a goo
shot
The gun, then, is the first thing to discuss
There are three sizes essential for use-the 10. II
and Ia guage. To all ardent lovers of such sport
who have the facility of shooting frequentl
throughout the season, | would advise that thei
sporting sett should consist of two guns 10 an,
fourteen guage, and by all means the best quality
MY reason tor thus recommending the 10 and |.
bore, is for large and small game. The 10 bor
will amply do its duty to the duck tribe. in wbicl
every part of the United States abound during tn,
FALL winter, and spring shooting, and there can b.
no mistake about its being splendid sport At tn,
same time it is suited to deer turkey. and otber
large game, whilst a IA bore answers the call fo
quail, snipe, rabbits, squirrels, etc., intermixine
and varying the sport for those fortunate enough
IN their locality to reap such enjoyment. Iwoult
to IA lbs, 30inch barrel; the 10 bore weight from
8 to 81, or 81 lbs. This NAV depend somewhat
on the strength and muscular development of the
sportsman. would not recommend less than
IDS, length of barrel 80 or 81 inches, barrels o
laminated steel, for No. / guns. But rather
than have what is made up and called laminated
steel in S75 and 500 guns take in preference good
stubo and twist. The finest quality of laminated
steel cannot be made for such sum. Should
however, the expense of a pair of guns be too
great, which in many instances may be the case
then substitute one gun for the pair and call it IL
pore, 81 inch barrels, 81 lbs in weight this will
be near the medium for general shooting
The next thing to which would respectfully call
the attention of your numerous readers interested
herein is another very essential point viz: loodng
together with the size Of shot, &C., for execution
with quantity in appro. of powder-and, above all,
the kind OF powder to use, and thereby making
their proportions to harmonize. The best in this
instance, is by far the cheapest not only so far as
economy may be considered as regards the mere
expenditure for the price of pound of gunpowder,
but for the preservation of the barrels and sepa-
rate from the last | will endeavor to convince YOU
that the best is actually the cheapest if YOU use the
pest sporting gunpowder now made the same I
have had in use for all my match shooting for up
ward OF three years, e. 'Hazard's Electric Sport
ing Powder There are various kinds of powder
sold In cansters at so and 62 cents per pound but
It's strength and quality is very inferior many of
which burns damp, and all more or less tend to
foul the gun. The Electric" has properties
WHICH cannot even De 1OunQ of the Enplish
powder; it burns perfectly dry, is of instantaneous
explosion, and when the gun is laid by after one,
TWO, or more days shooting, say from 100 to $50
shots from barrel, the only thing visible is
white ash, which (if the gun be kept in a
dry place) actually preserves the inside of its
barrels from rust. j have shot the Electric
Powder $50 shots in a day, from one barrel, and
never found it miss fire. | never clean nv gun
after its use until the evening before or morning of
next days shooting; particular care should be OBJ
in dry r1la opA -,
frosty weather sufficiently warm room; mot on
account of the cash." white powdered surface in
side the barrels but the frost is apt to be injurious
10 the locks, woodwork, &C. Still the barrels
must be Kept dry to prevent rust even on the out
side. After the gun has been laid by for few davs
a week, or month, and on washing ii out prior to
using the same, the first sponge will remove all
appearance OF the Electric powder ash, and the
barrels appear inside perfectly bright-not spot
OF rust. have even, when in a hurry, capped the
gun empty, turned the barrels perpendicular muz-
zle downward, and on the explosion of the best
caps removed all that portion of the ash accumu-
lated in the breech, which fell through the muzzle
In white powdered state, and shot again through
out the day; but washing with rag or sponge is
preferable and is only the work of few minutes
This should be done Just before shooting but never
90 1t after, or when the gun is laid by-for, as
above stated, peculiar virtue of the burning of
Electric Powder is the preservation it affords in its
lash" against rust, &c. The sporting community
In general, who look to their own guns will inva.
riably find that if washed ever so carefully and
DRIED after LAYING aside short time rust ,ou accu-
muate, even in dry place; it will be discovered
on putting down the first wad-the rust in reddish
dust will show either at the muzzle or on the RAM
rod. shot in one dav, in company with friend,
last October, from A. NJ. until 4 p. NJ, on the
antwerp Reservoir, Ohio, and on very foggy
damp day, with one double gun, each using "Haz-
ards Electric" No. gran and neither gun missed
hre, although on surface of water of 200 acres
W., bagged 215 ducks, consisting of mallards,
wldgeon, pln-tais, spoonbis, etc. There are three
numbers OF the Electric. | have used Nos |, 2 and
8. They graduate in finest of grain, No. l being
the finest. In this duck slaughter we used the
No. ). They are all equally good-Nos l and
perhaps better for the field.
