The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-12-12
Lets Go Hunting
HUNTERS GIVEN
SOME TIPS ON
SHOOTING ART
Lefty Figures Things Out in
Split Seconds to Aid
Boys in Field.
BY LEFTY LEE
Times Hunting Editor

hold on" the game or do you hold
ahead"2 Many good shots. by this
We mean the nimrods who bring
down the game with few wasted
shots, use both methods, but it
would seem that the hunter who
prefers TO hold ahead" should
have the advantage over his rival
who holds on"
The following delays may be as
suined to be unavoidable:
Time occupied in becoming aware
Of the game, :O1 to :06 second.
Time occupied in raising the gun,
rs second.
Time occupied in pulling trigger,
:02 second.
Time occupied in igniting charge,
:02 second.
Time occupied in shot travelling
forty yards, IA second.
The average speed at which the
game birds fly may be taken at
ing across the shooter at that speed
will have travelled about twelve
inches before the quickest shooter
can have brought his gun into posi-
ton and pulled the trigger. The
shot travelling forty yards requires
II second, which means that the
bird will have Travelled close to ten
feet and six inches, to the right or
left of the mark aimed at This
means that the muzzle of the barrel
would be required to be more than
three inches to the right or left of
the line Of aim. If the hunter were
slower on the trigger, requiring :03
second rather than :02 second, the
bird Will have flown another sixteen
inches than the distance stated
above.
Even while the charge of shot,
having left the muzzle. is on its
way sufficient time elapses for a fast
flying bird to travel a considerable
distance; for the first fifteen yards
or so, it may be taken that for every
yard the shot advances the bird
travels two inches. The shot does
not maintain its high velocity and,
providing the bird does, we have at
forty yards range nearly one inch
flown in the time the shot advances
one foot. And at sixty yards one
and one-haf inches flown for the
advance Of each foot, by the shot.
following :05 second as the time
necessary for performing the in
voluntary and voluntary actions Of
seeing the mark, determining to
shoot, raising the gun and firing,
and also the small fraction of time
required for the ignition and COM
bustion of the powder and its pas
sage through the barrel, we find with
the 12-bore and standard charge
at fifteen yards range, bird travel
ing at forty miles an hour will have
traversed six feet before the shot
reaches that range from the gun
If at twenty yards, then the bird
will have travelled six feet six
inches; thirty yards, eight feet nine
inches; forty yards eleven feet five
inches; fifty yards, fourteen feet
eight inches and sixty yards, nine
teen feet four inches.
a great deal Of difference is
caused by the manner of bringing
up the gun. Some spOrtsmen ac-
quire the habit of bringing up the
gun with a swing in the direction
the mark is moving; others bring
up the gun and follow the object,
while the majority Of good shots
put up the gun and are supposed
TO jerk it ahead Of the game and
fire before the latter motion has
ceased. Those who shoot with the
gun on the swing, and increase the
speed of the swing so that the gun
races the game, and beats it, never
are required to hold ahead Those
who hold on by shooting prompt
". prove the truth of the theory
that it is necessary for the hand and
eyes to act in unison. While those
who hold ahead" although agree
ing that the hand must follow the
eye, yet so shoot that the hand must
point the gun in a different direc-
ton from the object on which the
eye is fixed
"A sportsman may be a first rate
shot and yet be unable to explain
how he has acquired an merring
aim The novice who wishes to be-
come a good shot must observe care
fully and practice constantly. The
ability to shoot we'll is a gift to
some, and though it may be acquired
by all, it is possible only to indicate
how the skillful use of the shotgun
may be developed. The writer's per-
sonal experience leads more to high
powered rifles and target pistols
but we also have learned that if
youare adept with these guns, shot
gun shooting is fairly easy to learn.