Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-08-27
THE GREAT SHOOTING MATCH.

THE GREAT SHOOTING MATCH.
America Again Observation-Disclosures
Beats shaw.
As vast number of our readers are de-
| voted 10 trap shooting, the following az
count OF Captain BOgardus' match with
Shaw, the best pigeon shOO.er in England,
viii be very acceptable. We find in other
/ Of our British exchanges more ford and
elaborate descriptions Of the contest, but
| give that Of Bells Life, acknowledged to
be the highest authority on pigeon shoot
| ing in that country
| LITTLE BRIDGE GROUNDS, BROMPToN-
| GREAT MATCH FOR f40O.
The great match between Captain II. w.
BOgardus (the American champiOn) and s
Shaw lOf Oldham, near Manchester, for
two hundred pounds a side, took place on
Monday last. The conditions were to
shoot at one hundred pigeons each, with
/ one ounce OF shot, tWenty-One yards rise,
from one trap, the use Of one barrel, and
the gun below the elbow until the bird was
on the wing. The match, which had
been made only a short time pre-
YiOUsly, excited much interest, owing to
the fact Of its being understood that Capt.
BOgardus vas 10 compete with Shaw, the
best professional shot in England, under
the said conditions Of from trap, 1 OF. of
shot, p yards rise. Notwithstanding the
Captain was made the favOrite in the bet
ting at 100 TO 50, speculation was not very
spirited, in consequence Of the Manchester
division not supporting their man with
their usual freedom, knowing they had a
''wonder" to yanquish. The weather
was remarkably tine and favorable
for the sport, there being only
a trihing breeze, with bright and clear at
mosphere. The contestants arrived on the
ground at 9 A. NJ, and both looked in
blooming health. Capt. BOgardus is a fine,
muscular man, standing fully six feet,
weight about 10 stone, and is about forty
years Of age. He is a wonderful shot at
both game and pigeons, q great athlete,
and providing his muscular strength is put
to the test, be IS almost, or quite equal to the
late John Keenan,. The Captains opponent,
Shaw, has proved himself a wonderfully
fine shot for a considerable length Of time,
by defeating a large number Of North
country spOrtsmen. He is fresh cOlOred,
spare man, with a vast amount Of conf
dence, and we should say half dozen
years younger than the Captain. In spite
of the many attractions within 20 miles Of
the metropolis a large number Of a good
class OF persons attended the match, cOnse-
quently excellent order was maintained
throughout the day. No time was
lost in arranging the p-elimi-
naries, and at 1880 A. NJ, the
match commenced, both men trapping
their own birds, the best blue rocks Oh.
tainable. Shaw led Off but failed to bring
down his first, a very fast one, and the Cap
tainquickly came forward and ratified down
in fine style very swift bird. Both through
trapping their own birds against each ether
were somewhat slow to time, but they shot
in their turn. Owing, however, To the
number Of birds shot at, and the general
similarity of their dOings throughout, we
think it quite unnecessary to comment
on each shot, particularly as the appended
score will be found sufficiently explanatory. /
Out of the first ten birds shot at by the /
American be brought down nine, the 1
second eight, and the third lot all fell 10 his |
aim. at the fourth ten nine came to grief, !
at the fifth every bird fell. Consequently |
it will be gathered that he brought down /
forty-six out Of the first fifty birds. Shaw, |
it will be seen, was never on favor /
able terms with the Captain, for /
in his first ten he missed three |
birds, and in his second the same num-
Der, and this made him three 0rOcls" to |
the bad. Out Of the third ten birds the /
Manchester man brought down splendidly /
eight, but in the fourth four escaped, and |
out Of the fifth 10 he only brought down /
six, thereby scoring 81 out of 50 birds
just II less than his opponent scored. At
this point Of the contest the competitors
and their friends retired for thirty minutes
for refreshment. On resuming business it
may be remarked that shaw, who had been
very unfortunate, as many Of his birds in
the first 80 fell dead out of the bounds,
entirely through shooting with number
SHINE" shot, now commenced with number
SEVEN and by 50 doing ke made a much /
better score. This will be understood !
when it is said that he killed splendidly Is
out of his first 20 birds after luncheon. The
Captain, however, continued humping
down his birds also in grand style, and there
being no chance for Shaw winning at he
S0th round, be being then twelve
birds behind, he gave up, and
Captain BOgardus was declared the
winner amid great cheering. The Captain,
in order 30 decide bet Of killing so out |
of 100 birds, rot at three more, which he
killed, ard then retired, after having
brought down 50 out of %, and Shaw scored
65 out of 50. The match, which CON-
menced az 1880 L. n, was not concluded
until 4:30 p. N. Captain BOgardus shot
with his famous 12-bOre breech-lOading
double gun, OF course using one barrel
only. He shot with five draChus Of pow
der, and used No. shot. Shaw used a
single gun.
That Captain BOgardus has now proved
himself an extraordinary malksman no
man can deny, for the score alone was
never before equaled in England; in fact,
the losing mans Shaw score is the largest
ever previously made. When we take into
The sWiftness Of the birds,
they being the best blue rocks that could be
obtained for the tine Of year, and the fact
Of the Captain being made 10 load every
cartridge himself with shot singly before
he placed it in his gun, and also
trapping the whole Of his binds, that
is to say, those for Shaw 10
shoot at, the performance must be deemed
q surprising one. He shoots exceedingly /
fair, with the gun clean below the elbow,
and kills his birds in a most astonishing |
manner. Each appears 70 receive the slip
ulate1 quantity OF shot in its body, being
doubled up. Shaw shot
well enough to beat 50 spOrtsmen out oFIOO
and yet he never was in the hunt on this
occasion. S. Hammond, Of Kent street,
Borough, supplied the birds against
Shaw, and Offer, Of Hammersmith,
against BOgardus. We have handed
over the stakes (f400l to Capt. BOgardas,
who sails for America on Aug. J.. We
had almost forgotten to state that Capt.
Bogardus' gun, a choke bore, WIS made by
w. & G. Scott q Son, Of Birmingham. II
IS strong, plain weapon, without orna-
ment, and an "eXtraordinary killer" He
used five draehms Of orange lightning pow
der, and one ounce Of No. o, T. Otis lie
Roy, of America, wind shot. Mr.. +. Smith,
Of Bells Life, was referee,