Having thus said all that is necessary for the
information OF my sporting brethren relative to
the Electric's preserving qualities will now en-
deavor to show you and them the proof of its econ
omy, and strength, ct cetera and also give the
quantity in general use. For my IA guage at
snipe, quail, or woodcock, saw drachms of pow
der and OF. shot, No. 8. But for general shoot
ing, including the above game, with what other
Kind may turn up, use 2l% drachms, and IL or
No. shot. The latter would be more general used
when the season becomes advanced and game wild,
together with more assorted bag, say a rabbit or
two occasionly, or even chance duck. With nv
l0 bore gun use drachms of powder, and u or
shot. am particularly in favor of small shot and
find it much more effective in general No 7 is
my favorite size generally used on the duck re-
L
have, however, brought down many a mallard, at
40 or so yards, with No. land perfectly astonsh-
ed many IN this quarter at the result of small shot
At my first canvas-back shooting on the Gunpow-
der River, two years ago, was at first somewhat
unsuccessful, and attributed it to using No. and
., instead OF BIB, but short experience told me
that my success became more complete by holding
more tor'edrd, at my side shots in particular. The
rst lesson received was in shooting at three ducks
in line, when holding tolerably forward at the
trst as thought, the last bird fell | then found
that to kill my ducks at a distance of so wards. if
lying across, must hold at least one yard lin cal
suIaton before the gentleman, or her ladyship and
Nos and shot did then all / required
We will now take ID. of saw No 2 Electric now
der drachms of which is equal to drachms of
any 90 or 62 cepts per pound of any other powder
We have in pound so many charges, and if we
take the 212 drachm, say 100 charges which costs
81 per pound, or cent per charge; at so cents per
pound, very common and dirty powder (its
drachms is not even equal to the drachms,) and
this costs IS cents per pound and the 62 cents per
pound powder comes with its 8 drachms against the
Electric drachms, pretty much about the same
price, Sl-the Electric going so per cent. further
in number Of charges. But here have not quite
done. The Electric fills less space in the tube and
together with its properties of quickness in burn
ing, causes the "crack" sharp and effective the
charge burning at once; the other kind produces
slattern sound-not that quick simultaneous one;
you not only hear it, but feel it, and in proportion
rs the larger charge is required it is more felt and
heard than larger quantity of the common pow
der The fact is it does not all burn at the breech
il you fill barrel half full of powder and fire it
from the bottom, quantity of that is blown out
the muzzle unburnt-same in proportion to the
charge. Besides this, it is not cheaper-and, next,
the very important detriment is to the gun, which
suffers more in other ways than continually clean
ing, missing fire, etc. | will, therefore, close my
remarks by strongly recommending "Hazard's
Electric Sporting Gunpowder'' to all lovers of field
sports, and advise those who have never tried the
same to do and notice its effect according to the
foregoing remarks, which | have had fully borne
out by hundreds since wrote you on nv first prac-
tical experience, upwards of three years since, in
the Spirit Of the Times, of Jan. 26 1856 page 595
Mr.. Douglas, in Wall street, of your city, is agent
for the same at wholesale; at retail it should be
States
The next important consideration land to all
young sportsmen, especially, it is rery important
pont,) is hoo TO hold or handle the gum Many shoot
with their left hand closely pressed against the
have heard many excuse them
selves for this BY saying it safer in case the
barrels burst. There can be no excuse for this if
you use perfectly safe guns, and are particular in
their use in loading to let your wadding ,ceU reach
home-and again, when loading either barrel dis
charged, the other not being fired, at the conclu
sion of loading the one, put your ramrod down the
other not discharged, in case your wadding had
are then safe; but wadding will not
start of the proper size, and properly put down the
barre just let it reach home firmly, tcithoa ram
ming, until the rod rebounds from the muzzle. 1t
is all unnecessary, spoils shooting, and fattens or
dents the shot, &c.
The attitude or position in shooting adds much
to the graceful style of making "a beautiful double
shot" Grasp your gun firmly with the right hand,
the forefnger at liberty and ready for its use on
the triggers; take the first trigger or right barrel
first for "double shot, "right and left then
tor the left shot pass the finger easily to the
hind trigger, slightly touching it until ready for
thD laft hot fhnY,