Chapter II: Part II: Science of Wing-Shooting

I. WING-SHOOTING PROBLEMS 191

II. AIMING 202

III. SNAP-SHOOTING--DELIBERATE SWING--RAPID SWING 220

IV. PRIMARY LESSONS 235

V. SOME SHOOTING PSYCHOLOGY 249

VI. SPEED OF FLIGHT--WHERE TO HOLD--JUDGING DISTANCES 265

VII. HINTS ON SHOOTING DIFFERENT GAME BIRDS 281

VIII. FIELD ETIQUETTE 308

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Drawings Showing Bolting Mechanisms 20

Drawings of Quintuple Fastening and of Rotary Cross-bolt 21

Stevens Compressed Steel Barrels 30

Ithaca Bolting Mechanism 39

Sideplate Lock 42

Tumbler Safety 46

The Snap Fore-end 55

The Parker Ejector and the Ithaca Ejector 57

The Hunter Single Trigger 66

The Infallible Single Trigger 67

Wealth of Ornamentation on The Sauer Gun 74

Style of Engraving of the Winchester Company 77

The Diamond Daly--German Style of Engraving 80

The Baker Brush; Smith Knockabout; Stevens Field Grade 87

The Fox “Sterlingworth” 90

The B. Grade, Fox 92

The Parker Knockabout 93

Smith Field and Trap Ejector 94

Baker Paragon Grade 95

Parker $100 Grade 96

The Stevens Field and Trap and the Baker Expert 98

The $750 Grade L. C. Smith 99

The Highest Grade Sauer 100

The $400 Grade Ithaca 101

The $500 Diamond Daly 102

The $500 Fox 103

The Winchester, Remington and Stevens Repeating Shotguns 106

Gunstock Measuring 115

The Monte Carlo Comb 120

Measurements of Stock for Single Trigger 125

The 16-Gauge Sauer 142

The 16-Gauge Marlin and the 20-Gauge Parker 147

An Idealized Pattern of a Modified Choke 161

Method of Analyzing a Pattern 163

Size of Circles in Which Various Degrees of Choke Will Throw
Their Patterns 165

Pattern Showing the Futility of Shooting Large Shot in Small
Gauges, Open Bored 177

Binocular Shooting, or Gun Pointing 208

Gun Pointing--Both Eyes Open 212

Targets With Rifle, Showing the Result of Gun Pointing Without
Sights 219

Diagram Showing Rough Snap, Semi-snap, and Rapid Swing 221

The Difference in Lead Between a Snap Shot and a Swinging Shot 229

Estimating a Bird’s Distance by His Apparent Size and the
Plainness of his Markings 275

Estimating the Distance to Hold Ahead in Lengths of the Bird 278

Turning on Him. (From photograph.) 284

Shooting High for a Rising Bird. (From photograph.) 289

Shooting an Incomer. (From photograph.) 304

Right Way to Carry a Gun Afield. (From photograph.) 319

Proper Position in Waiting for a Shot. (From photograph.) 320