"Purely instinctive gunslinger shootin" Spoken like a Texican
Jack: This better? The Edwardian stood erect; the Yank hunched his shoulders, extended his neck, and leaned forward.
April 18, 1908
http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1908/VOL_51_NO_06/SL5106021.pdf Thomas S. Dando, Gun Editor
Sporting LifeA CRITICISM of your shooting may be summarized in that you sacrifice speed to accuracy and killing power. When you realize that the limit of absolute effectiveness of a trap gun is 40 yards, you can under stand that it is better to fire both barrels inside that limit than beyond. To test this, shoot at pigeons sitting on the ground at 40 yards, or at clay pigeons on a post at that distance. You will be surprised at the number that are missed. The quicker you shoot the slower the bird will be and the greater number of shot will hit the object aimed at, and with a higher velocity. In all pigeon matches shot in .this country, two-thirds of the birds are so slow or offer such easy shots that they ought to be killed with any gun or any load. The remainder are usually quick-flying, outgoing birds, which test the skill of the shooter, and success with these makes the difference between an ordinary shot and a good one. Now the quicker you shoot at these, the better chance you have of killing them. And it is important that you shoot quickly with both barrels. Anything which detracts from your ability to do this handicaps your skill.
YOUR FAULTS all combine to make you slow. Briefly, they are: First- Your gun is too heavy muzzle heavy and badly balanced. Second- Too heavy a charge in your first barrel, which causes your third fault-
Too rigid a position at the trap and too far bent forward. Fourth-
Your stock is too crooked and Fifth- you should always shoot with both eyes open.
I know your gun cost a whole lot, but no one could ever do good work with it unless a giant. I know you will say that your gun shoots well. That is the smallest part of a gun. I have never in my life targeted a pigeon gun to determine its shooting qualities. I always assume that they are sufficient.
An easy natural position at the trap is more graceful and more effective. It stands to reason that you can do anything better when your muscles are free than when constrained.
The generally accepted drop of stock in a pigeon gun is from 2 to 2 1/4 inches. If the gun is more crooked, you can not handle it so quickly. This is especially true with fast birds.
In England, where the birds are much faster, the guns are straighter yet. You could learn to shoot a straight-stocked gun in two or three afternoons and you would never use a crooked one again. Lastly, never close one of your eyes. This is the most important of all.
