Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-10-01
RIFLE PRACTICE

ing:
The target, stout canvas strained on two
poles, is hung between two strong saplins, and
blows tight with the wind, which, by-the-by,
is little too strong for rife-shooting, but will
not defect the bullets much at the shorter
ranges.
The canvas is square, st. Ives says, with
true volunteer JUNCTION, that represents the
height and width of q column of men three
deep. Lacy all this time is tightening the
target and patching with white paper circles
the rough edge perforstions torn by the bullets
Of his masters last nights practice. The
keeper now takes to bis burrow, as We shoulder
our rifles and'pace back to the two-hundred-
yard post.
st. Ives opens his large leather pouch, ire
marksble for holding thirty rounds,) and takes
out government cartridge. He twists of one
end, pOurs into the rihe-barrel the small dose
of large faky-grsined powder, slips in the
creased bullet, levers of the sloughin paper,
drives home the pointed lead with a strong
gentle pressure Of the cup like end of his steel
ramrsd, puts the little copper hat Of a cap on
the nipple, and full cocks. /, on the other
hand, load on different recipe. I pour in
the powder from q horn, through a small
measuring tin flter, to ensure the exact guam
tity Of q charge. Then, take out my thimble
shaped conicle bullet, place the bottom of it
on CREASED circle Of thin linen, and drive it
into the gun.
We are both loaded. Yonder, beyond the
Luuo nlliS anQ Iurse QuSnes, rlgnt against the
dark redOubt Of clay and turf, is the target,
looking about as big as an archery target; the
black wafer in the eentre about as large as the
crown Of large hat. While st. Ives makes
ready throw myself on the psrched grizzly
turf, Slightly thistly, by-the-bye.) and look
up to freshen my eyes at the great snow noun
tains Of cloud,
Those mighty fragments rent away
From some white Alp OF Yesterday"
The larks are singing overhead. The black
birds answer them from the plantation 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 embedded firm and steady in
the palm Of his left land; his right arm is rec
tangular, and kept well out. The back and
foresight are in splendid line. The barrel does
not wavsr nor tremble a hairs breadth; it
might be bar Of steel riveted into a stone
wall. The keeper went under cover when
threw up my felt just now. There is a dead
silence. st. Ives nOlds his breath and presses
the trigger gently but irmly-a jerk or bend
forward from anxiety would ruin the aim.
Bang. A thin angry jet Of fire. puff of
curious echo as of an axe coming down on a
uOed-block; slight ripping sound as Of torn
canvas, and q spirit Of dust in the butt imme-
diatsly behind the target.
"A centre. I'll bet hvcr, though say it
that shouldn't say it I'' says st. Ives, keeping
his gun for q moment in position.
The keeper emerges from his troglodyte
cave and lumbers to the target. He looks a
moment, then returns to his 6urrow.
"a miss" said I.
down his ramrod. - know all his moves
He's only gone back to get his rule to measure
if il Is q centre or q bulls eye."
The keeper waves the blue Asg-St. Ives's
was q centre.
Now, as this was one of my first days rifle
n kI.
is not an easy one-oool head, iron nerves,
strong wrist, keen, true eye, much thought
and observation, and all these things aided by
constant practice are needed to make good
rife shot. The quick instinct and partnership
Of eye and hand Is all very well for partridge
or rabbit shot, but here ether qualities are re-
quired. The distances are so long that an er-
ror Of the smallest fractson Of an inch in the
aim throws the bullet up or down many yards.
At first it seems almost impossible to keep
rife weighing eight pounds steady, in a diff
cult position; anxiety, moreover, is as detri-
mental to good aim as carelessness or even in
competence. Then, the wind and any fault of
ones gun have both studisusly to be provided
Tor. 1t Is often necessary, too, purpO ely to
aim little too low or too high to allow for the
involuntary jerk up Of the ride barrel in firing
/ have slipped the bar Of the back sight to
the little figures 200. i 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,
bat feel the barrel Waver. / wish had
pulled on my first instinct. Slowly readjust
1t. ! remember my breath. press the trig-
ger In dead silence. Again the crack, rush,
and billet chopping echo.
High to the right, /" said st. Ives "Lsaw
it hit. Half the bullets fred fell away to the
right You can correct that, partly by making
rest Of the sling. and twisting your elbow in
IT."
The keeper, without going to the target
waved q white fag.
W. frs six more bullets, all either whites or
blues, except one bulls eye of st. lVes's, at
two hundred, and then We move backward to
the three hundred yards distance generally
found peculiarly difficult by volunteers.
Wemoye the bars of our rest up to the re-
quired distance.
" Patch" rOars st. Ives to the keeper Out
he tumblcs, paste box in hand, and is soon
busy at work. Our gun barrels now begin to
get hesmirched about the breech, the nipples
are black and moist at the tips; while at the
muIzlss thsre are little spits and frothings Of
red, the result Of the fred grease from the
cartridges.
The target now looks scarcely bigger than
the door Of . hackney coach; the black wafer
too, contracts. st. Ives lies on his stomach
like q deer-stalker, and frss; or he knsels on
his loft heel and makes firm rest Of his elbow
on his left knee. We look at each bullet as IL
emsrges, clean and bright, from its paper
chrysalis, with tender solicited. St. Ives is
four above me, and the distance is increasing
but / get stesdier, and begin to feel an instinct
when shall hit and how my aim is Wenow
no longer hear the rip Of the cloth, and have to
trust entirely TO the keeper and his three hags
At this moment Sc. Ives, who has been look
ing about the gran In an observant way, sud
denly directs my after ton to q large grassy
moIshill some four feet in diameter, which one
Of yesterdays MIME bullets has pierced with
as clean and exact psrforation as punch
makes in q card. The bullet has pierced some
tso feet Of solid earth, and has left at going in
and going out, only little spit Of dust to mark
Its terrible passage.
Back erawls the keeper, up fies my wide
awake. In Q moment Lacy head peers over
the rampant; and a. my guu barrel beeom %
horizontal il disappears with extreme rspidity.
This time aim too low, and the ball spurns
the dust three feet from the left target-post-
Too low, but good bee-line, J" says st. Ives,
eneoursgingiy In beginning lsng distances
some rifle instructors teach you TO commence