Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-08-30
RIFLE WING SHOTS.
SPORT WITH SMALL BORE ARMS THAT
is INEXPENSIVE.
Shooting With n Rifle on the Wing Not
the Terribly Difficult Thing 1t Is Goner-
ally Believed to Be-Practical Sugges-
tions For Beginners.

lions For Beginners.
1t is this widespread love of hunting,
among other things, that has stimulated
the Improvement in small bore rifles to
such an extent that ono can now buy very
cheap % caliber rifle in which either
long or short cartridges, or even tho noise
less BIB caps, may DO used. This year
rifles on the Martini principle may be
bought for $3.50, which shoot perfectly II
they are held straight. The more costly
rifles, magazine Flohcrts, etc, cost Us high
as sl5, but really give no better fun.
y very few people understand that
shooting with rifle ON the wing, while
not easy, is not the terribly difficult thing
1t is generally believed to be.
The first thing to 10 is TO get rife which
fits the sportsman. The stock should have
such crook that when the rifle is pulled
up to the shoulder the muzzlc shall point
at the target. If the first rifle tried does
not do this, the gunmaicr il no knows his
business, will either pick out another or
by cutting tiny piece of the heel Of the
stock, adapt the rifle III hand. Tho next
thing to ascertain is whether tho riflo
shoots high or low ut, say, 30 yards, for
more shots will be had at that distance
than at any other This being done tho
third thing is TO learn to shoot with both
eyes open.
1t is natural on first handling n rife TO
close the left cyo and squirt with TIC right
along ,hc barrel until the front sight peeps
through the "V" of the rear sight This
will never do for wing shot Put tho
rifle up to the shoulder, forget for u min
ute all about sights and just stare ut the
target In from three to five seconds YOU
will see tho front sight loom up on your
vision Then slowly move it until tho
bead shows in the center Of the "V" roar
sight and pull the trigger. The bullet
should go very near the mark The reason
of shooting with both eyes open is that if
the left eye is closed it will be impossible
to aim at u rising bird-that is, to shoot
above it-for tho barrel will conceal tho
bird from the right eye. To demonstrate
this take an old stovepipe hat, cut hole
in the center of the crown, push the mIlz-
zlo of tho rino through SO that it projects
about six inches, and then place % target
and try to hit it with tho left oyo closed.
1t will be impossible, rs the hat blocks tho
sight of the target and also the front sight.
Now open the left eye, and in three Sec
hat appears transparent, and the mark can
be easily hit with u little practice. A still
more simple demonstration Is to take n
silver dollar, hold it with tho finger and
thumb and closing the left eye raise it
until it blocks mark. Then open tho left
ego and tho dollar will seem transparent,
and although the circle will DO plainly
visible the mark behind it will be seen as
clearly rs If IL were not there.
The next thing is to faniliarize oneself
with distances. These are very deceptive
on water. Pick out tree or o fence, with
a target ut an unknown distance, and fire
at it. Then pace tho distance and see how
near your estimate came and where your
ball hit. Having mastered this, the rest
is comparatively easy. The main thing Is
not to be in u hurry. If u bird gets up or
a rabbit starts to run, there is plenty of
time Ito take good aim with both eyes
open before 1t gets out of shot, and on
GOODNESS the result depends much. Take
q crow, for instance, which is calculated to
fly about 20 miles an hour when it gets
going. At that ratio the bird is three min
utes going u mile one minute going 5S7
yards, or ono second going 80 feet. The
average velocity of u S2 caliber bullet Is
about 900 feet a second. II the bird is 90
yards off, the bullet will be one fifteenth
of n second reaching it, and in that time
the bird will have Travelled forward about
two feet Therefore, to hit tho rife must
be aimed about two feet ahead, bearing in
mind that at 90 yards the line of trajectory
of the bullet requires that the aim should
he slightly below the limo of tho birds
flight; otherwise the bullet will go over its
back. Two or three seconds is quito
long time in which 10 take aim Pull out
n watch and SEQ If it isn't A gull does
not fly more than ten miles an hour;
varies much in speed, but sails Mt
from 10 to IL miles MS rule; the herring
gull and tho brown backed gull fly nearer
% miles 0n hour when in full swing, and
the heron gets up very slowly and affords
an excellent mark, but once up goes at
about Il ten milo gait. In shooting q heron
the gunner should make sure the bird is
dead before approaching it, for it will lilo
with its long neck on its back, and just as
you set within reach will dart forward its
long beak straight at your eye.
Those " no do not care to shoot at birds
'an rig up splendid moving target at
little cost which it will take skill to hit.
set d ten gallon cask or tank, and place 1t
IN top of the house or the barn, or a post
IL feet or more high, and attach to it q
piece of ordinary lead piping 4 inches in
diameter. Bring this TO the ground and
have faucet fixed to 1t, and thcn with n
hot iron braze the end until there Is only
4 pinholc from which tho water can cs-
cape. This ought to throw tiny Jet of
wster into the air shout or @ feet. At
,he base OF this pipe there should be u two
DOT funnel of tin, fitting closely, with the
oinholo in the pipe forming the exact bot
.om Of tho funnel. Into this may be tossed
sggshells, or, better still, the tinsel balls
lsed on Christmas trees. As soon as they
encounter the tiny jet Of water up they 70
n The air, dancing. rising, falling, drop
'ing suddenly two feet, jumping up again,
md never standing still. If board screen
feet high be placed in front Of this, and
ho marksman stands 90 to 40 feet away,
10 will have fun in trying to hit them.
The great art in breaking the balls is to
over them with the rifle, wait until they
teady themselves just before they spring
Upward, and then pull quick. York
sun.
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