Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-11-04
The Science of Shooting.

The difficulty of hitting flying and run
ming game is greatly increased if the
shooter is ignorant of the principles that
should guide him in taking aim. We
know that practice is for the most part
better than precept, and, just as man
may be first-rate billiard player without
knowing that the angle of incidence is
equal to the angle Of reflection, 50 he may
become brilliant shot without being
able to explain how he kills his game. A
great deal may nevertheless be learned by
precept, and many man would improve
in shooting if he gave his mind to the
matter. 1t is a common notion that aim
should be taken in front of moving OBJ
ject, so that the shot should meet it at a
certain point. There is no doubt that, if
the distance could be calculated accurate
ly in proportion to the swiftness of the
flight of bird, shot fred in this way
would take effect, and in many cases it is
probably done. But neither is this theO-
retically the right method, nor is it the
way to achieve certain success. Many
men not only try to aim some yards in
front of bird, but think they always
have done so when they kill; and they
blame themselves for not having allowed
distance enough when they miss. We
would have them Danish their difficulties,
and practice the true and much simpler
principle Now it is hardly necessary to
explain that if gun is held still when
fired the forces operating upon the shot
are two only-that is to say the first in the
direction in which the barrels are point
ing and the second toward the earth the
latter force increases as the former de-
creascs Taking the ordinary distance of
forty yards, within which shot guns are
calculated to take effect, we may dismiss
the effect of the force Of gravity, and no
allowance need be made to overcome it. If
however, the gun is in motion at the mo-
ment it is fired, another force is applied
in the direction of the motion. Sup
posing it is moved to the right, there
will be a force moving the shot to the
right, and another in the line Of the bar
rels The place where the shot will
strike will be in the direction of the re-
sultant of these two forces This princi-
pie Of dynamcs should be thoroughly ap
pretended by the shooter In firing at
bird crossing him he should move his gun
at the same pace that the bird is flying,
and aim straightat it, The knaCk is to pull
the trigger without stopping the lateral
motion. The truth Of this may be shown
by throwing ball from one side Of a rail
way carriage to another; or better still,
when two trains are running side by side
las they frequently do in leaving Water
loo Station by throwing the ball from the
carriage window of one into the opposite
one of the other. A good shot covers the
hare or bird as quickly as he can bring his
gun to his shoulder, and follows it as il
moves If it is too close, so that it would
be broken to pieces, he waits until il has
gone some way before he pulls the trigger
But if he cannot cover it until il has got
nearly to the limit of his range he fires as
quickly as possible. Ofcourse, the nearer
the quarry the easier it is to kill, and the
chief res son why so many misses are
made at the full distance of forty yards is
because the sportsman is too eager and
fires in haste Great qnickncss is no doubt
attended with success, but we advise more
care to be taken the further off the game
, rises. AS the forces operating on the shot
diminish in proportion to the distance it
travels some allowance may be made in
very long shots, and aim may successfully
be taken higher and little in advance OF
the object, But very long shots are mex.
cusable unless the bird is likely to fall on
an open grass or stubble field, or the re.
triever can be relied upon to find it when
winged In shooting at an object when
moving straight away the aim should be
rather over it, and great steadiness is re-
Quired, so that in pulling the trigger the
gun should not be ierked to one side A
little practice at rifle shooting is Of great
service in these cases, for no one knows
better than volunteer how often he pulls
50 that his shots 20 to the right.
There is more knack and greater cool
ness required to kill things coming up to
the shooter, for instance. partridges driven
over his head, or rocheting pheaSants.
There are two ways Of killing these shots.
Either they may be taken point blank
as the bird aitains the full height
of its fight and turns to fly away, in
which case the gun is held arrest or they
are followed as they come up, and an up
ward motion is given to the gun. II is
/ not bad practice to have ball thrown up
! ,rl t-S- ~ hit II as II TN ns hut the nlan