Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-09-21
Rifle PrnctIce--ShOrpsho of TIN
English Volunteers.

English Volunteers.
A pleasant writer in Al the Year Rom
thus describes q days practice in riff
3 shooting:
The target, stout canvass strained
two poles, is hung between two strong sap
lings, and blows tight with the wind
, which by the by, is little too strong 70
ritle-shooting, but will not not defect til
bullets much at shorter ranges.
The canvass is y square, ST. Ives says
with true volunteer unctiOn, that repre-
sents the height aud width of a column
men three deep. Lacy all this time
tightening the target and patching wit
white paper circles the rough edge perfOr
ations torn by the bullets of his master
last nights practice. The keeper now
takes to his burrow, ns we shoulder our
rifles and pace back to the two hundred
yard post.
ST. Ives opens his large leather pouch
remarkable for holding thirty rounds)
aud takes out IL government cartridge
He wists of one end, pours into the rifle
barrel the small dose of large hanky grain
ed powder, slips in the creased bullet,
levers off the sloughing paper, drives
home the pointed lead with IL strong gen
tic pressure of the cup like end of his
steel ramrod, puts the little copper hat of
- cap on the nipple, and full cocks i on
the other hand, load on IL different recipe.
| | pour in the powder from horn, through
ii small measuring tin filter, to ensure the
exact quantity of IL charge. Then, take
out my thinble- shaped conical bullet,
place the bottom of it on 81 CREASED circle
Of thin linen, and drive it into the gun.
We are both loaded. Yonder, beyond
the rude hills and furze bushes, right
against the dark rcdouht of clay and turf,
is the target, looking about rs big as San
archery target; the blnck water in the ccm-
ter ubont as large as the crown of Il lHrgc
hat. While ST. Ives makes ready throw
myself on the parched grizzly turf (slight-
ly thistly, by the by,) and look up to
treshcn my eyes ut the great snow noun
tains OF cloud,
Those mighty fragments rent away,
From some white Alp Of yesterday
The larks are singing over head The
black bird answers them from the planta
ton on the hill.
ST. Ives is now in a superb position; his
! left arm on his chest and quite under the
gun, so that the barrel is imbcdded firm
and steady in the palm of his left hand;
his right arm is rectangular and kept well
out. The barrel does not wavcr nor trcm-
ble hairs breadth; it might he n bar
steel rivcted intOa stonewall. The keeper
went under cover when ] threw up my fci
Just now. There is dead silence. st
Ives holds his breath and presses the trig-
ger gently but frmly-a jerk or bend for
ward from anxiety would ruin the aim.
Bang! thin angry jet Of fire, puff
backward blown smoke, pang whiZ
then curious echo as of an axe comm.
down on woodblock, Il slight rippin
sound us of torn canvas, and spirit {
dust in the butt Immediately behind TIL
target.
''A center, I'll bet 6ver, though say
that shouldn't say ~ says st. Ives, keep
ing his gun for II moment in position.
The keeper emerges from his trOglOdyt
cave and lumbers to the target. He look
a moment, then returns to his burrow.
"a miss!" said [.
''NOt it," replied st. Ives, quietly ring
ing down his ramrOd. al know all HI
moves. Hes only going back to get his
rule to measure if it is centre or II bulls
eye"
The keeper waves the blue flag--St.
| Ives was IL centre.
Now, as this was one of my first day
rifle practice, may as well confess tlla
the art is not easy One-cool head, iron
nerves, strong wrist, keen true eye, niue
thought and observation, and all theS
things aided by constant practice are need
ell to make good rifle shot. The quiet
instinct and partnership of eye and han
is all very well for IL partridge or r:lh
shot, but here other qualities are required
The distances are so long that an error
the smallest fraction of an inch in the ai'
throws the bullet up or down many yard
At first it seems almost impossible to kcci
a rifle weighing eight pounds steady, in
difficult position; anxiety, moreover, is 81
detrimental TO good aim rs carelcsSness o
even incompetence. Then, the wind an
any fault of ones gun have both studious
ly to be provided for. 1t is often neccssar,
too, purposcly to aim little too low
too high to allow for the involuntary jerk
up of the rhc-barrel in firing.
| have slipped the bar of the backsight
to the little figures 200. make ready,
present. | feel the little nib of the fore
sight coming up over the horizon Of the
notch or gap in the backsIght, and both
telling against the black wafer. try to
get an aim dead in the center, but feel
the barrel waver. wish had pulled OF.
my first instinct. Slowly readiust it,
remember my BREATH press the triggr
in dead silence. Again the crack, rush
and billet-chopping echo.
"High to the right" said St. Ives. az
saw it hit. Half tie bullets fred fell away
to the right. You can correct that partly
by making a rest of the sling, and twisting
your elbow in il"
The keeper, without going to the target,
waved white flag.
We fire six more bullets, all either whites
or blues, except one bulls eye of st. Ives,
at TWO hundred, and we then move buck
ward to the three hundred yards-a dis
tance generally found peculiarly difficult
by volunteers.
We move the bars of our rest up to the
required distance.
"Patch," roars St. Ives to the keeper
Out he tumbles, paste box in hand, and is
soon busy at Work. Our gun-barrels now