Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-11-09
Some Interest ng Facts to Amateur

op0ftsmsn'
In view of the fact that there are more
cartridges In Augusta this season than has
been known for many years, and the other
fact that the plenty induces many young
gentlemen t. become amateur sportsmen.
we ,py from the Century" the follow
ing, which will be found valuable to begin
ners and also to some noted bad shots:
ITO become a successful shot at Bob
White, the sportsman should b. ar in m nd
that Bob. immediately after he has sprung
flies with velocity which probably ex-
leeds that of any other bird; aud also that,
unless fairly bit, he can Garry off large
number of pellets. When cOvey springs
It rises at a considerable angle with the
GROUND. Hence, in shooting at bird in
flushed cuvey, tie sportsman of unsteady
nerve and sluggish muscles is apt to uu-
dershoot, the bird rising with such velocity
that by the time the gunner has brought his
gun into position the bird has passed
,bove his line of sight. AS a rule. think
that about one second generally elapses
between the instant of springing of the
bird and the moment of fire This inter
val gives the bird time to gain % 'derate-
y horiz ,ntal line of fight, and allo VS. the
sportsman to get fair aim.
"In shooting at AN incoming bird. ltJ
him be out Of sight and just below the lib
# your gun at the m ,ment of firing. AT
d bird going overhead, wait till he has
passed we'll over; then shoot under him.
At straightway shots hold little high, so
that you just catch glimpse Of the bird
over your barrels.
sin shooting at cross shots, it should b.
understood that the velocity of AN ounce
f NJ. shot driven with three drains of
powder is near to 900 feet PR second. In
that second BIB White, if under full
headway, will GO SS feet, if we estimate
the velocity of bis flight so low as only
mile minute. II he is flying directly
across your line of sight aud thirty yards
off, the shot will take one tenth of a second
to reach that distance, and in one-tenth
Of second the bird has gone over eight
and eight-tenths feet. So, if we should
fire a snap shot directly at cross-fying
bird thirty yards distant the centre of the
cloud of shot would fall about nine te-J
behind him, and he would pass by un-
scratched. To kill him clean you must
mold n,ne feet ahead of him. To some
sportsmen nine feet may seem great dis
apce to hold ahead on eros flying bird
thirty yards away. but not to those who
have noticed attentively the relations of
the line of their aim to the position of the
bird at the very moment they hear the re-
port of their gun. Also, estimati0ns of
distances in the air beside a small and
quickly moving object are very unreliable,
and often when the sportsman thinks he
has fired only one foot ahead of bird he
has really held ahead three feet. Let some
one suspend horizontally in the air an un-
familiar object that must be distant from
fence rails aud otner things whose dimen-
sions you know. and then guess its length.
You will, after few trials, be satisfied
that the estimation of actual lengths at
thirty yards is very loose guess work.
"A beginner who, out Of three shots,
can OTIhg one Doo Wblto 10 odg, neeu hoo
be discouraged or ashamed !; with suffi
Gent pract ce, he may one day kill one
out of two birds fired at The sportsman
who does not select his shots land no man
really sportsman can do that), but takes
mis- chances in the open and in covert IN
Ill birds which offer probability of sEc-
cess to his skill. and who, the season
through, brings to his bag three out of i've
birds fired at, is an accomplished sports
man. If he can make three successful
shots out of four, he IS a phenomenal
maIksman.'