The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-10-06
AND
Plain
Figures.
Good shots with the Gun and PistoI
without sighting.

without sighting.
From the New Orleans Times-Democrat.
Yes. I've heard a good many stories
about hip shooting said veteran
hunter Of this city. but never saw but
one man who protested 20 be able 20 do
the trick. lie was a physician named
Webster. who came from somewhere near
Charleston. s. G. / hunted with him
twice. al Ashevile aud on each occasion
he gave some remarkable exhibitions OF
his skii lie used an old-fashiOned Par
ker breech loader. i2-bore. and when he
shot from the hip he Erasped the stock
just behind the hammer with his right
hand and held the barrel firmly in his
left some eight or nine inches below tho
rauzxie. The fiat OF the stock was presaaf
against his right side az the top OF tho
hip bone and little TO tho front. 20 he
did not face the object he shot at. but
had Il quartering on his loft. I am sure
about these details because l watched him
particularly.
The first thing I saw him knock over
was a rabbit, which wac looping across a
plowed field. lie steadied the gun for an
instant. with "A gesture that reminded ms
somehow Of a man holding . billiard cue.
and then blazed away. The rabbit drop
pod. AflcTward I saw him shoot a lark
on the wing and two other birds sitting.
he aficrward missed a couple OF wing
shots. but saw enough y convinec me-
that there was no accident about his first
work. He didn't pretend to shoot as we'll
from the hip as from the shoulder. and ad-
mittsd frankly that he couldn't bring
down difficult game. such. Tor instance.
a. suipe. 4 can HE about three out OF
I'VE. he SAID. when pick my own cen
dItions and I believe he could do even
better.
When ] asked him how he did Il he
laughed There is no mystery about hip
shooting he said. and IL h. a great mya-
take TO suppose Il necessary 10 look over
the sights In order 10 hit things How
does an archer bring down flying hlrdsf
lie doesn't look along the arrow. he
shoots by sense ~ direction. and I do tho
same thing with gun. II isn't every
body who possesses this sense OF direc-
zion he added. hut those who have it,
perhaps ono out OF threc-can learn hip
shooting without difiiculty'"
II believe there II good deal In tho
sense of-direction' theory" said another
sportsman IN the group Il lived IN the
West Ave or six years. and ! know for
a certainty that nearly all OF the best on
hand pistol shots among the cowboys
hred without aimins-f mean without
sighting In the usual manner along the
barrel They would look Of the target In
stead OF the weapon. and would generally
give their pistol a slight forward thrust
before pulling the trigger. II was done
on the instant, and those who we're clever
at II could he fairly confident OF hitting
a mark tho size OF a mans hat at, say,
nifty paoss None OF them claimed 20 b.
able 20 shoot as accurately that way Is
he could by sighting. but Il was pretty
trick. all tho same. and very valuable 10
a sudden melee.
zone OF the best offhand shots ! ever
knew was a COW puncher named Bill
Ralney. lie attributed his tkill 70 the
habit OF laying his index finger along the
barrel OF his six-shooter. i don't pint
the gun he said. 4 just pint my finger
and then let her go Gallagher There
was probably more IN that practice than
Bnl himself suspected We are accustom-
ed from infancy 20 pointing ~ things We
desire 20 indicate. and no doubt uncon-
sciously cultivate the very sense OF direc-
ton OF which you were speaking few
moments ago. / have seen Rainey knock
over an oyster can fve times out OF six
a a distance OF over Atty feet. without
doing a particle Of sighting. and firiug al
most as quickly % he could pull the tris-
ger. one OF his pet tricks was to wheel
and Are. and the accuracy with which ne
could plant a bullet while his body was
aull turning was marvellous. One thing ]
noticed IN particular In regard 10 shoot
ing without taking atm along the barrel
was that u must be done very quickly
or the bullet a. almost certain 90 fy wide
Of It's mark II there Is any hesitation
or attempt 20 calculate the direction u q
safe to wager on a miss. The cowboys who
were most expert At this style seemed %
hnd their target by sort OF instinct. and
pulled the trigger the moment the arm
was fully extended. Aside from Bill Rain.
~ A. "a 4
countered anybody who was able TO throw
any light on the performance. When
questioned, the COW punchers would look
1ewiidered and say there was a kind %
knack about It.. and beyond that were
evidently az sea themselves"